Career Overview
Prepare medications under the direction of a pharmacist. May measure, mix, count out, label, and record amounts and dosages of medications according to prescription orders.
Also Known As
- Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT)
- Chemotherapy Pharmacy Technician (Chemo Pharmacy Technician)
- OR Pharmacy Tech (Operating Room Pharmacy Tech)
- RPhT (Registered Pharmacy Technician)
Alternate Job Titles
- Accredited Pharmacy Technician
- Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT)
- Chemotherapy Pharmacy Technician (Chemo Pharmacy Technician)
- Compounding Pharmacy Tech (Compounding Pharmacy Technician)
- Compounding Technician
- Drug Coordinator
- Hospital Pharmacy Tech (Hospital Pharmacy Technician)
- Inpatient Pharmacy Tech (Inpatient Pharmacy Technician)
- OR Pharmacy Tech (Operating Room Pharmacy Tech)
- Pharmacist Assistant
- Pharmacist Technician
- Pharmacy Clerk
- Pharmacy Laboratory Technician
- Pharmacy Service Associate
- Pharmacy Technician (Pharm Tech)
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Receive written prescription or refill requests and verify that information is complete and accurate.
- Enter prescription information into computer databases.
- Establish or maintain patient profiles, including lists of medications taken by individual patients.
- Maintain proper storage and security conditions for drugs.
- Receive and store incoming supplies, verify quantities against invoices, check for outdated medications in current inventory, and inform supervisors of stock needs and shortages.
- Answer telephones, responding to questions or requests.
- Assist customers by answering simple questions, locating items, or referring them to the pharmacist for medication information.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Customer and Personal Service
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Mathematics
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Near Vision
- Written Comprehension
- Speech Recognition
- Information Ordering
- Problem Sensitivity
- Category Flexibility
- Speech Clarity
- Deductive Reasoning
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Integrity
- Cooperation
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Relationships
- Support
- Achievement
- Recognition
- Independence
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month
Education Details: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Experience Required: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Apple Safari
- MEDITECH software
- Microsoft Edge
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
- Mozilla Firefox
Tools & Equipment
- Agar slides
- Autoclaves
- Automatic bottle filling machines
- Automatic unit dose strip packaging machines
- Benchtop colloid mills
- Blending/agitating machines
- Bunsen burners
- Cash registers
- Centrifuges
- Colloid mills
- Computer laser printers
- Computer-based dispensing equipment
- Data input scanners
- Desktop computers
- Double-beam balances
Work Environment
- Telephone Conversations
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Contact With Others
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $35,100 |
| Median | $43,460 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $59,450 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 487,920
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Pharmacists
Education: Doctoral Degree
Median Salary: $137,480
Pharmacy Aides
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $37,000
Medical Assistants
Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
Median Salary: $44,200
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $45,980
Phlebotomists
Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
Median Salary: $43,660
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.