Canadian Online Pharmacy CHS

How Much Does a Pharmacy Technician Make?

The profession of a pharmacy technician is one that is very important to operate a pharmacy smoothly. They are the ones who help pharmacists provide customers or health professionals prescribed medication. Pharmacy technicians operate mainly in drug stores and can also work in hospitals or facilities that specifically distribute medication to customers.

Usually, these technicians are supervised by authorized pharmacists and are responsible for preparation and assembling prescriptions for their patients. At all times, they must provide patients with the quality of care to ensure that they are always properly briefed about their prescription and its effects. They often take insurance information from their patients to record into the computer in order to provide specific insurance, co-payment, and insurance deductibles. Occasionally, they might need to call health providers or doctors for prescription confirmation or refills on behalf of their customers and might even be liable for running a cash register.

For this job, a high school diploma or GED is a basic prerequisite, and some employers also need previous experience in a pharmaceutical environment. The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board is particularly more advantageous, and some companies choose applicants who have experienced or experienced in pharmacy inventory automation systems. Exceptional customer service and telecommunications skills are necessary in this role in order to operate well in a team setting, and some pharmacy technicians are expected to train new employees or interns.

You’ll also have more duties as a pharmacy technician, which include:

  • Packaging and labeling prescriptions
  • Supplying medications to your patients
  • Measuring medications, counting pills, and assembling medication prescriptions
  • Setting up appointments and recommending for patients
  • Running reports and receiving payments
  • Organizing and inventory of stocks
  • Collecting patient records, such as insurance information,
  • Answering calls and messages from patients 

How much do they earn?

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics confirmed that 14.86 USD per hour, or about 30,920 USD yearly, is the average Pharmacy Tech wage. Approximately 50% of all pharmacy technicians receive 12.10 USD to 18.16 USD per hour, or can range from 25,170 USD to 37,780 USD yearly. The lowest-paying 10% of pharmacy technicians receive 10.27 USD per hour or up to 21,370 USD a year while 21.98 USD per hour or 45,710 USD a year is earned by the highest paid 10 percent.

How to Become a Pharmacy Technician?

Being a pharmacy technician implies you will need to acquire a lot of knowledge, such as pharmacy laws, record keeping, and even the names, applications, and dispensing medications. You’ll need to go through training and there is so much stuff that you’ll need to know to be good in your profession.

Bottom Line

Being a pharmacy technician means you’re going to work both in person and on the phone with people from diverse cultures. You’ll still be able to work and might also have varying working hours in a variety of environments. Many of them are working in retail stores or pharmacies, and working on a full-time basis. Some pharmacies are available 24 hours a day, meaning that some technicians may have to work nights and even weekends.