Monday, March 7, 2011

What does a pharmacy technician do?


If you have great people skills, have an interest in healthcare and enjoy keeping busy throughout the day, a career as a pharmacy technician could be the right fit for you! 

With our country’s increasing elderly population and advances in medicine, pharmacies are seeking more and more qualified pharmacy technicians to improve efficiency and accuracy in today’s pharmacy settings. 

But what exactly is a typical day like for a pharmacy technician? Well, for one thing, it’s never boring! 

Pharmacy technicians are responsible for a wide range of tasks, including labeling bottles, counting tablets, receiving prescription requests, maintaining patient files, preparing insurance claim forms, explaining medications and operating cash registers.  Pharmacy technicians work closely alongside a licensed pharmacist throughout the day. 

If you’re thinking about going into this field, you need to possess strong communication and customer service skills to interact with patients, coworkers and healthcare professionals on a daily basis. 

Employment opportunities are excellent for pharmacy technicians right now.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011 Edition predicts that employment for pharmacy technicians will increase by 25 percent through 2018.  

About 75 percent of pharmacy technicians work in retail settings such as chain pharmacies, like Walgreens or CVS, or privately-owned pharmacies.  Sixteen percent of pharmacy technicians work in hospital settings.

So, put your people skills to good use! Become a pharmacy technician with help from Pennco Tech!