Should You Go into Retail after Pharmacy Technician School?

Most of us imagine pharmacists in a retail environment. CVS and Walgreens are a couple of the big names. The average pharmacy technician will start their career somewhere in retail. They take your calls and refill prescriptions as needed. Retail technicians offer patient counseling as needed and assist busy pharmacists. In any given day, a pharmacy could fill hundreds or even thousands of requests. It just depends on how busy your pharmacy is. It’s up to any and all professionals to keep up.

Retail teaches many students valuable lessons about the industry. It’s not always the final destination, and it doesn’t have to be. Trained pharmacy technicians have plenty of options, especially as they build a strong resume. Retail environments come with valuable experiences you’ll have a hard time finding anywhere else. Above all else, it offers opportunities to see what you do and don’t like

Benefits and Challenges a Career in Retail Pharmacy

Teachers at a pharmacy technician school work to prepare students for a competitive industry. While there’s a high demand, this career also comes with distinct challenges. Some students thrive more than others in a retail environment. No matter where you start, adapting gives you opportunities for professional growth. What should you expect from retail pharmacies?

[if !supportLists]● [endif]More People: You deal with more people in a retail pharmacy environment. There’s no way to get around it. Pharmacy technicians could easily fill thousands of prescription orders every week. This means counseling and processing payments for all those patients every week. You’re bound to deal with different personalities and people in varying levels of medical need.

[if !supportLists]● [endif]More Roles: Some careers offer pharmacy technicians the opportunity to focus on one or two key areas. Retail workers have to know how to spread their attention across multiple tasks. On the one hand, this can be stressful. Professionals master more skills and get a greater perspective on what they like doing.

[if !supportLists]● [endif]More Jobs: Retail opens more doors to a new career. Pharmacy technicians easily transition from retail pharmacies to hospitals and other facilities. Eve if you stay in retail, there are jobs no matter where you are. Some retail locations offer greater pay, benefits, etc. With the flexibility to choose, professionals do more. Retail compounding pharmacies are rising in popularity. To get there, professionals start out in more common retail pharmacies.

[if !supportLists]● [endif]Training Options: Are you interested in further training? Are you concerned about continuing education for licensing? Retail pharmacies often have multiple locations with thousands of employees. You can seek out classes to renew your license. Some retail employers schedule training for multiple employees at once.

[if !supportLists]● [endif]Build Connections: In retail pharmacies, you work with more patients. You also work with more pharmacists, technicians, and other professionals. While you’re building your resume, you find mentors and others who help you grow.

Is Pharmacy Technician School Right for You?

Many people come to pharmacy technician school because they’re dissatisfied. They dread going to work on Mondays. For others, it’s about the income. They put plenty of hours in at their current job, but they barely make ends meet. At the end of the day, what they’re doing right now just isn’t enough. The medical industry is attracting more people every year. You don’t have to deal directly with patients in an office or hospital environment to help patients. Pharmacy technicians often report a few key benefits:

[if !supportLists]● [endif]Shorter Training Times: One of the best things about becoming a pharmacy technician is the training time. You don’t have to spend years in school to build a career in the medical industry. Pharmacy technicians spend about a year learning key industry skills.

[if !supportLists]● [endif]Diverse Work: There’s no lack of diversity in what pharmacy technicians do. Professionals are trained to help pharmacists through every step of the process. This means the work you do remains challenging and interesting. It stimulates people who are always looking for a challenge.

[if !supportLists]● [endif]Steady Pay: Within just months, you’ll get the training you need to demand more. Pharmacy technicians enjoy a steady pay rate with plenty of room for growth. The more experience you get, the more you get paid. It takes hard work like any other career. When you enjoy what you’re doing, it’s easier.

[if !supportLists]● [endif]Steady Demand: No matter what area you go into, you’ll enjoy steady demand for your services as a pharmacy technician. Pharmacies and drug companies face growing demand with no extra time to prepare. Pharmacy technicians fill the demand in an industry that will only continue to grow. With the rising rates of obesity, experts have more reasons than ever to be confident in the future of pharmacy.

If you’ve considered a career in pharmacy, now is the time to make a change. For more information on a new career and enrollment, click here.

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