When you think of Pharmacy Technician jobs, you probably think of your local retail pharmacy. The truth is, there's a wide range of environments in which Pharmacy Techs can work! In this video, Stepful Externship Coordinator Monique Reed breaks down some of the different Pharmacy Tech jobs that are out there, and how to get them.
Meet Monique, a Stepful externship coordinator
Hi, I'm Monique, but everyone calls me Mo. I'm a senior externship coordinator here at Stepful.
My professional background is as a certified pharmacy technician. I've been a certified pharmacy technician for about 18 years.
I worked in a hospital from the day I got certified and continued until about 2021. My journey into education began around 2009. I truly love this school; it's a great program for students.
How closely do you work with Stepful’s pharmacy tech students?
I work very closely with our pharmacy technician students.
With any placement, there's paperwork to fill out, a background check, a drug screen, etc. So I help students sort all of that out. Additionally, there are 50 states, each with its own Board of Pharmacy, each with its own laws.
My job is to help the pharmacy technician students understand what their state requires and then help them achieve it. If students have questions about the what-ifs, the what-next, or how-tos, they reach out to me, and I guide them through the process.
How do I get a job as a hospital pharmacy tech?
I did my externship at a hospital, got hired, and worked there for my entire career. Working in a hospital can seem intimidating or it can seem exciting, but there are a few things to keep in mind if that's your goal.
First, research the specific requirements for hospital pharmacy tech jobs in your area. They might require you to have graduated from a program, be certified, or even have a few years of experience as a retail pharmacy technician.
Knowing what's expected is crucial. But otherwise, as Stepful grows and as our partnerships with different health systems grow, our goal is to provide students the opportunity to do their externship at a hospital, which makes me so excited. We have a few partnerships already and a few more pending. So down the road, our aim is to get students placed in hospitals to gain that type of experience and, hopefully, launch long and successful careers just like mine.
What are some other environments a pharmacy tech can work?
Obviously, a pharmacy technician can work in retail and hospitals, but there are many other opportunities out there. For instance, they can work in managed care dealing with insurance, or as medication reconciliation techs, helping patients understand their medications.
Pharmacy technicians can also work from home, in education, or in call centers handling refill requests.
Techs can specialize in areas like oncology, radiation therapy, or even as vet pharmacy techs, which is a specific allied health field dealing with medication for pets and other animals. Pharmacy technicians can find niches in areas like compounding pharmacies and beyond.
So, don't limit yourself to just working at your local retail pharmacy; keep your eyes open for all the other opportunities that are out there!
