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Pharmacy Technicians

	Median Wage (USD, 2024)	Projected Job Openings (2023-2033)	Projected Growth (2023-2033)
National Statistics	$43,460	47400	7.2%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$43,460

Median Wage (USD, 2023)

47400

Projected Job Openings (2023-2033)

7.2%

Projected Growth (2023-2033)

Prepare medications under the direction of a pharmacist. May measure, mix, count out, label, and record amounts and dosages of medications according to prescription orders.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)

Related Work Experience: N.A.

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Up to and including 1 month

On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month

Detailed Work Activities

Prepare medications or medical solutions.
Maintain inventory of medical supplies or equipment.
Prepare medications or medical solutions.
Maintain inventory of medical supplies or equipment.
Verify accuracy of patient information.
Perform clerical work in medical settings.
Maintain inventory of medical supplies or equipment.
Perform clerical work in medical settings.
Provide information to the general public.
Provide customers with general information or assistance.
Perform clerical work in medical settings.
Sterilize medical equipment or instruments.
Clean medical equipment or facilities.
Maintain medical equipment or instruments.
Record patient medical histories.
Enter patient or treatment data into computers.
Maintain inventory of medical supplies or equipment.
Prepare medications or medical solutions.
Maintain supply or equipment inventories.
Monitor availability of equipment or supplies.
Process medical billing information.
Prepare medications or medical solutions.
Operate cash registers.
Process sales or other transactions.
Enter patient or treatment data into computers.
Process medical billing information.
Deliver items.
Arrange delivery of goods or services.
Merchandise healthcare products or services.
Merchandise healthcare products or services.
Enter information into databases or software programs.
Enter codes or other information into computers.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

Receive written prescription or refill requests and verify that information is complete and accurate.
Enter prescription information into computer databases.
Establish or maintain patient profiles, including lists of medications taken by individual patients.
Maintain proper storage and security conditions for drugs.
Receive and store incoming supplies, verify quantities against invoices, check for outdated medications in current inventory, and inform supervisors of stock needs and shortages.
Answer telephones, responding to questions or requests.
Assist customers by answering simple questions, locating items, or referring them to the pharmacist for medication information.
Operate cash registers to accept payment from customers.
Price and file prescriptions that have been filled.
Mix pharmaceutical preparations, according to written prescriptions.
Order, label, and count stock of medications, chemicals, or supplies and enter inventory data into computer.
Clean and help maintain equipment or work areas and sterilize glassware, according to prescribed methods.
Prepack bulk medicines, fill bottles with prescribed medications, and type and affix labels.
Compute charges for medication or equipment dispensed to hospital patients and enter data in computer.
Prepare and process medical insurance claim forms and records.
Transfer medication from vials to the appropriate number of sterile, disposable syringes, using aseptic techniques.
Restock intravenous (IV) supplies and add measured drugs or nutrients to IV solutions under sterile conditions to prepare IV packs for various uses, such as chemotherapy medication.
Supply and monitor robotic machines that dispense medicine into containers and label the containers.
Deliver medications or pharmaceutical supplies to patients, nursing stations, or surgery.
Maintain and merchandise home healthcare products or services.
Price stock and mark items for sale.

Work Styles

Achievement/Effort

Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

Persistence

Initiative

Leadership

Cooperation

Concern for Others

Social Orientation

Self-Control

Stress Tolerance

Adaptability/Flexibility

Dependability

Attention to Detail

Integrity

Independence

Innovation

Analytical Thinking

For more information on this career visit: https://explorehealthcareers.org/careers/pharmacy-and-pharmacology/pharmacy-technician/

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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