Writing a pharmacy technician job description requires some time and effort but it can be fun and lends you more insight into your business, whether it is a drugstore, hospital, department store or another type of company. When you create a compelling and thoughtful description, you help your chances of reaching the most compatible candidates, and you create a positive first impression. It may be tempting to write about everything that relates to the job, but that is a mistake. A better use of your time is to maximize the limited space you’ll have so that your description reads well on mobile devices. To show what we mean, we wrote a pharmacy technician job description sample below. Please use it to collect ideas for your own description.
However, before we get started on the sample, let’s touch briefly on the job title. Pharmacy technicians come in a wide array of levels, and many jobs have specific focuses. Your job title is ideally no more than five words, so you need to get concise and creative. Examples of various pharmacy technician job titles include, “Registered Pharmacy Technician – Oklahoma City,” “Army Pharmacy Technician,” “P/T Pharmacy Technician – Mail Order.” Now that we have covered this information, let’s get going on the sample.
Pharmacy Technician Job Summary
As a pharmacy technician for the 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. shift at the Grizz Drugstore in downtown Roanoke, VA, your overall aim is to safely and ethically aid in the process of dispensing prescription medication to customers and health professionals. You’ll operate automated dispensing equipment, interact heavily with the public and work under the supervision of a pharmacist.
Pharmacy Technician Job Responsibilities and Duties:
- Communicate with customers or health professionals to gather the information necessary to fill prescriptions
- Key customer information into a central computer system
- Refer customer inquiries to pharmacists
- Measure amounts for prescription medications
- Package and label prescriptions
- Organize and track inventory; notify pharmacists if shortages of medications or supplies occur
- Process payments and insurance claims
- Follow rules and regulations for a safe and sanitary pharmacy
- Safeguard patient information and safety by following data and infection-control procedures
Pharmacy Technician Skills and Qualifications
- Current Virginia pharmacy technician registration
- Certification from pharmacy technician program
- High school diploma or GED
- Good grasp of math concepts
- Helpful and polite personality; ability to deal with potentially difficult situations
- Detail oriented
- Excellent communications skills (including listening skills)
- High-level organizational skills
- Capability to stay standing for lengthy periods of time
- Ability to reach, twist, bend, stoop and turn
- Can lift up to 40 pounds
- Bilingualism preferred but not necessary
Company Profile
When you come on board with us at Grizz Drugstores, you’ll find yourself in a stimulating environment where the everyday becomes incredible. No matter where you start, we work to provide you with amazing career opportunities. To this end, we offer free tuition reimbursement and personalized job progression programs for everyone.
This specific position is in downtown Roanoke, Virginia. You’re a stone’s throw from beautiful parks, boutique shops and a diverse array of restaurants. After work, you can hike or bike Mill Mountain or one of the city’s many greenways. The possibilities are endless!
Grizz Drugstores is a nationwide chain of drugstores that was founded in Chicago in 1950 with one store. Founder Jon Grizz had noticed that there was room for improvement as far as customer service at other drugstores was concerned, and the rest is history. Today, Grizz has a presence in 45 states.
Writing a Job Description Best Practices
- The pharmacy technician job description sample above is a good kicking-off point for your own description. Of course, you’ll need to tailor your description to the needs of your specific setting and job title. Also, compare it with this list of dos and don’ts.
- Do include a call to action. Outline how the application process goes, for example, if interested candidates should click a link to apply and by when. Give approximate timeframes for completing an online application so that candidates know how much time to set aside before they start.
- Do distinguish between required qualifications and those that are nice to have but not required. For pharmacy technicians, these advantageous qualifications often include certification and bilingualism.
- Don’t include only educational requirements and hard skills such as math. Discuss soft skills such as communication, an orientation to detail and a helpful personality.
The pharmacy technician job description sample above should give you at least a few ideas as you write your job description.
Pharmacy Technician Job Responsibilities
The job responsibilities section of your pharmacy technician job description is the first area that will garner the attention of jobseekers, so it’s critical that it’s written clearly and concisely. It’s their first glance of the daily obligations of the job and can often determine the number of applications you receive. In addition to being well-written, it’s important that this section is also detailed. There’s no need to be comprehensive, but ensure that jobseekers have a firm grasp of the day-to-day duties.
Make sure to use a bulleted format for this section. Bullets will help pare down this bulky section of your pharmacy technician job description and make it easy for jobseekers to skim the large amount of information presented within. To add to the ease of understanding as well as visualizing the job’s responsibilities, begin each bullet with a descriptive verb. Also, it’s important to keep the number of bullets between four and eight to avoid overwhelming potential applicants.
Here are some pharmacy technician job responsibilities for your reference:
- Answer telephones and respond to requests or orders
- Maintain proper storage conditions for drugs
- Handle all pricing and filing procedures for filled prescriptions
- Order, stock and label medications and other supplies and keep track of inventory data
Pharmacy Technician Job Specifications
One of the biggest mistakes many make when writing the job qualifications and skills section of the pharmacy technician job description is assuming it will be easy to write. This section is where the minimum requirements are, such as relevant work experience and education. Underestimating this section can often spell doom for your email inbox as confused candidates, unaware that they don’t qualify for the position, send in their resumes under the impression that they qualify.
This is an unfortunate predicament to be in, but it can be easily prevented. Before you write this section, you should sit down with your upper management and learn what they expect of applicants for the position. This will clarify any misunderstandings you may have and provide you with the tools you need to craft an unmistakably clear pharmacy technician job description. Be sure to separate the deal-breakers from the preferred skills on the document which will help jobseekers better evaluate their eligibility for the position.
Feel free to examine these examples of well-written pharmacy technician job specifications for your writing purposes:
- At least two years’ experience working closely with others, as well as dangerous chemicals
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Basic understanding of effective clerical procedures such as file management and organization of important documents
- Great critical thinking and problem solving skills