What does a pharmacist technician do?
Pharmacist technicians assist pharmacists in their daily activities. They receive prescription medicine order requests of customers, validate the prescription, prepare the medicines, properly label medicine bottles, and hand them off to customers. They also answer customer inquiries and attend to customer concerns. Pharmacist technicians also manage the pharmacy's inventory and ensure that all records are up to date. They are also authorized to create purchase requisition requests for medicines that are running low and need to be refilled, but these requests should still be authorized by a doctor.
Pharmacist technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real pharmacist technician resumes:
- Manage the OPTIFILL (automation) operations and maintenance of equipment, including the PYXIS medication dispensing machine.
- Manage assigned pharmacy workstations and tasks while supporting team members in promptly, safely and accurately filling patient prescriptions.
- Manage inventory; process physician orders; prepare chemotherapy and intravenous medications; support departments in distribution and preparation of medications.
- Consult with patients as an (CPhT) on their medical usages via written prescription by authorize medical personnel.
- Compound TPN's (total peripheral nutrition), chemotherapy, iv admixture, antibiotics, and other pharmacy medications.
- Record customer information into Rx computer system.
- Train immensely on patient confidentiality, HIPAA protocol and regulations, customer service regarding patient medication and administration.
- Utilize PC to enter and retrieve patient prescription data, ensure patient confidentiality following all applicable government guidelines including HIPAA.
- Fill prescriptions for customers, including accurately reading and transcribing prescriptions into pharmacy computer system, insurance adjudication and medication preparation.
- Maintain all confidential personnel files, license and CPR compliance records.
- Earn experience in preparing compound IVs, ensuring proper dosages through strong math skills and attention to detail.
- Count drugs according to the specific drug indicate by the NDC number on bottles labele on the shelves.
- Gain dispensing knowledge and exhibit regular use of SIG codes as well as experience with third party insurance and Medicare/Medicaid.
- Enter prescription data into patient profiles, bill insurance, fill prescriptions, verify NDC codes, and reconstitute suspensions.
- Use of aseptic technique and physical dexterity to manipulate vials, ampules, needles, syringes, and other intravenous products.
Pharmacist technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 32% of Pharmacist Technicians are proficient in Patients, Math, and Direct Supervision. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Listening skills, and Math skills.
We break down the percentage of Pharmacist Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 32%
Served as liaison between patients and pharmacists resolving customer complaints and defusing sensitive customer issues successfully with professionalism and tact.
- Math, 12%
Teach students Math and other related subjects via telephone and Internet in order to successfully complete programs.
- Direct Supervision, 5%
Responded to customer inquiries as necessary and filled drug kits under direct supervision applying accuracy and aseptic technique.
- HIPAA, 4%
Utilized PC to enter and retrieve patient prescription data, ensured patient confidentiality following all applicable government guidelines including HIPAA.
- Collective Bargaining, 4%
Appointed as a Collective Bargaining Committee member to negotiate hospital contract benefits for about 1,100 service employees.
- Telephone Calls, 4%
Answered telephone calls, communicated with doctor's offices to request patient's medication refills and performed other clerical duties Presentations/Poster
Common skills that a pharmacist technician uses to do their job include "patients," "math," and "direct supervision." You can find details on the most important pharmacist technician responsibilities below.
Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a pharmacist technician to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "pharmacy technicians spend much of their time interacting with customers, so being helpful and polite is required of pharmacy technicians in a retail setting." Pharmacist technicians often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "provided excellent customer service ranging from insurance claims issues to providing detailed medical information. "
Listening skills. Another essential skill to perform pharmacist technician duties is listening skills. Pharmacist technicians responsibilities require that "pharmacy technicians must communicate clearly with pharmacists and doctors when taking prescription orders." Pharmacist technicians also use listening skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "communicated with health insurance companies and doctors to process insurance claims for customers. "
Math skills. pharmacist technicians are also known for math skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to pharmacist technician responsibilities, because "pharmacy technicians need to have an understanding of the math concepts used in pharmacies when counting pills and compounding medications." A pharmacist technician resume example shows how math skills is used in the workplace: "prepared iv administered medications and chemotherapy using aseptic techniques while using chemistry knowledge and math skills. "
Organizational skills. For certain pharmacist technician responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "organizational skills." The day-to-day duties of a pharmacist technician rely on this skill, as "working as a pharmacy technician involves balancing a variety of responsibilities." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what pharmacist technicians do: "developed organizational skills by verifying, compiling and filing patient data and prescriptions. "
Detail oriented. A commonly-found skill in pharmacist technician job descriptions, "detail oriented" is essential to what pharmacist technicians do. Pharmacist technician responsibilities rely on this skill because "serious health problems can result from mistakes in filling prescriptions." You can also see how pharmacist technician duties rely on detail oriented in this resume example: "maintain error free medication disbursement through accurate data entry and detailed oversight of other pharmacists. "
The three companies that hire the most pharmacist technicians are:
- CVS Health5,889 pharmacist technicians jobs
- Walgreens4,136 pharmacist technicians jobs
- Kroger1,121 pharmacist technicians jobs
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Compare different pharmacist technicians
Pharmacist technician vs. Laboratory aide
A laboratory aide is primarily responsible for maintaining the cleanliness and order in laboratories, all while performing support tasks for scientists. Their duties revolve around arranging specimens and samples, transporting materials from one laboratory to another, preparing apparatuses and machines, and storing them accordingly. A laboratory aide may also run errands, produce progress reports, sanitize areas and instruments, and properly dispose of chemicals and other hazardous waste. Furthermore, it is crucial to implement the laboratory's safety policies and regulations, ensuring a safe and healthy laboratory environment for everyone.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a pharmacist technician are more likely to require skills like "math," "direct supervision," "hipaa," and "collective bargaining." On the other hand, a job as a laboratory aide requires skills like "specimen handling," "lab equipment," "phlebotomy," and "blood samples." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Laboratory aides really shine in the technology industry with an average salary of $31,856. Comparatively, pharmacist technicians tend to make the most money in the health care industry with an average salary of $36,689.On average, laboratory aides reach similar levels of education than pharmacist technicians. Laboratory aides are 0.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 1.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Pharmacist technician vs. Laboratory assistant/phlebotomist
A laboratory assistant/phlebotomist is responsible for drawing blood samples and other laboratory tests, labeling specimens, and performing administrative and clerical duties as needed. Laboratory assistants/phlebotomists should ensure that the laboratory tools and equipment are stored and secured in a safe area, as well as regularly sterilizing testing tools to avoid contamination upon the use of the patients. They must be highly knowledgeable of the medical procedures and processes, responding to the patients' inquiries and concerns, and providing a timely update of medical results.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, pharmacist technician responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "math," "direct supervision," "collective bargaining," and "telephone calls." Meanwhile, a laboratory assistant/phlebotomist has duties that require skills in areas such as "blood specimens," "customer service," "phlebotomy procedures," and "specimen collection." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
In general, laboratory assistant/phlebotomists achieve similar levels of education than pharmacist technicians. They're 1.3% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Pharmacist technician vs. Clinical laboratory assistant
A clinical laboratory assistant specializes in performing support tasks in a laboratory or similar setting using their in-depth knowledge. They are primarily responsible for assisting researchers, preparing samples and apparatus, conducting experiments and analysis, maintaining extensive documentation of all processes and results, and reporting to management. Moreover, a clinical laboratory assistant is also responsible for gathering necessary information before beginning studies and maintaining the laboratory's cleanliness and sanitation. It is vital to implement all the safety rules and regulations to ensure a safe and productive work environment.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, pharmacist technicians are more likely to have skills like "math," "direct supervision," "collective bargaining," and "telephone calls." But a clinical laboratory assistant is more likely to have skills like "phlebotomy," "clinical lab," "customer service," and "specimen collection."
Clinical laboratory assistants make a very good living in the technology industry with an average annual salary of $34,141. On the other hand, pharmacist technicians are paid the highest salary in the health care industry, with average annual pay of $36,689.clinical laboratory assistants typically earn similar educational levels compared to pharmacist technicians. Specifically, they're 1.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Pharmacist technician vs. Laboratory specialist
A laboratory specialist develops the areas assigned to them and promotes maximum resource allocation and utilization to achieve their goals. Laboratory specialists handle storage and backup devices, support telecommunication-associated equipment, and relay customer requests and issues. It is their job to process specimens in toxicology, coagulation, microbiology, hematology, chemistry, and urinalysis. Skills and knowledge in a photo lab, cell culture, customer service, and test cases are necessary for this position.
Types of pharmacist technician
Updated January 8, 2025
