Pharmacy Technician

Do you have good math, spelling and reading skills? Are you alert, observant, organized, dedicated, and responsible? Are you willing to take directions, but able to work independently without constant instruction? Pharmacy technicians must be precise as details are sometimes a matter of life and death. If this sounds like you, check out a career as a pharmacy technician.

Pharmacy technicians assist licensed pharmacists in providing medication and other health care products to patients. Technicians working in retail or mail-order pharmacies typically perform routine tasks which may include helping prepare prescribed medications, such as counting tablets, entering prescriptions into the computer, selecting and affixing labels to containers, stocking and taking inventory of medications, preparing insurance claim forms, assisting in cleaning and maintenance of equipment and supplies. Any questions regarding prescriptions, drug information or health matters must be referred to a licensed pharmacist.

Pharmacy technicians working in a hospital, nursing home or assisted-living facilities might have additional responsibilities including reading patient charts and delivering medications after the medications have been double checked by a licensed pharmacist.

Earnings:
Listed below are hourly/annual wages for both entry level and experienced pharmacy technicians and the annual median hourly/annual wage.**

Entry Wage               Median Wage             Experienced Wage           
Hourly Annual Hourly Annual Hourly Annual
$10.26 $21,330  $12.89 $26,826 $14.80 $30,788

**Wage Data 2009, State of Illinois Department of Employment Security

Click here for a comparison of other health care occupation wages.

Work Environment:
Pharmacy technicians work in clean, well-lighted, and well-ventilated areas and spend most of their workday on their feet. Pharmacy technicians may be required to lift heavy boxes or to use stepladders to retrieve supplies from high shelves.

Pharmacy technicians work the same hours that pharmacists work. Because hospitals and some retail pharmacies are open 24 hours, work hours for pharmacy may include evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.

Job Outlook:
Good job opportunities are expected for both full and part-time work, especially for technicians with formal training. Job openings for pharmacy technicians will result from employment growth and from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force.

Education:
Currently, individuals interested in obtaining their initial pharmacy technician license are not required to complete specific coursework or pass a certification exam and may practice as such for two years. However, new State laws require that as of the January 1, 2010 renewal cycle, any pharmacy technician practicing for more than two years must pass an examination accredited by the Institute for Credentialing Excellence in order to renew their State license and continue to perform the duties of a pharmacy technician.

Listed below are the community colleges in Illinois offering pharmacy technician programs:

Education/Professional Requirements:
To apply for a license as a pharmacy technician, applicants must submit to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation - Division of Professional Regulation, a completed, signed application, on forms supplied by the Division that includes:

  • A copy of his or her high school diploma or its equivalent, or proof of current enrollment in a high school program; and
  • The required fee of $40

Beginning January 1, 2010, within two years after being employed as a pharmacy technician, a pharmacy technician must become certified by successfully passing an examination accredited by the Institute for Credentialing Excellence in order to continue to perform the duties of a pharmacy technician.

Professional Organization: