Pharmacy Technician Skills List

Take time to review the most important skills and requirements needed to become a pharmacy technician.

About Pharmacy Technician Jobs

The main responsibility of a pharmacy technician is to assist the pharmacist on duty with the fulfillment of prescriptions. The request to fill these medications can come directly from a patient with a written prescription, or by doctor over the phone or through the computer. Pharmacy technicians also help manage drug inventories and keep the pharmacist up to date with any pressing and pertinent information. If you want to learn more about training requirements as well as average salary ranges for this role, check out our blog post.

Pharmacy technicians can be found anywhere an actual pharmacy is located. The most common place you will find a pharmacy technician is in a retail pharmacy. However, this is not the only workplace option they have. Pharmacy technicians can work in smaller privately-owned pharmacies, hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living centers, and even for a mail-order pharmacy. As a result, when looking for a job, pharmacy technicians have the choice between patient-facing or nonpatient-facing, and what type of schedule they want to work.

One essential skill all pharmacy technicians should have is a strong sense of organization. They are preparing and fulfilling prescriptions for a large population of patients. Ensuring that each patient is receiving the right medication and dosage is their main focus. On top of preparing medication, they are also handling the cash register, interacting with customers, recording inventory, and assisting the pharmacist.

How to Use Skills Checklists

The purpose of a skills checklist is for you to self-assess your skills and help you determine your strengths and competencies. In turn, knowing your strengths will enable you to land your next job opportunity. If you possess some or all of the following list of skills, then you should include them in your pharmacy technician resume and cover letter. Demonstrating your relevant experience will eventually get you an interview. Finally, when preparing for your interview, make sure to review this list of skills so that you can highlight them in your interview and elaborate on why you are the best candidate for the job.

Standard Pharmacy Technician Skills

  • Computer Skills
  • Organized
  • Active Listening
  • Attention to Detail
  • Prescription Data Entery
  • Creating New Patient Profiles
  • Reading Comphrehension
  • Call Physicians for Refill Authorization
  • Interpret Prescriptions for Accuracy
  • Prepare and Fill Prescriptions
  • Third Party Billing/Adjudication
  • Brand/Generic Equivalence Knowledge
  • Compounding/Oral Suspension Reconstitution
  • Cart Fill
  • Unit Dose Preparation
  • Proper Storage of Medications
  • Ordering/Inventory Control
  • Knowledge of Controlled Substances
  • Pseudoeph/Ephedrine, etc Laws/Regulations
  • Disposal of Hazardous Waste/Materials
  • Parenteral Product Preparation (IVs)
  • Pharmaceutical Calculations
  • Baxa Rapid Fill (ASF)
  • Baxa Repeater Pump
  • Baxa ExactaMIX
  • Baxter AUTOMIX/MICROMIX
  • Omnicell
  • Parata RDS
  • Parata MAX or Mini
  • McKesson PACMED
  • Kirby Lester
  • TORBAL Rx Balances
  • Baker Cells
  • Cerner
  • Epic
  • Connexus
  • Nexgen

Ready to take on an assignment as a pharmacy technician?

Search our jobs page to find the perfect pharmacy technician job for you.