According to statistics provided by the BLS, pharmacy technicians in the United States make an average hourly wage of $16.32 in both entry-level and newly-graduated positions. This translates to an annual pay of $33,950 for the typical worker. In addition, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicates that the lowest 10% of earnings in this industry earned an average of $24,120 per year, which is equivalent to $11.60 per hour.
What are the duties and responsibilities of a pharmacy tech?
General Responsibilities of a Pharmacy Technician A pharmacy technician’s day-to-day responsibilities are subject to change based on the sector in which she or he is employed. The following are examples of the responsibilities that pharmacy technicians commonly conduct when they are employed in a drugstore or retail setting:
- Obtaining prescriptions via means of both the telephone and in-person interactions
- Prescriptions are being entered into a computer database.
- The distribution of pharmaceuticals
- Providing assistance to customers at the register
- Collaboration with several insurance providers
- Putting in calls to the offices of referral physicians with inquiries regarding prescriptions
- Keeping a record of inventories
Those who are employed at medical facilities or nursing homes could also be responsible for the following tasks:
- Providing patients with their medicine and supplies
- Examining the records of the patients
- Maintaining good working relationships with members of the nursing team, including assembling medicine packs for the nurses to provide
In addition to that, the technician in the pharmacy needs to be able to:
- Work a variety of shifts due to the fact that many pharmacies are open around the clock.
- Perform regular lifts of fifty pounds.
- Lift over head
There are many different job descriptions for pharmacy technicians, and they can change based on the company as well as the business sector in which the employer operates. An extract from a job description for a pharmacy technician has been provided below for your convenience. An outpatient care center was the business that was looking to fill the position:
- Inpatient orders and prescriptions must be entered into the computer, and labels must be prepared for drugs that will be examined by the pharmacist.
- Telephones are should be answered appropriately and within the bounds of the law, and callers should be routed to the relevant staff.
- Performs quarterly checks in the patient care area Pyxis stations to determine whether or not any drugs have expired.
- Prepares IVs, PCAs, Epidurals and labels all IV products. It is your responsibility to prepare chemotherapy intravenous drugs whenever they are needed.
- Maintains records for the packaging process while also packing medications into unit dosage containers.
- The drug is reconstituted by adding a certain amount of water that has been distilled, and this process does not need any calculations.
- Perform medicine preparation and run fill lists for stations managed by Cubies or Pyxis.
- Medications and intravenous fluids are brought to patient care locations. Provides controlled drugs to patient care areas, conducts physical inventories of controlled substances, and reconciles controlled substance inventory counts.
- The costs and credits for the patient are entered.
- Check in the order, process invoices and credits, and handle any backorders that may arise. Maintains adequate levels of medication on the shelves at all times and, if required, places orders for more medication from the appropriate suppliers.
- Keep the equipment and work locations that have been assigned to you in a clean and ordered state.
How much should a pharmacy tech make?
How Much Does a Pharmacy Technician Make? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), pharmacy technicians in the United States made a mean annual average pay of $34,020 in 2018, which is equivalent to $16.35 dollars per hour (Bureau of Labor Statistics).