The role of a pharmacist has branched out to cater to a safer and more efficient workflow. This gave rise to the need of having a pharmacy technician, who oversees the technical facet of preparing new and refill requests for patient prescriptions.

A pharmacy technician checks the patient’s medication including the drug form, dosage, quantity, directions, and route, among other things.

What is a Pharmacy Technician?

Under the direction of a licensed pharmacist, a pharmacy technician carries out pharmacy-related tasks to enhance a patient’s health by ensuring patients receive accurate prescriptions. Pharmacy technicians use their customer service and communication skills to link patients with pharmacists. They also employ their technical skills to check the patient’s medication including the drug form, dosage, quantity, directions, and route, among other things.

What Does a Pharmacy Technician Do?

The common responsibilities of a pharmacy technician include:

• screening prescriptions for completeness and correctness
• locating, preparing, dispensing, compounding, packaging, and labeling medications
• filling syringes and, in some provinces, injecting certain medications such as vaccines
• preparing sterile IV products for use
• greeting clients and healthcare providers
• instructing patients in detail on how to use devices that assist with administering their medication
• processing insurance claims
• giving pertinent information to clients and other healthcare professionals either in person, over the phone, or via email
• discussing prescription issues with the pharmacist
• managing the patient database
• refilling automated dispensers
• monitoring pharmaceutical inventory
• performing administrative tasks such as filing paperwork
• keeping the pharmacy organized and tidy

“The biggest responsibility of a pharmacy technician is to ensure the accuracy of all medications, which is why attention to detail is critical,” said Karen Barberie, Pharmacy Technician Program Coordinator and Instructor at Eastern College. “They also work with patients to train them how to use medical devices such as inhalers, diabetic meters, etc.”

Barberie added that pharmacy technicians gather information from patients as well to ensure the pharmacist has all the information they need to assess the appropriateness of the prescription for the patient.

“The biggest responsibility of a pharmacy technician is to ensure the accuracy of all medications, which is why attention to detail is critical.” – Karen Barberie, Pharmacy Technician Program Coordinator and Instructor at Eastern College

Given these responsibilities, pharmacy technicians need to have a love of learning as they will need to be lifelong learners. “They also need to be empathetic and have great customer service skills,” said Barberie.

Because of the nature of their job, pharmacy technicians usually spend long hours standing on their feet.

Where Can Pharmacy Technicians Work?

Pharmacy technicians can work in various places. Some of them include:

• pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities
• hospital pharmacies
• large and small community pharmacies
• veterinary pharmacies
• correctional facilities
• military pharmacies
• mail-order pharmacies
• pharmacy schools
• long-term care pharmacies

Based on their workplace, pharmacy technicians might have to work different shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays as some pharmacies operate 24 hours a day. As they gain seniority, they get more priority in choosing their schedule. The shift variation allows them to work part-time in different places though.

How Much Does a Pharmacy Technician Make?

According to Job Bank, Canadian pharmacy technician salary averages at $19/hour and can go as high as $29.88/hour. In the Atlantic provinces, the hourly wages and job prospect ratings are:

How to Become a Pharmacy Technician

If what you have read so far piques your interest about becoming a pharmacy technician, then you can pursue the following steps:

• The pharmacy technician profession is regulated in most provinces. To become licensed, you need to complete a program at an accredited school to be eligible to write the national licensing exams. By taking pharmacy technician courses, you can equip yourself with the technical knowledge and skill set to work in this dynamic field.
• Before graduating, you will be required to complete an internship to demonstrate the skills you have learned in school in a real-world setting. This will also sharpen your interpersonal and communication skills as you will work collaboratively with other healthcare providers. You can enhance your customer service skills as well to properly deal with patients and provide patient-centered care.
• Upon program completion, you must still complete a number of steps in each province to be licensed. “Planning ahead for how to accomplish this in a timely manner is important,” advised Barberie. “Getting involved in provincial and national associations will ensure technicians stay up-to-date on changes to the profession and help shape their profession.”
• In your résumé and cover letter, highlight the skills, knowledge, and experience you’ve acquired.
• Apply to workplaces that suit your personality, lifestyle, and interests.

Eastern College’s Pharmacy Technician diploma program requires students to complete a 9-week placement, which provides experience in both hospital and community pharmacy settings. The program is accredited by and adheres to the Canadian Council for the Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs standards. This guarantees that the quality of education provides graduates with the competency to meet entry-level requirements in the field, which were set by regulatory authorities across the country. In addition, our classrooms simulate real-world pharmacy settings, together with the necessary equipment, to keep you accustomed with the pharmaceutical environment from the get-go.

For more information, please visit our Pharmacy Technician program page.

Learn more about the industry and about Eastern College’s Pharmacy Assistant program.