Retail vs. Hospital: Where Would You Fit Best?
The MedCerts Pharmacy Technician program takes you through three online courses and a 160-hour externship training in a real pharmacy setting. A certification from MedCerts will qualify you for many career opportunities.
As many graduates become pharmacy technicians, a job in a retail pharmacy is very common. There are many other pharmacy settings that are available. Hospital, compounding, and closed-door pharmacies just to name a few.
You will need a bachelor’s degree and at least six years in pharmacy school to become a pharmacist. Many hospitals do require at least a year of experience before getting hired as a pharmacy technician.
Some independent pharmacies or hospitals may pay their pharmacy technicians to go to school, but this deal may cut your work hours, take longer and lock you into a complicated contract.
It may not sound glitzy, but a retail pharmacy environment has extraordinary benefits.
Joining a Retail Pharmacy
Retail pharmacy is popular among MedCerts students. Around 90% enter a retail environment and have the opportunity to eventually become supervisors, tech leads, and managers in their pharmacy.
Working in a retail pharmacy is an engaging experience. It moves quickly, keeps you busy, and supplies you with a vast skill set.
Responsibilities in a Retail Pharmacy Environment
A day in the life of a retail pharmacy technician is extraordinarily active and engaging.
Retail pharmacy technicians are superheroes, filling around 400 to 600 prescriptions and drive-thru orders daily. They become well-acquainted with the pharmacy’s inventory, check expiration dates and monitor fast-moving medications.
Being a pharmacy tech isn’t all pills and prescriptions. You learn how to manage the automated systems of your pharmacy, which involves checking products, updating entries in the system, creating labels, and more.
Of course, what would a retail job be without customers and patients? A pharmacy technician refers them to pharmacists for consultations on their prescriptions, particularly regarding side effects and following directions.
You play an essential role as a pharmacy technician because you also handle expired medications. You need to know how to properly dispose of them to ensure safety among our patients.
Experts in Communication
One of the most important aspects of being a retail pharmacy technician is being a good communicator. You’ll spend a lot of time on the phone with doctor’s offices, patients, customers, and insurance companies.
You won’t be talking about the weather, either. You’ll talk about prescriptions, insurance coverage, copays, and so much more. And when you’re talking to patients and customers, you’ll need to be able to explain complicated topics in a way that anyone can understand.
Jack of All Trades
Ultimately, a pharmacy technician is a jack of all trades. Some retail pharmacy environments have different stations like prescription order entry, prescription filling, drive-thrus, and inventories. Most pharmacy technicians will experience the different stations and thus add to their skill set.
A pharmacy tech may be assigned to one or multiple stations at a time or be expected to switch to a new station. Each station calls for a different set of skills, so a retail pharmacy tech becomes a powerhouse around the pharmacy.
What Are You Waiting For?
If you have an interest in medicine and a passion for people, try MedCerts programs for engaging career opportunities as a pharmacy technician.
