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Date: 10/24/2025

Pharmacy Technicians

Prepare medications under the direction of a pharmacist. May measure, mix, count out, label, and record amounts and dosages of medications according to prescription orders.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Price stock and mark items for sale.
    • Receive written prescription or refill requests and verify that information is complete and accurate.
    • Establish or maintain patient profiles, including lists of medications taken by individual patients.
    • Compute charges for medication or equipment dispensed to hospital patients and enter data in computer.
    • Deliver medications or pharmaceutical supplies to patients, nursing stations, or surgery.
    • Enter prescription information into computer databases.
    • Receive written prescription or refill requests and verify that information is complete and accurate.
    • Supply and monitor robotic machines that dispense medicine into containers and label the containers.
    • Clean and help maintain equipment or work areas and sterilize glassware, according to prescribed methods.
    • Compute charges for medication or equipment dispensed to hospital patients and enter data in computer.
    • Prepack bulk medicines, fill bottles with prescribed medications, and type and affix labels.
    • Answer telephones, responding to questions or requests.
    • Supply and monitor robotic machines that dispense medicine into containers and label the containers.
    • Operate cash registers to accept payment from customers.
    • Clean and help maintain equipment or work areas and sterilize glassware, according to prescribed methods.
    • Transfer medication from vials to the appropriate number of sterile, disposable syringes, using aseptic techniques.
    • Prepare and process medical insurance claim forms and records.
    • Operate cash registers to accept payment from customers.
    • Assist customers by answering simple questions, locating items, or referring them to the pharmacist for medication information.
    • Order, label, and count stock of medications, chemicals, or supplies and enter inventory data into computer.
    • Restock intravenous (IV) supplies and add measured drugs or nutrients to IV solutions under sterile conditions to prepare IV packs for various uses, such as chemotherapy medication.
    • Price and file prescriptions that have been filled.
    • Clean and help maintain equipment or work areas and sterilize glassware, according to prescribed methods.
    • Receive and store incoming supplies, verify quantities against invoices, check for outdated medications in current inventory, and inform supervisors of stock needs and shortages.
    • Restock intravenous (IV) supplies and add measured drugs or nutrients to IV solutions under sterile conditions to prepare IV packs for various uses, such as chemotherapy medication.
    • Deliver medications or pharmaceutical supplies to patients, nursing stations, or surgery.
    • Enter prescription information into computer databases.
    • Assist customers by answering simple questions, locating items, or referring them to the pharmacist for medication information.
    • Order, label, and count stock of medications, chemicals, or supplies and enter inventory data into computer.
    • Maintain and merchandise home healthcare products or services.
    • Mix pharmaceutical preparations, according to written prescriptions.
    • Maintain proper storage and security conditions for drugs.

    Skills

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    5
    Workplace Documents
    5
    Graphic Literacy
    5

    Abilities

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    Knowledge

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 37860/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 18.2/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 17,180
    • Yearly Projected Openings 1580

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Conventional: People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Attention to Detail
    • Integrity
    • Dependability
    • Cooperation
    • Self Control
    • Stress Tolerance

    Tools

    • Bar code reader equipment
    • Benchtop centrifuges
    • Bi distillation units
    • Cash registers
    • Compact disc CD or labeling printers
    • Desktop computers
    • Digital pen
    • Dry heat or hot air sterilizers
    • Filling or sealing auger dose machines
    • Forced air or mechanical convection general purpose incubators
    • Fume hoods or cupboards
    • Gas burners
    • Hydrometers
    • Intravenous infusion pumps for general use
    • Intravenous tubing with catheter administration kits
    • Laboratory balances
    • Laboratory blenders or emulsifiers
    • Laboratory graduated cylinders
    • Laboratory mills
    • Laboratory vacuum pumps
    • Laboratory washing machines
    • Laminar flow cabinets or stations
    • Laser printers
    • Medical syringes without needle
    • Medication or pill dispensers
    • Microscope slides
    • Multipurpose or general test tubes
    • Notebook computers
    • Personal computers
    • Petri plates or dishes
    • Pharmaceutical filters or ultra filters
    • Point of sale POS terminal
    • Steam autoclaves or sterilizers
    • Sterile or aseptic processing or filling machines
    • Tablet counters
    • Vacuum blood collection tubes or containers

    Technology

    • Accounting software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Internet browser software
    • Inventory management software
    • Label making software
    • Medical software
    • Office suite software
    • Point of sale POS software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

    Tags

    • InDemand occupations are considered a priority by the state of Ohio.
    • Apprenticeships are available for this occupation. These programs can help you get hands-on experience and build your skills.
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