Becoming a pharmacy technician can be fulfilling and rewarding in many ways. Not only can you positively impact patients’ lives, but there are also plenty of opportunities to advance in the profession.
From inventory specialists to operations managers to pharmacy tech specialists, discover the keys to successful pharmacy tech advancement and see how you can take on leadership roles that push your career to new heights.
Common Career Paths for Pharmacy Technicians
Pharmacy technicians can use their leadership and organizational skills to take their careers in many different directions. For example, you may want to become an inventory specialist, who is responsible for managing the medications and supplies within the pharmacy. This includes:
- Tracking inventory and placing stock orders based on demand forecasting data
- Communicating inventory needs to suppliers, pharmacists, and supervisors
- Receiving and processing shipments, ensuring accuracy against purchase orders
- Conducting regular inventory checks to identify discrepancies
- Following proper procedures for the return or disposal of expired products
- Implementing secure storage and handling techniques to minimize inventory loss
Pharmacy tech advancement may also include moving into a lead or senior technician role. As a senior tech, you may assist with inventory duties and be responsible for supervising, training, and coaching other technicians. Your leadership expertise can also allow you to take on more complex tasks, such as collecting samples, coordinating with healthcare providers, and processing claims.
Pharmacy technicians may also wish to become operations managers. Those in this role are responsible for ensuring the pharmacy runs efficiently and effectively each day. This includes setting and managing the pharmacy’s workflow, optimizing staffing schedules, managing vendor returns and billing issues, and training other technicians on pharmacy systems and procedures.
At each of these leadership levels of pharmacy tech advancement, there may also be opportunities to transition into pharmacy tech specialty areas, including:
- Compounding: Combining ingredients to create customized medications
- IV Tech: Preparing sterile medications in controlled conditions
- Nuclear: Preparing radioactive drugs for imaging and specialized therapies
- Long-Term Care: Preparing and dispensing medications to patients in nursing homes and assisted living facilities
- Oncology Tech: Preparing medications used to treat cancer patients
These specialty roles may be available within a typical pharmacy or in specialized institutions, such as hospitals, rehab facilities, and cancer centers.
Steps to Move Into Leadership Positions
Typically, pharmacy tech advancement begins with the first rung of the professional ladder. This usually means obtaining a pharmacy tech supervisor or lead technician role. These roles may require you to become nationally certified and display strong knowledge of pharmacy regulations and a commitment to patient safety.
Once you have experience as a supervisor or lead, you can set your sights on the operations manager or coordinator role. To get there, you’ll need proven leadership and management skills, showing that you can make good decisions under pressure.
You will be responsible for communicating with a variety of stakeholders, including patients, vendors, pharmacists, and other pharmacy techs, so it’s crucial that you possess diplomacy skills. Nearly all pharmacy tech advancement roles require you to train and mentor others, so these skills will also come in handy in that regard.
Further Education & Certifications to Boost Advancement
In many cases, those seeking pharmacy tech advancement will need to obtain CPhT certification. You can do this by preparing for and passing the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE), administered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB).
You may also obtain this credential by passing the Exam for Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ExCPT), which is administered by the National Healthcareer Association. Be aware that there are differences between the ExCPT and PTCE, including the states in which each test is accepted and the number of questions, as well as the exam focus and structure.
Some pharmacy tech advancement roles may require you to obtain a CPhT-Adv, a certificate validating advanced skills in pharmacy practice, medication safety, and patient care. If you intend to take on a specialty, the PTCB offers specialty certifications in areas like medication therapy management, regulatory compliance, and controlled substances.
Those who want to specialize may also further develop their skills with continuing education courses. They’re often required for license renewal, so you can use the opportunity to take courses on specific topics of interest, such as substance abuse, oncology, or immunizations. You may also consider pursuing an associate’s degree, which often requires general education courses alongside pharmacy-specific training.
Transitioning to Related Healthcare Roles
For some, pharmacy tech advancement isn’t necessarily about pursuing supervisory roles within the pharmacy environment.
You may consider becoming certified as a pharmacy technician educator or trainer. This allows you to teach and mentor other pharmacy technicians, ensuring that they’re ready to take on the responsibilities of the profession.
You can also go after opportunities in pharmacy informatics or management. These roles involve helping other pharmacy techs learn to use technology to enhance efficiency and deliver better patient care.
Finally, those seeking pharmacy tech advancement may want to explore roles related to pharmacy sales or other roles in the pharmaceutical industry, including consulting and advisory roles.
Ready to Lead? How RxCe Can Help You Advance Your Pharmacy Tech Career
The first step to pharmacy tech advancement is ensuring you meet your state requirements for licensure. If your state requires continuing education courses to maintain your credentials, RxCe offers credits in various topics to help you meet them. With a variety of options, including diabetes care and nonsterile compounding certification courses, we can help you advance in the profession.
RxCe provides convenient and affordable membership options to help you take advantage of all we have to offer. In addition to online courses, there are also webinars for those who wish to get their questions answered in real time or meet requirements for live education.
Contact us today to learn more about our continuing education offerings and see how we can assist you in moving your pharmacy tech career forward.
