INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Pharmacy Technician positions are at a 4% growth rate, which is slower than average. With that said, there are currently 419,300 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 16,600 to 435,900 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Pharmacy Technician jobs was $35,100 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $25,400, and the highest 10% more than $50,430.
Our conclusion? The Pharmacy Technician job market is wide open for candidates.
Top Pharmacy Technician sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to write a Pharmacy Technician resume experience section
Pharmacy Technician Resume’s Job Experience Checklist:
- Use 4-6 bullet points per job title;
- Don’t go further than a decade behind when describing your job history, unless you’re applying for an executive position;
- Combine job responsibilities as well as achievements with numbers in results when you describe your past work;
- Start each sentence with a power verb and avoid overused buzzwords;
- Use either C-A-R or S-T-A-R methodology, when describing your experience.
The work experience samples below come from real Pharmacy Technician resumes that got people hired at top companies. You can use them as an inspiration to build your own resume:
- Helps health care providers and patients by greeting them in person and by phone; answering questions and requests; referring inquiries to the pharmacist.
- Organizes medications for pharmacist to dispense by reading medication orders and prescriptions; preparing labels; calculating quantities; assembling intravenous solutions and other pharmaceutical therapies.
- Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.
- Maintained customers’ confidential medical files & prescription information
- Maintained pharmacy inventory by checking pharmaceutical stock to determine inventory level; anticipated needed medications and supplies; placed and expedited orders; removed outdated drugs
- Handled customer transactions and prescription fills, advising on their medications in the process
- Worked amongst two other pharmacy techs to measure, package and label amounts of medication for prescriptions
- Organized inventory and alerted pharmacists of any outliers
- Entered and scanned patient medical information into OneMar to verify prescriptions
- Assisting health care providers and patients, answering questions and requests, and referring inquiries to the pharmacist.
- Organizing medications for pharmacist to dispense by reading medication orders and prescriptions, preparing labels, and calculating quantities.
- Processing and submitting insurance claims.
- Maintaining pharmacy inventory by checking pharmaceutical stock to determine inventory levels, anticipating required medications and supplies, and removing outdated drugs.
- Maintaining records by recording and filing physicians' orders and prescriptions
- Maintaining a safe and clean pharmacy by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations.
- Cross-functional training in Central Pharmacy, IV Room, and Operating Room Satellite
- Complete medication reconciliations in the Emergency Department and Inpatient areas
- Assist pharmacists and interdisciplinary teams during medical emergencies (code, stroke, trauma)
- Pharmacy Technician/Student representative on Pharmacy Professional Practice Council
- Trained and monitored the work of junior technicians to ensure ability to perform assigned duties.
- Identified individual training needs and reported to the PIC; directly provided training regarding processes and techniques within assigned area.
- Increased patient compliance by coordinating patients' Clozapine routine blood work monitoring, and in cooperating involvement with case managers, nursing staff, psychiatrists, and medical director.
- Coordinated activities to ensure pharmacy stock maintained; identified and returned overstock, monitored and removed expired and recalled items.
- Developed and implemented pharmacy marketing and sales strategies.
- Strong relationship builder, able to quickly establish rapport with team members and customers.
- Exhibited proficiency in chemo and IV compounding.
- Performed mathematical calculations for special dose preparation and compounding.
- Communicated regularly with physicians, nurses, and managed care organizations.
- Properly cleaned and maintained department equipment, such as IV hoods; troubleshoot mechanical issues with Pyxis machines and other equipment.
- Acted as the first line check against possible negative drug interactions with other prescriptions on record and notified Pharmacist.
- Estensive research training, details are in the Research Experience section.
- I assisted two undergraduate students in laboratory experiments for their graduation research in the field of Pharmacology.
- I conducted experiments on samples received by the research units.
- Assisted in weekly lab preparation for students in two pharmacology courses.
- Took a two-month training course in the department, details in the Research Experience section.
- Conducted experiments on cardiovascular system (i.e. blood pressure, respiration, and isolated heart prep).
- Trained on vein, artery, and trachea catheterisation on animals.
- Took laboratory safety training.
- Supervised final exams for pharmacology courses.
- Applied HIPAA laws, SME.
- Exhibited excellent professional and relationship management skills with all levels of corporation, customers and business partners.
- Proficient in use of corporate database. Trained and mentored coworkers. Volunteered to assist with open shifts.
- Delivered results while balancing quality and efficiency in all tasks, maintained accuracy while consistently meeting workflow and inventory management goals. Consulted and negotiated with insurance companies.
- Flexible with schedule and business needs, adapted to changes, enabled supportive, collaborative, challenging work environment.
- Experience with communicating effectively with patients, doctors, and insurance companies.
- Assisted, advised, and processed prescription/over-the-counter drugs, which were delivered directly to the patient.
- Update and manage the pharmacies website, which consisted of updating inventory and manage existing open orders.
- Made pharmaceutical compounding according to written prescriptions.
- Facilitated and trained individual technicians on how to use the point-of-sale software and how to order and organize the various products within the pharmacy.
- Processed insurance related billing (including social security benefits) and claims.
- Implemented photo-based medication workflow system, increasing staff efficiency and ensuring compliance with state compounding regulations.
- Implemented medication tracking system, reducing turnaround times and improving communications on medication deliveries.
- Perform technician duties including: mixing IVs, distributing medication, screening phone calls/orders, inventory control via automated medication distribution system, and monthly patient-care area inspections and report.
- Perform all functions and duties of a Pharmacy Service Representative to ensure prompt service in the Pharmacy Department.
- Perform computer entry of prescription information including but not limited to: patient search, prescriber search, drug selection, prescription interpretation & entry, insurance billing and basic problem resolution.
- Accept customer and prescription information required to process new and refill prescriptions, including refill authorization from doctor offices where permitted by state law.
- Retrieve the appropriate medication from inventory where permitted by state law.
- Create prescription labels and put them on prescription containers where permitted by state law. Place medication into prescription containers where permitted by state law.
- Complete paperwork related to filling prescriptions and input customer and prescription data into the computer system where permitted by law.
- Assist with maintaining the Pharmacy department by keeping it clean and in order.
- Assist in inventory management processes including: order review, inventory returns, restocking shelves, and physical inventory preparation.
- Reconstitute oral liquids where permitted by state law.
- Receive prescription/medical orders,
- Obtain information on new patient/youth to establish patient medical file.
- Enter prescription information into patient/youth profile,
- Measure or count finished dosage forms for dispensing,
- Record preparation of controlled substance for dispensing, Package the preparation.
- Prepare and affix label(s) and auxiliary label(s) to container(s), Review pharmacy stock for expired drugs.
- Input orders into database and fulfill prescriptions, including compounding specialty medications
- Coordinate with inpatient pharmacy to administer intravenous medication
- Translate in Spanish for healthcare providers and patients
- Managed a team of 20 people; In-charge of monthly roster duties and daily staff movements
- As a team leader, ensured proper handover after every shifts and ensured all staffs are aware of pending follow ups.
- Supervised and acheived >90% for daily KPI of waiting time, bennial JCI external audits and other hospital accreditations
- Achieved >99% stock inventory management during yearly external stocktake audit as a team
- A member of hospital's medical safety committee; streamlined processes in the pharmacy to enhance work efficiency and to provide a condusive working environment
- Supervised ten instructors in the delivery of a province-wide professional program, and ensured all instructors complied with the professional and legislative requirements of the Alberta College of Pharmacists.
- Assisted the Program Coordinator with both the performance management of instructors, as well as the recruiting, interviewing and hiring of new instructors.
- Scheduled and planned each semester, ensuring in-class and online course curriculums and course packages were up to date, classrooms were booked, and registration information provided to students was up to date.
- Collaborated with the external curriculum developer, the online curriculum moderator, the instructors, and various departments within the college to ensure courses were delivered effectively.
- Recruited students, updated the program website, and assisted the marketing department with the program brochures.
- Responded to student enquiries and resolved various interpersonal, academic, and technical issues.
- Worked directly with pharmacists to successfully prepare and dispense controlled and noncontrolled medications for the entire hospital.
- Carefully handled narcotic drugs according to state and federal regulations.
- Delivered IVs and medications to nurses for distribution.
- Correctly compounded IV bags and other medications in sterile and nonsterile conditions.
- Managed calls from health professionals concerning patient medications and patient profiles.
- Accurately charged and credited patient medications.
- Monitored inventory of all pharmacy medications and equipment throughout hospital.
- Accurately filled pyxis machines and monitored users of machine.
- Ordered, check in, and returned medications ordered for pharmacy.
- Maintained Rxobot, and packaged bulk medications.
- Worked directly with pharmacists to successfully fill and dispense over 200 prescriptions a day.
- Correctly entered patient information and prescriptions into the Walgreen’s system.
- Accurately managed cash drawers and kept pharmacy orderly.
- Managed daily and weekly supply of pharmacy inventory.
- Communicated with doctor’s offices and insurance companies daily.
- Interacted well with more than 200 customers daily.
PRO TIP
Show off real numbers that display your accomplishments in past roles. Instead of listing out your responsibilities as Pharmacy Technician, talk about the measurable impact you made to their business. Did you boost their revenue? Increase customer retention? Mention your proudest points on your resume.
Action Verbs for your Pharmacy Technician Resume
Recommended reads:
Pharmacy Technician Resume Skills’ Tips & Tricks to Impress Recruiters
Resume Skills Section Checklist:
- Ensure your hard skills section (including technologies) are exactly matching the job description.
- Don’t simply list your soft skills. Apply the “show, don’t tell” principle - let your job achievements speak for themselves.
- Find a way to showcase your skills beyond the skills section.
- Your resume’s skill section is important to ATS systems - so don’t skip it.
Top Skills for your Pharmacy Technician resume
- Parata Pass
- Innovacer
- Pharmacy Management Systems
- Pyxis
- McKesson
- Cerner
- Medacist
- Simplifi
- Talyst
- Communication
- Compassion
- Patience
- Flexibility, adaptability, and emotional stability
- Proactive, ethical, and responsible nature
- Honesty
- Team-player
- Strong work ethic
- Time management
PRO TIP
Add a Talent Section to your resume, where you can pick your top 3 soft skills and describe how you used them to complete a project or balance departmental communication.
Recommended reads:
Pharmacy Technician Resume Header: Tips, Red Flags, and Best Practices
CHECKLIST For Your Pharmacy Technician Resume Header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have policies about identifying information like photos on your Pharmacy Technician resume. Be sure to check all the relevant rules before submitting yours. If you’re in doubt, you can always try contacting the company’s HR department to ask for their policy.
Pharmacy Technician Resume Summary Best Practices
Checklist: What to include in your Pharmacy Technician resume summary:
- Years of experience;
- Highlight top 3 skills and proficiencies;
- One big professional accomplishment you’re most proud of, that you can tie with the aforementioned skills;
- Use short, direct sentences - but no more than three - to keep the HRs interested.
Resume Summary Formula:
PRO TIP
You’re not going to get hired simply because of a good summary or objective. However, your recruiter can bump you up in front of similarly experienced candidates who didn’t demonstrate such passion and drive.
Recommended reads:
Listing Your Education, Certifications and Courses
Resume Education Section Checklist:
- Ensure your hard skills section (including technologies) are exactly matching the job description.
- Don’t simply list your soft skills. Apply the “show, don’t tell” principle - let your job achievements speak for themselves.
- Find a way to showcase your skills beyond the skills section.
- Your resume’s skill section is important to ATS systems - so don’t skip it.
Top Certifications for your Pharmacy Technician resume
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a Pharmacy Technician. But, some are more effective than others. That’s why you mustn’t include every certificate other applicants might have. Try instead to earn and list a few of the difficult ones.
Pharmacy Technician Resume: Additional Writing & Formatting Tips
There are three basic resume formats you can choose from:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional resume format;
- Hybrid (or Combination) resume format;
The most optimal format for your particular case will depend on your years of experience, as well as whether you’re switching industries or not.
Reverse chronological resumes are best suited for experienced individuals who are sticking to their industry. The experience section takes a central place, and its bullets contain your responsibilities and achievements, coupled with numbers and results.
Functional resumes are used by less experienced jobseekers or career changers. Note that it’s not a format that recruiters prefer, as most are used to the classic chronological alignment. Instead of a list of job titles, functional resumes focus on your skills, and through what experiences you gained them.
Hybrid resumes are great for both experienced and entry-level candidates, as well as career changers. They combine the best of both worlds - most often in a double column format, where one side of the content is focused on your experience, whereas the other - on your skills, strengths, and proudest moments.
Pharmacy Technician Resume Summary best practices
Here are more resume tips regarding your layout and style:
- Clear and legible 12p resume font size;
- Use 10’’ resume margins - that’s default for a great resume design;
- Use a one-page template resume length if you’ve got less than 10 years of experience; otherwise, opt for a two-page resume;
- Save your resume as PDF before sending it to the recruiter.
To take it a step further, check out how your resume can stand out without leaning too much on the creative side.
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PRO TIP
Sometimes you’ll want to go after a job which requires more experience than you have. Instead of using a typical Pharmacy Technician resume layout, you can use a creative layout. Getting noticed is the most important challenge and a creative resume layout might help you get invited for an interview as most of other accountants have boring resume designs.
Other sections to include in your resume
Depending on the type of company (corporation or start-up; innovative or traditional), job seniority level and your location, you may want to include more sections to your Pharmacy Technician resume:
Pharmacy Technician Resume: How to Make Yours More Creative & Stand Out
When you send your resume to a potential employer, chances are it's the fiftieth one they've seen that day. That's why you need to make your Pharmacy Technician resume stand out for the right reasons. That means showing your personality, not just your professional experience. Employers are far more likely to remember a candidate who seems like a genuine person and not a robot. Do this by including your passions (which is also a great place to demonstrate skills on a resume), share your favorite books, or even what your usual day looks like.
What Makes a Great Pharmacy Technician Resume: Key Takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
