There is very good reason for this: hospital pharmacy technicians earn about 20% higher salaries than retail pharmacy technicians. Retail pharmacy technicians have many duties besides filling prescriptions. You will ensure customer needs are met in a timely and efficient manner to enhance the success of the pharmacy by providing an excellent customer service. On January 2020 the average pharmacy technician salary is $34,699 with the highest paid Pharmacy Technicians earning over $50,000. Regardless of which state a hospital is located in, they often only hire certified pharmacy technicians. Copyright © 2021 ePharmacyTechnicians.com. This way, if you do decide to work in a pharmacy, whether as a pharmacy tech or pharmacist, you’ll know just what to expect. Here's a look at pharmacy work in each setting. I am a pharmacy student now torn between the 2 career choices--to work in hospital or retail pharmacy. There are different factors that influence the decisions of millennial employees on whether they are satisfied with their current jobs and if they should keep it. Apply to Pharmacy Technician, Pharmacist, Chief Operating Officer and more! Get information on Pharmacy Technician programs by entering your zip code and request enrollment information. degree. Pharmacy is the clinical health science that links medical science with chemistry and it is charged with the discovery, production, disposal, safe and effective use, and control of medications and drugs.The practice of pharmacy requires excellent knowledge of drugs, their mechanism of action, side effects, interactions, mobility and toxicity. In a hospital pharmacy, the pharmacy technician may fill over 1000 individual doses of medications which are given to nurses to be administered to patients. Your math teacher was right—you will use that stuff in the real world! As America's population ages, serving Medicare beneficiaries becomes … Every pharmacy is trying to accomplish the same things: fill prescriptions accurately and efficiently, provide high-quality patient care, and maintain a sustainable business model in which employees have good job satisfaction and customers are happy. Although they do work under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist, they are expected to work more independently than retail pharmacy technicians. Chicago, IL 60654 (Near North area) $20 - $40 an hour. EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was originally published in December 2015. Proven experience as a pharmacist. In addition to making sure that hospital staff are aware of the specifics of a particular patient’s prescriptions and dosage, hospital pharmacy technicians prepare and dispense medicines and make sure all the required administrative work is kept up to date. Salary data represents national, averaged earnings for the occupations listed and includes workers at all levels of education and experience. Sep 2, 2015 - This Pin was discovered by Shelly Quigg. Hospitals also look for pharmacy technicians who have at least 1 – 2 years of experience. By comparison to pharmacy technicians working in retail pharmacies, those working in hospitals are expected to have a greater understanding of medical terminology, as they … As a pharmacist you will be … Whatever your primary picture for a pharmacy is, you probably haven’t considered all the options. Have to work holidays 4.) “Remember that the pharmacist is there to answer your questions, to catch errors and to counsel the patients regarding their medications,” Vickery says. In a retail pharmacy, the technician may fill up to 200 prescriptions in a day. Patients interact with pharmacy technicians as well as their pharmacist as they renew or pick up their prescriptions. They may be exposed to some compounding. I worked briefly in retail pharmacy. They also report the top 10 percent of earners brought in nearly $47,000 per year. Each prescription will be anywhere from a 7 – 90 day supply of medication that the patient will administer to themselves at home. Rasmussen College does not guarantee, approve, control, or specifically endorse the information or products available on websites linked to, and is not endorsed by website owners, authors and/or organizations referenced. Hannah Meinke | They spend more time filling prescriptions than any other duty. I work in a retail pharmacy, of a local mom and pop operation that owns 5 stores locally throughout town in south carolina. Earning certification helps legitimize your knowledge of the field and prepares you for the rigorous education requirements of becoming a full-fledged pharmacist. How You’ll Use Your Customer Service Skills Working in Retail Pharmacy. “Accuracy is very important,” Vickery says. If you are a pharmacy professional that is a people person, retail pharmacy may be the place for you! And if you are considering a career in a healthcare environment, you’ll be engaging in work that helps people make better lives for themselves as well. If you have problems at a network pharmacy, please contact Express Scripts. However, the downside of this business aspect is some places are focused primarily on sales goals, and there is pressure to achieve them. They may even be asked to work in other areas of the store when needed. Many pharmacies are open at all hours. Retail pharmacy technicians often have a more flexible schedule than hospital technicians, and most do not have to work night shifts. They may or may not include certification in their training programs. About 60 percent of respondents worked for retail chains, as opposed to hospitals or independent pharmacies. The more sickness and disease we can treat, the more pharmacies will be in demand. As a retail pharmacist, you are in charge of ensuring the safe dispensing of medications to patients pursuant to a prescription. Megan is a freelance writer for Collegis education who writes student-focused articles on behalf of Rasmussen College. This gives them an opportunity to learn about different medications and pharmacy procedures. As for Singapore, the numbers are relatively even with 1,221 pharmacists working in the private sector and 1,307 working in the public sector as of 2015. This data does not represent starting salaries and employment conditions in your area may vary. The pace of working in a hospital is quite different to retail. Fill out the form to receive information about: There are some errors in the form. Once he has approved it, he will print the information on a form to be included with the prescription. Preparing prescriptions must be done before a certain time, so it must be done fairly quickly, but you are also working with medicine, therefore, being cautious and aware of any allergies is a huge factor. Additionally, ensuring that the pharmacy is adequately staffed and using pharmacy automation tools like tablet and pill-counting machines can also help reduce medication dispensing errors. Working in a retail pharmacy is a great beginning for a pharmacy technician. Currently, an estimated fifty-eight percent (58%) of all pharmacists in the US work in what is considered a retail setting. But the different kinds of pharmacy career options available make a great situation for a wide variety of personality types. Talk with an admissions advisor today. Obviously that’s somewhat of a relief, but remember, pharmacists have important work to do and can’t spend all of their time fixing errors you may have made. Easily apply. They operate the cash register to sell prescriptions as well as other items sold in the store. This employer reports filling over 894 million prescriptions (including immunizations) in 2015. Working in retail or pharmacy and looking to expand your skills? It wouldn’t hurt, on a day off, to drive to one of their stores and introduce yourself. However, as you increase your experience and move up the ranks, you’ll likely gain more autonomy over your schedule. If you have been working for the company for a while already, you may already know who to call. 11,570 Retail Pharmacy Technician jobs available on Indeed.com. But before you start down the path toward any career, there are a few things you should know. Full-time, temporary, and part-time jobs. For a closer look at what kind of pharmacies are out there, check out, “Types of Pharmacies: 7 Places People Pick up Prescriptions.”, The median annual salary for pharm techs is over $30,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). 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