Ways To Advance Your Pharmacy Technician Career
Pharmacy technicians dispense prescriptions, compound intravenous medications for hospitals, and organize the inventory. The role requires someone with meticulous attention to detail, professionalism when speaking with customers, and integrity when navigating sensitive medical situations.
As a pharmacy technician, you can work in various settings, including nursing homes, hospitals, retail stores, and assisted living communities. This opens up opportunities in the job market and allows you to select the best work environment for you. Once you get your feet wet in the pharmaceutical field, you’ll likely look for ways to further advance your role as a pharmacy technician.
Let’s explore the future of the pharmacy technician position, along with several ways you can take your career in pharmaceuticals to the next level.
Job outlook for pharmacy technicians
A pharmacy technician works closely with a pharmacist to ensure patients’ health and safety. They locate, dispense, pack, and label a patient’s prescribed medication, which is then checked for accuracy by a pharmacist before being dispensed to the patient. They may also assist pharmacists with administrative tasks such as processing insurance claims, inventory tracking, and filing paperwork.
Pharmacy technicians collaborate with physicians, nurses, and pharmacists. They are responsible for a variety of tasks within the pharmacy.
Typical roles and responsibilities include the following:
- Putting together new prescriptions and refill requests for patients
- Providing medication to patients as per their prescriptions’ or provider’s orders
- packaging and labeling prescription medication
- Processing insurance claims
- Monitoring new and shifting inventory
- Using sterile and non-sterile processes to prepare compounded medications
- Filling and refilling automated medication dispensers
- Packaging and repackaging bulky medication containers
Pharmacy technicians are typically employed in retail establishments, hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities. They are on their feet for most of the day, filling and packaging prescriptions and collaborating with pharmacists and other health care providers. Depending on where they work, they may be required to work nights, weekends, and holidays.
What are the benefits of a pharmacy technician role?
Pharmacy technician careers represent a great career choice for people who want to work in healthcare, want to help others, and seek good job security and advancement opportunities without going to school for several years to get started.
Here are a few of the most notable benefits to a pharmacy technician role:
- Job security: As healthcare becomes increasingly important, the demand for pharmacy technicians is expected to grow, providing job security for those in the field.
- Competitive pay: Pharmacy technicians typically earn a competitive salary and may be eligible for benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans.
- Environment variability: Pharmacy technicians can work in various settings, including retail pharmacies, hospitals, and long-term care facilities.
- Flexibility: Many pharmacy technicians work part-time or on flexible schedules, allowing them to balance work and personal responsibilities.
- Opportunities for advancement: Pharmacy technicians can advance their careers by becoming certified, taking on more responsibilities, or pursuing additional education to become a pharmacist.
- Helping others: Pharmacy technicians play a critical role in the healthcare system by helping ensure patients receive the correct medications and dosages, which can be very rewarding.
- Continuous learning: As the medical field evolves, pharmacy technicians have to stay current with the latest medications and regulations, which keeps the role challenging and stimulating.
These and other benefits allow people like you to step into rewarding pharmacy technician roles. After fulfilling a role as a pharmacy technician, it’s time to advance your career.
How can I advance my career as a pharmacy technician?
There are many ways to advance your career as a pharmacy technician. Consider opportunities to diversify your skill set, pursue continuous learning, and step into new responsibilities.
Explore compounding pharmacies
Compounding pharmacies provide unique medications for patients, in contrast to conventional pharmacies. These pharmacies may combine multiple prescriptions into a single pill or liquid solution to save patients from taking numerous tablets. To accommodate a patient’s weight, metabolism, and particular demands, pharmacy technicians can manufacture customized dosages that do not already exist on the market.
A compounding pharmacy may satisfy your desire for fulfillment if you enjoy providing excellent customer service and wish to significantly impact patients’ lives. In a career like this, you might rise more quickly because you might have more prospects at private pharmacies for management or supervisory roles.
Additionally, with a pharmacist’s supervision, you might pick up the skill of compounding your own prescriptions, gaining valuable on-the-job experience for future careers.
Become a pharmacist
Consider returning to school to become a pharmacist while employed as a pharmacy technician. You will significantly improve your earning potential and achieve better access to benefits. In addition, pharmacists have more duties and interact with patients directly.
To become a pharmacist, you must get your Doctor of Pharmacy or Pharm.D. degree and pass the required state exams. If you are a pharmacy technician who works a full-time job, the process might take longer, but you will be glad you made an effort.
Demonstrate leadership skills
Regardless of your goals, you cannot advance in your profession as a follower. Focus on displaying your leadership abilities in every interaction with coworkers, clients, and superiors if you want to enhance your pharmacy technician job. Take the initiative to speak out when you have an idea, ask questions when uncertain, and show initiative.
Put forth effort whenever possible. You will lead by example for your colleague’s technicians, which could make your supervisor take notice of you. If something goes wrong, accept responsibility immediately and explain how you will avoid similar mistakes in the future. You will demonstrate that you are eager to contribute equally to work and keen to learn from your mistakes.
Additional advancement opportunities
Here are a few more ways to advance your position as a pharmacy technician:
- Certification: Obtaining a certification from a national organization, such as the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) or the National Healthcareer Association (NHA), can demonstrate expertise and improve job opportunities.
- Continuing Education: Pharmacy technicians are required to complete continuing education to maintain their certification, and taking additional courses can expand their knowledge and skills, making them more valuable to employers.
- Specialization: Pharmacy technicians can specialize in compounding, nuclear pharmacy, or long-term care. Specializing can lead to more advanced job responsibilities and better pay.
Future positions to consider
Here are a few positions to consider as a next step, from your current role as a pharmacy technician:
- Lead Pharmacy Technician: A lead pharmacy technician is responsible for overseeing the work of other pharmacy technicians and ensuring that their work is accurate and compliant with regulations.
- Supervisor: A supervisor may manage a team of pharmacy technicians and staff and may also be responsible for scheduling, inventory management, and budgeting tasks.
- Specialty Pharmacy Technician: A specialty pharmacy technician may work in a specific pharmacy area, such as compounding, nuclear pharmacy, or long-term care.
- Pharmacist: Pharmacy technicians can choose to further their education and become a pharmacist, which requires additional education and passing an examination, but it can lead to increased earning potential and greater autonomy in patient care.
- Pharmaceutical Sales Representative: Some pharmacy technicians may transition into sales roles, working for pharmaceutical manufacturers or distributors to promote and sell their products to pharmacies, hospitals, and other healthcare providers.
- Pharmaceutical Research and Development: Pharmacy technicians can also choose to work in the research and development of new drugs, as well as testing and clinical trials.
Some roles may require additional education or certification, so it is a good idea to check with your state board of pharmacy or employer for specific requirements.
Take Your first steps toward a rewarding health career today
A pharmacy technician is a great career option if you are passionate about making a difference in your community and helping others. With Health Tech Academy’s Pharmacy Technician Bootcamp, you can quickly become qualified for your next career in as little as 16 weeks.
Schedule your free 1:1 career strategy session today to learn how we can help you achieve your career goals.
