5 Important Skills You Need to Succeed as a Retail Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy technicians play an essential role in today's healthcare industry by interacting with customers and assisting pharmacists with day-to-day operations. Not only do they prepare, label and dispense medication, but they also handle payments, manage inventory and process insurance claims.

Working in a retail pharmacy is a rewarding role, but it can also be a demanding one. What are the keys to success in the fast-paced world of retail pharmacy? Let's look at some important skills you need for a career as a retail pharmacy technician:

1. Pharmacy Technicians Need to Pay Attention to Detail:

When you're dispensing medicine, accuracy is critical. Sending a customer home with the wrong medication or the wrong dosage can be a life-or-death mistake. A careful eye for detail will help you succeed in a retail pharmacy setting, whether you're giving a customer their medication or entering customer information into the system.

2. Good Interpersonal Skills Are a Must:

Interpersonal skills are vital in all healthcare settings, but they play a particularly big role in the world of retail pharmacy. As a pharmacy tech, you're on the front lines, and it's important to be able to interact and communicate well with customers. You'll also need to have a team-oriented mindset in order to work effectively with the pharmacist and the rest of the staff.

3. You'll Need to Know Your Way Around a Computer:

Technology plays a central role in today's retail pharmacy environment. It's become common for medical providers to send prescriptions to the pharmacy electronically; in addition, computer systems are used to store all kinds of data, from insurance information to inventory numbers. You'll need to be comfortable using computer systems to perform tasks such as processing prescription requests, handling payments and managing inventory.

4. Time Management Skills Are Essential:

Time management is all about performing tasks efficiently. As a retail pharmacy technician, you'll be expected to work quickly and juggle a variety of service-oriented tasks. The key to success is employing good time management techniques: prioritizing your tasks, managing requests for your time and staying organized.

5. You'll Be Expected to Count and Mix Medications:

While some pharmacists count pills themselves, the task of counting medication is usually delegated to a pharmacy technician. Instead of counting pills by hand, you'll use a pill-counting machine for more efficient and accurate results. A pharmacy technician certification program will provide training on these machines, and you'll also pick up skills on the job.

The healthcare career field has seen huge growth in recent years, and the retail pharmacy setting offers valuable opportunities to assist customers with their medication needs. If you're interested in becoming a certified pharmacy technician, consider MedCerts' flexible training program. This cost-effective, online pharmacy technician certification program equips you with all the knowledge and skills you'll need for your certification exam and prepares you for a rewarding career as a pharmacy technician. Contact us to learn how MedCerts can help you become a certified pharmacy technician and launch your career in healthcare.