Pharmacy technicians work alongside pharmacists to ensure the health and safety of patients. They perform a wide range of tasks within the pharmacy, including:

• Preparing prescriptions: Pharmacy technicians collect information needed to fill a prescription from customers or health professionals, measure medication, and package and label it for a patient. The prescription is then reviewed for accuracy by a pharmacist before being dispensed to the patient.

• Administrative tasks: Pharmacy technicians help pharmacists with administrative tasks such as processing insurance claims, tracking inventory, and filing paperwork.

• Customer service: Pharmacy technicians help patients fill or order prescriptions and discuss any concerns with the pharmacist. They also make sure that everything runs smoothly in the pharmacy, including phone and technical operations, customer care, and communication between other workers.

Pharmacy technicians can work in a variety of settings, including retail stores, hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities. They typically spend the majority of their workday on their feet, filling and packaging prescriptions, and working with pharmacists and other healthcare providers. Depending on where they work, they may need to work nights, weekends, and holidays.

To become a pharmacy technician, one typically needs a high school diploma or equivalent and on-the-job training or a formal education program. Some states require pharmacy technicians to be certified or registered. Pharmacy technicians can also specialize in a field to become chemotherapy technicians, nuclear pharmacy technicians, or other specialized technicians.