Pharmacy technicians help licensed pharmacists in providing medication and other health products to patients. They help in preparing the medication prescribed for patients in ways such as labeling bottles and counting tablets. They also communicate information regarding the patients' prescriptions and medicines to a pharmacist.

Pharmacy aides work with pharmacy technicians but their duties include clerical work such as keeping records, billing and answering patient queries over telephone.

Those who work in mail order pharmacies or retail shops deal with preparing the medication prescribed to patients. This includes locating, counting, pouring, weighing, measuring and sometimes mixing the medication. Printing and assigning label, selecting appropriate boxes for the medicines, updating prescriptions and confirming prescription with the doctors and then finally consulting the pharmacist for approval of the medication.

Work Environment

Work is carried out in well ventilated, lighted, clean and organized spaces. Most of the time while working they are on their feet lifting heavy boxes or climbing ladders to reach for shelved medicines. They often work during weekends, evening, nights and holidays.

Educational Requirements

Formal training and certification is preferred by employers. Proprietary schools, some hospitals, technical or vocational colleges, the military and community colleges offer formal training programs.  Online pharmacy technician training is available from accredited distance learning institutes. 

Formal training includes classroom and laboratory work consisting of pharmaceutical and medical terminology, pharmacy record keeping, pharmaceutical techniques, pharmaceutical calculations and ethics and laws of pharmacy.

Some formal training programs facilitate internships which enable the candidate to receive training on the job. The courses result in a diploma, an associate degree or a certificate.

Job Outlook and Salary Expectations

Ample opportunities are expected for this career. With an increase in pharmacy retail shops and retirement of older technicians a growth in the demand for technicians will be created.  It is a recession proof career path that is expected to grow over the next decade.

Salary starts as low as less than $7.96/hr and goes up as high as more than $16.61/hr.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.

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