Occupation Details
Pharmacy Technicians
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.
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Interests
Realistic
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Conventional
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Work Values
Achievement
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Relationships
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Salary & Job Outlook
Starting Salary
$30,660.00
New York StateMedian Salary
$38,100.00
New York StateExperienced Salary
$45,260.00
New York StateNational Average for Comparison
New York State Job Market Outlook
Jobs Right Now (2018)
19,480
professionals in NYFuture Job Growth (2030)
24,850
+537 jobs/yearNew Jobs Every Year
2,094
new opportunities yearlyGrowth Rate
0.3%
projected increasePreparation: Experience, Training, and Education
The list below outlines the prior educational experience required to perform in this occupation.
College Helps - Some college classes or training
Experience Requirements
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.
Education Requirements
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Training Details
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Transferrable Skills and Experience
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, desktop publishers, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters and simultaneous captioners, and medical assistants.
School Programs
The following lists school programs which are applicable to this occupation.
Licensing & Certification
State License and Certifications Requirements are not currently associated with this occupation.
Apprenticeship
Contact your regional representative to learn more about apprenticeships available in your area by visiting Apprenticeship Contacts.
Skills
The list below includes the skills required by workers in this occupation; skills are what allow you to learn more quickly and improve your performance.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Skill level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Knowledge
The list below includes knowledge items, the principles and facts required by this occupation.
Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Medicine and Dentistry
Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Mathematics
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Computers and Electronics
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Administrative
Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Knowledge level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Work Environment
The list below includes the physical and social factors that influence the nature of work in this occupation.
Hover over or tap each factor to see its description.
Work Styles
Included in the list below are the personal work style characteristics that can affect how well a worker is likely to perform in this occupation.
Adaptability/Flexibility
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Analytical Thinking
Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Attention to Detail
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Concern for Others
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Cooperation
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Initiative
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Integrity
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Self-Control
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Stress Tolerance
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
Tools & Technology
This list below describes the machines, equipment, tools, software, and information technology that workers in this occupation will use.
Tools
- 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
- Electronic signature capture equipment
- Equal-arm balances
- Evacuated blood collection containers
- Filtering devices
- Flask washers
- Graduated cylinders
- Grinding and shearing colloid mills
- Horizontal and vertical flow hoods
- Incubators
- Intravenous IV infusion pumps
- Intravenous IV supplies
- Label printers
- Laboratory vacuum pumps
- Laminar flow hoods
- Notebook computers
Technology
- Billing and reimbursement software
- Compounder software
- Drug compatibility software
- Inventory management software
- Label-making software
- Medical condition coding software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
- Pharmaceutical software
- Pharmacy management software
- Point of sale POS software
- Prescription processing software
Duties
Duties are job behaviors describing activities that occur on multiple jobs. The generalized and detailed work activities described in the list below apply to this occupation.
- sell merchandise
- clean rooms or work areas
- deliver or obtain mail, messages, records, food or other items
- maintain records, reports, or files
- process medical records
- use precision measuring tools or equipment
- use cash registers
- use laboratory equipment
- mix paint, ingredients, or chemicals, according to specifications
- price merchandise
- store pharmaceutical supplies or filled prescriptions
- prepare sterile solutions, infusions, or intravenous packs
- sterilize or clean laboratory or healthcare equipment
- dispense prescribed medications and pharmaceuticals
- maintain record of medication or equipment dispensed to patient
- order or purchase supplies, materials, or equipment
- compound pharmaceuticals or medical preparations
- communicate technical information
- interpret prescriptions
- use health or sanitation standards
- use interpersonal communication techniques
- use quality assurance techniques
- follow safe waste disposal procedures
- use sanitation practices in health care settings
- use knowledge of medical terminology
- use clinical sterilizing technique
- use knowledge of metric system
- use telephone communication techniques
- understand properties or composition of drugs
- distinguish colors
- understand drug products
- understand government health, hotel or food service regulations
- stock or organize goods
- monitor production machinery/equipment operation to detect problems
- collect payment
- provide customer service
- answer customer or public inquiries
- inventory medical supplies or instruments
- label pharmaceutical supplies
- maintain dental or medical records
- post medical insurance billings
- maintain customer records
- inventory stock to ensure adequate supplies
- compute financial data
- measure, weigh, or count products or materials
- adhere to safety procedures
- verify completeness or accuracy of data
- maintain established procedures concerning quality assurance
- use computers to enter, access or retrieve data
- accept prescriptions for filling
- obtain information from clients, customers, or patients
Tasks
The list below outlines specific tasks that a worker in this occupation is called upon to do regularly.
- 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.
- Compute charges for medication or equipment dispensed to hospital patients and enter data in computer.
- Maintain proper storage and security conditions for drugs.
- Prepare and process medical insurance claim forms and records.
- 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.
- Operate cash registers to accept payment from customers.
- Transfer medication from vials to the appropriate number of sterile, disposable syringes, using aseptic techniques.
- Price and file prescriptions that have been filled.
- Mix pharmaceutical preparations, according to written prescriptions.
- Restock intravenous (IV) supplies and add measured drugs or nutrients to IV solutions under sterile conditions to prepare IV packs for various uses, such as chemotherapy medication.
- Order, label, and count stock of medications, chemicals, or supplies and enter inventory data into computer.
- Supply and monitor robotic machines that dispense medicine into containers and label the containers.
- Clean and help maintain equipment or work areas and sterilize glassware, according to prescribed methods.
- Deliver medications or pharmaceutical supplies to patients, nursing stations, or surgery.
- Prepack bulk medicines, fill bottles with prescribed medications, and type and affix labels.
- Maintain and merchandise home healthcare products or services.
- Price stock and mark items for sale.
Learning Resources
More information on this occupation may be found in the links provided below.
LifeWorks: Career Exploration in Health and Medical Science
LifeWorks Web site is a tool for students to help raise their awareness about the broad range of health and medical science career pathways that are available to them and to help them make career decisions.
Learn MorePharmacy technicians
Visit this link for additional information on this career from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; a publication produced and maintained by the United States Department of Labor.
Learn More