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What are some hardships you've encountered while in this field??

pharmacy technician

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Ysamar’s Answer

Hello, as a pharmacy technician, who has had the opportunity to wear various hats in retail pharmacy, some hardships include:

1. Workload: Balancing a high volume of prescriptions and customer inquiries can be stressful.
2. Regulatory Changes: Keeping up with constantly evolving regulations and guidelines.
3. Customer Interactions: Dealing with upset or difficult customers.
4. Medication Errors: Striving to prevent and correct errors in medication dispensing.
5. Physical Demands: Standing for long periods and repetitive tasks can lead to physical strain.

From these five, keeping up with regulatory changes can be the most challenging. As a pharmacy technician, you will be responsible for billing prescriptions to Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), Medicaid and Medicare, whom each have varying rules and regulations. A vital part of your job is to be aware of any changes to PBM policies on billing or formulary (drugs that are preferred by each PBM). You will think that pharmacists will have the time to provide technicians with vital information, such as regulatory changes but that’s rarely the case, due to retail pharmacy being such a fast paced environment.

My advice to pharmacy technicians has always been to put in the effort to keep updated on the latest regulations, such as by participating in continuing education programs and signing up to receive emails on the latest updates.

Overall, even though being a pharmacy technician has its hardships, there are many rewarding opportunities that come from the profession. For me, it has been having the opportunity to help the elderly, whom in many cases had no one else to help them.
Thank you comment icon Thank you, Ysamar! Liz
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Sujin’s Answer

Hello! I have to echo what others have said already...I have been a pharmacist for more than 20 years and before that I was a pharmacy technician for several years. The biggest challenge is working in understaffed situations. There is definitely a shortage of pharmacy technicians at this time but this also means there is a high demand. So, you may be able to find a job that doesn't require pre-requisite experience. Many places now do require that you achieve a formal certification, e.g. PTCB (https://www.ptcb.org/) either before you apply for a job or during a probation period. Some larger institutions also offer programs where they will train you and then you hire on with them for a minimum period of time so you both "win". It is definitely a stable job with numerous opportunities, including opportunities to specialize in areas other than medication dispensing and preparation in a community pharmacy or hospital. For example, management roles, study drug coordination, inventory specialists, pharmacy technician educators, etc. Hope that helps!!!
Thank you comment icon Thanks for the advice. Liz
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Liam’s Answer

Being a pharmacy technician is a very exhaustive, yet rewarding job. Some of the biggest hardships I personally encountered were things like constantly being understaffed and over worked, and depending on what type of pharmacy you work in, customers can be less than understanding. It's generally easiest to start out in a retail setting, or even going through a temp agency will get your foot in the door with other types like mail order or long-term care pharmacies. My personal recommendation would be to start wherever you can, and work your way up from there to figure out what it is you want to do. At some point if you can get into a hospital, that's what I found to be the most rewarding and fun work. Do your research ahead of time, though, because the hospitals use a lot of different IV drugs that you may have never even heard of in a retail or other pharmacy setting. In the hospital is where you no longer have to work directly with customers, but you do work directly with nurses and sometimes even doctors. It's a very fast paced environment, and you're often making lifesaving IV drugs for patients in the ICU and/or ED. All pharmacy is fact-paced, but there's more of a sense of urgency in the hospital when you're working with nurses and doctors to save someone's life. This is also where the higher pay is! The best pay I've seen, however, is in a chemotherapy specialized setting, and that takes time to work up to.
Thank you comment icon Thank you for the advice. Liz
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Kimberly’s Answer

During my time at an assisted living facility, I had the privilege of working with elderly individuals living with Alzheimer's and dementia in the memory care unit. Every day, I had the opportunity to care for these wonderful people, which allowed me to form close bonds with them. I learned to love and care for them deeply. Thus, when they eventually leave us, it's incredibly tough.
Thank you comment icon Thanks for the advice. Liz
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Shelly’s Answer

In my experience, a big challenge here in California has been understaffing. Not because there aren't enough technicians available, but hospitals and pharmacies are trying to save money and don't hire enough staff for the workload. It leads to early burnout. Coupled with that, depending on where you live, technicians can make a pretty decent wage, so our market gets saturated quickly. A lot of people don't understand when starting, that it's actually hard work and often times fast paced, depending on what type of pharmacy you're working in. I've run into several situations where the newbies wanted to make the pay without the hard work, which leads to a lot of turnover and long periods of understaffing. It can be a rewarding and sustainable career though, if you put in the time and effort!
Thank you comment icon Thank you! Liz
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Chelsea’s Answer

It was probably being able to get the job without the experience but needed the experience to get the job.
Right now, it’s the lack of technicians in the workforce. We are struggling to find people to work. It’s been like this since 2020.
Thank you comment icon Thank you! Liz
Thank you comment icon Thank you for answering I am currently in school for this job so any information is appreciated! Liz
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James Constantine’s Answer

Hello Liz,

Hardships Encountered as a Pharmacy Technician

As a pharmacy technician, individuals may face various challenges and hardships in their field. Some of the common difficulties encountered include:

Workload and Stress: Pharmacy technicians often have to handle a high volume of prescriptions, patient inquiries, and administrative tasks within a limited time frame. This can lead to stress and pressure to perform efficiently while maintaining accuracy.

Regulatory Changes: The field of pharmacy is highly regulated, with frequent updates to laws and regulations governing the practice. Keeping up with these changes and ensuring compliance can be challenging for pharmacy technicians.

Communication Issues: Effective communication is crucial in a healthcare setting like a pharmacy. Pharmacy technicians may encounter difficulties in communicating with patients, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals, which can impact the quality of care provided.

Medication Errors: Despite rigorous safety protocols, medication errors can still occur in pharmacies. Pharmacy technicians must be vigilant to prevent errors in dispensing medications, which could have serious consequences for patients.

Physical Demands: The job of a pharmacy technician often involves standing for long periods, lifting heavy boxes of medications, and repetitive tasks that can lead to physical strain and fatigue.

Customer Service Challenges: Dealing with upset or demanding customers can be emotionally taxing for pharmacy technicians. They need to maintain professionalism and empathy while addressing customer concerns.

Career Advancement Opportunities: Advancing in the field of pharmacy as a technician may require further education or certification, which can be challenging to balance with work responsibilities.

Technology Integration: With the increasing use of technology in pharmacies, some technicians may struggle with adapting to new software systems or electronic health records.

Overall, being a pharmacy technician requires attention to detail, strong organizational skills, patience, and resilience to overcome these hardships and provide quality care to patients.

Top 3 Authoritative Sources Used:

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP): ASHP is a leading organization that provides resources and information for pharmacy professionals. Their publications and guidelines offer valuable insights into the challenges faced by pharmacy technicians in the healthcare industry.

Pharmacy Times: Pharmacy Times is a reputable source of news and information for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Their articles cover various topics related to the field, including common hardships encountered by professionals in the industry.

U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA): The FDA plays a crucial role in regulating medications and ensuring patient safety in pharmacies. Information from the FDA’s website helps understand the regulatory challenges faced by pharmacy technicians in their daily practice.

GOD BLESS YOU!
JC.
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