Example Pharmacy Technician Job Description for 2022

Free pharmacy technician job description. A pharmacy technician is a licensed professional who supplies prescription medication to patients. A pharmacy technician handles prescription medication requests, checking of medications for patients, assembles medicines, and provides information or healthcare professionals on the dosages of prescriptions or over the counter medications.

A pharmacy technician may also be referred to as a retail pharmacy technician or pharmacy tech. They are not to be confused with a pharmacy assistant or pharmacy aides as those job titles provide assistance to the pharmacy technician.

What is a Pharmacy Technician

A pharmacy technician works under the supervision of a pharmacist. A pharmacist must review prescriptions before they are given to patients inside hospitals or medical facilities. In most states, pharmacy technicians can compound or mix limited medications. A pharmacy technician can also call physicians for prescription refill authorizations. Pharmacy technicians may need to operate automated dispensing equipment when filling prescription orders depending on the facility. Technicians work in fast-paced conditions and should show strong leadership skills.

Pharmacy technicians working in hospitals and other medical facilities can prepare a larger set of medications, such as intravenous medications. They may make rounds in the hospital, providing medications and medication refills to patients.

Pharmacy Technician Job Description Sample

Our retail pharmacy is seeking an experienced pharmacy technician to assist with our prescription drugs and over the counter medications for patients. The pharmacy technician will retrieve incoming prescriptions, review the written prescription, allocate medication orders, fill prescriptions, and inform each patient of the proper dosage of medications to take. The pharmacy technician will oversee general patient care, pharmacy operations, and assist with training.

Pharmacy Technician Duties and Responsibilities

Sample job duties and pharmacy technician responsibilities:

• Provide pharmacist supervision to all pharmacy assistants and pharmacy aides.
• Direct day-to-day operations of the pharmacy.
• Review prescription orders, send orders to be filled, fill prescription medications, walk patients through their health insurance claims, and inform patients of their dosage and medication usage.
• Provide information to patients on intravenous medication.
• Mark filled prescriptions in the patient medical records for health insurance claims and purposes.
• Review the medication history of the patient to ensure no conflicting medications are being taken.
• Report all operations and daily activities to the lead pharmacy technician.
• Follow daily operations as it relates to general pharmacy law, state pharmacy regulations, and drug therapy regulations.

Call Center Pharmacy Technician Duties and Responsibilities

• Handle correspondence to patients (inbound calls, chats, emails) and makes outbound calls to prescribers and patients as needed.
• Resolves Third Party Rejects by reviewing, gathering information, making corrections, and resubmitting for processing according to individual plan requirements. Makes telephone calls to insurers and others to obtain information, gain override approval, or otherwise resolve the Third Party Rejects.
• Provides assistance to pharmacists, both those in the facility and those at other locations. Identifies and communicates issues to senior-level staff as appropriate.

Hospital Pharmacy Technician Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides pharmacy services and assistance under the supervision of a pharmacist.
• Must be able to work in a stressful environment and take appropriate action.
• Refills and maintains automated dispensing systems.
• Fills medication carts on a daily basis.
• Prepare orders and maintain inventory for the pharmacy department.
• Repackages bulk medications.

Clinical Pharmacy Technician Duties and Responsibilities

• Contacts patients and/or caregivers to schedule a delivery and determine supply needs; Picks and packs medical supplies to fill patient orders; Accurately dispenses products in the computer system to generate a delivery ticket and/or prescription labels; Confirms delivery tickets after delivery.
• Assists with product purchasing, inventory, and equipment management. Orders the correct drug products from the wholesale company if requested. Knowledgeable of various vendors and where to get different supplies, medications, and "cleanroom" needs. Verifies the accuracy of product orders received. Check prices against a contract and in the schedule of charges.
• Cleans and tests infusion pumps. Assists with the system of tracking infusion pumps and medical equipment.
• Maintains confidentiality of patient and proprietary information. Understands and complies with HIPPA.

Pharmacy Technician Requirements

Qualified candidates should have the following:

• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• Associate Degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences.
• Must have completed a pharmacy technician program approved by American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)
• Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) or another pharmacy technician certification.
• Licensed Pharmacist or Registered Pharmacist.
• Completed pharmacy technician training.
• Continuing education is okay.
• Attention to detail skills, verbal communication skills.
• Previous work experience in a hospital or hospital pharmacy is a plus.
• Previous work experience in a community pharmacy is a plus.

Pharmacy Technician Skills

Top candidates should have the following skills in the field. Skills provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:

• Customer-service skills. Pharmacy technicians spend much of their time interacting with customers, so being helpful and polite is required of pharmacy technicians in a retail setting.
• Detail-oriented. Serious health problems can result from mistakes in filling prescriptions. Although the pharmacist is responsible for ensuring the safety of all medications dispensed, pharmacy technicians should pay attention to detail so that complications are avoided.
• Listening skills. Pharmacy technicians must communicate clearly with pharmacists and doctors when taking prescription orders. When speaking with customers, technicians must listen carefully to understand customers’ needs and determine if they need to speak with a pharmacist.
• Math skills. Pharmacy technicians need to have an understanding of the math concepts used in pharmacies when counting pills and compounding medications.
• Organizational skills. Working as a pharmacy technician involves balancing a variety of responsibilities. Pharmacy technicians need good organizational skills to complete the work delegated by pharmacists while at the same time providing service to customers or patients.

Pharmacy Technician Job Boards

Top aspiring pharmacy technician candidates can be found on the following job boards. It's advised that employers use "niche" job boards when searching for a pharmacy technician before using a major national job board like Monster, Indeed, or Dice.com.

Top pharmacy technician job boards

• Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) Careers Portal
• iHirePharmacy.com
• American College of Clinical Pharmacy
• PharmacyJobCenter.com
• inPharmacyJobs.com
• PharmacistJobCafe

Tip: As an employer, post the pharmacy tech job advertisement on the following job boards and field job applicants. If unhappy with the experience level and quality of the applicants, try posting on a major job board like Indeed, Google for Jobs, Monster, or Dice.com.

How to Write a Pharmacy Technician Job Description

A job description should contain the following elements and sections to writing a great job description.

An exact job title

Have a descriptive, yet specific job title. Avoid job titles that are not "industry standard." For example, "CVS Technician." It deters job applicants because each applicant might not feel "qualified" for that role. The job title should always say "Pharmacy Technician."

A job brief

The job brief is referred to as the job description. It is a four to five sentence long objective for the job title in the business. It should describe what "success" looks like to the employer, providing the candidate with the ability to write a targeted cover letter and resume for the role. This is a key area where an employer can request certain experience levels and local geography requirements of the applicants.

Duties and responsibilities

Having duties and responsibilities as part of the job description can assist the job applicant in feeling "qualified" for the position. A candidate can more easily compare previous work experience and be certain they are a "good fit" for the role.

Qualifications and abilities

This includes degrees, licenses, certifications, community involvement, or other requirements. For academic and scientific positions, a post-doctoral degree can be required. Having these requirements listed ensures that only qualified candidates apply for the open position.

Qualifications might include:

• Degree or equivalent education experience.
• Years of experience in a related field.
• Specialized training or certifications.
• Community involvement.

For a pharmacy technician role, it's important that the employer explicitly describe a requirement for the role is that the applicant has completed a pharmacy technician program approved by American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).

Pharmacy Technician Certifications and Licenses

Pharmacy technicians are required to be certified by state law. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides insights into the requirements, stating "Two organizations offer certification. The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) certification requires a high school diploma and the passing of an exam. Applicants for the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) certification must be at least 18 years old, have a high school diploma, and have completed a training program or have 1 year of work experience. Technicians must certify themselves every 2 years by completing 20 hours of continuing education courses."

Be sure to field applicants for the following certifications, licenses, and requirements.

Pharmacy Technician Education Requirements

Pharmacy technicians enter the occupation after completing post-secondary education programs in pharmacy technology. These types of programs are offered by vocational schools (not to be mistaken with a trade school) or community colleges. Most programs are award a certificate after one year or less of education. Although some programs last longer and can lead to an associate’s degree. The programs cover a variety of subject matters, such as arithmetic (which is used in pharmacies), record keeping, methods of dispensing medications, and pharmacy laws. The pharmacy technicians will learn the names, uses, and doses of most medications through the education program. Most programs include limited clinical experience, in which students gain hands-on experience in a pharmacy.

Related job descriptions

• Medical Assistant Job Description
• Pharmacy Technician Job Description
• Home Health Aide Job Description
• CNA Job Description