Pharmacy Technicians are essential in the healthcare industry and works under the supervision of a pharmacist. Supplies medicines to patients, such as prescriptions and over the counter, assemble medications for prescriptions, provides information to patients and healthcare professionals.
Pharmacy technicians can find careers in various settings, including pharmaceutical consulting firms, hospitals, retail pharmacies, and long-term healthcare facilities. Pharmacy technicians are generally the first point of contact for patients, healthcare providers, and caregivers in a pharmacy.
Tasks and Responsibilities
Tasks and responsibilities can vary for pharmacy technicians depending on the environment they are work in. However, anyone wanting to become a pharmacy technician needs to complete a course from a pharmacy technician school.
Generally, pharmacy technicians will greet customers to fill their prescriptions, and they are responsible for verifying the accuracy of the provided information and involving numerous administrative tasks. Pharmacy technicians maintain their patient’s profiles, manage customer records, and process insurance forms. Other duties pharmacy technicians may have to do include maintenance and upkeep of the pharmacy, and inventory. This can consist of labelling medications, filling bottles, and ensuring pharmaceutical products are stored securely and adequately.
Again, a pharmacy technician’s tasks and responsibilities will vary depending on their work environment and the demands of the pharmacy. However, there are standard tasks and duties that pharmacy technicians are responsible for completing, whether they work in a drug store, retails pharmacy, or hospital.
To be a pharmacy technician, there are a few qualities that employers look for, such as compassion, patience, and strong attention to detail. Pharmacy technicians need to care about patients, excellent math skills, and enjoy working in a team environment. This article explains how to become a pharmacy technician. There are soft skills that a pharmacy technician will develop during their training.
What Are Soft Skills?
Soft skills are defined as personality traits and attributes that are critical in the workplace for letting individuals interact effectively with other people. These soft skills include communication, teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, and adaptability. Soft skills are essential for a resume, interview, and work. Soft skills are versatile for many industries and careers, and employers usually have specific soft skills they want employees to have. If interested in becoming a pharmacy technician, you need to possess communication skills, empathy, teamwork, ability to work under pressure, and adaptability.
Below are five soft skills you will learn in pharmacy technician school:
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Ability to Handle Pressure
Any healthcare professional experiences pressure during their workday, and it is common for pharmacy technicians as well. Problems with prescriptions, demanding customers, a heavier workload, or pharmacy rush hours can all add pressure to a pharmacy techs day. There are numerous ways to handle stress and remain in control, such as knowing your job, being organized, and seeking help from supervisors when needed. Along with handling pressure, employers want to be sure you can take action and problem solve when it is required. Problem-solving is an essential soft skill because employers want employees that can take the initiative, adapt to a situation quickly, and think on their feet without needing a supervisor’s help.
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Communication Skills
Having strong communication skills (verbal and written) is a must for most professions. Still, it is essential for a pharmacy technician to have strong skills when dealing with patients, providers, and third party personnel, to understand and comprehend the things being communicated with them. Having excellent communication skills also means making eye contact, using a pleasant tone of voice, and speaking clearly to each customer. Pharmacy technicians need to be able to communicate your thoughts clearly to customers, take direction, and work well with colleagues—communication help in setting the foundation for how you and your supervisor and co-workers will work together. Communication skills are typically the most critical soft skill for employers in any industry.
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Teamwork
Typically in pharmacies, dependent on their size, for every pharmacist working, there are two-to-three pharmacy technicians on duty. Pharmacy technicians need to work as a well-oiled team to complete the daily tasks and help customers and patients as required. Although it may seem that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are working independently, they are working as a team to reach the same outcome, which is serving the customers and patients of the pharmacy. Employers look to hire individuals who can work well in a team environment towards achieving goals.
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Empathy
Empathy is the capability to understand and share the feelings of others. Pharmacies get visits from patients, patient caregivers, friends, or family of patients to pick up or drop off medications, and each patient or customer visiting is experiencing different situations, sometimes a patient’s condition is stressful, confusing, and emotional. Pharmacy techs, as direct contact with the public, must have the aptitude to be empathetic to people’s situations.
5. Adaptability
Adaptability is another soft skill that pharmacy technicians need. No one wants to work with a know it all. It’s essential that even the most experienced pharmacy technician is open to learning and accepting new ways of growing their skills. Every day should be an opportunity to widen your skill-set and adapt to the day-to-day needs of the pharmacy.
Final Thoughts
Soft skills are essential to developing further in pharmacy technician schools. Ability to handle problems, communication, teamwork, empathy, and adaptability, are skills that employers will be looking for as well, hard skills. To become a pharmacy technician, you need to complete your training and hands-on learning.