Have you ever dreamed of spending your days in a white lab coat, helping those in need? As a pharmacist, you can! Before you start applying to jobs, however, it’s important to consider your skillset.

What skills are you currently listing on your resume? The right skill set can help you stand out from other applicants. You can increase your chances of finding a job you love as a result.

In fact, the job outlook for pharmacists looks better than ever before. The total pharmacist employment figure could increase by almost 18,000 jobs by 2026.

To become a successful pharmacy technician, you’ll need to sharpen your skillset. Developing the right skills can help you strive in your career.

Set your career up for long-term success! Here are the nine essential skills you need before pursuing pharmacist jobs. With these skills, you can provide the best possible service for the patients you help.

Get started with these nine skills today.

1. Attention to Detail

As a pharmacy technician, you’ll need to consider the well-being of others before filling prescriptions. Strong attention to detail is crucial as a result. Sweating the small stuff can ensure you keep patients safe.

Otherwise, you might make a crucial mistake when compounding medications or filling prescriptions.

Giving a patient the wrong medication could have crucial consequences. Meanwhile, their current condition could get worse. It could become far more than a minor inconvenience.

Before you start pursuing pharmacist jobs, try developing strong attention to detail. Your job responsibilities will include:

• Maintaining notes and paperwork for each patient’s drug therapy and pharmacy care plans
• Complying with state and federal laws
• Troubleshooting medication issues
• Answering patient questions
• Processing and filling prescriptions
• Reporting a drug’s adverse reactions
• Advocating for a patient’s compliance with medication guidelines
• Maintaining relationships with different physicians
• Assisting in communicating between the patient and labs, doctors, nurses, or insurance companies
• Reviewing medication orders and prescriptions
• organizing medications for dispensing
• Preparing labels, calculating drug quantities, and preparing intravenous solutions
• Checking pharmaceutical stock to assess inventory levels
• Placing orders
• Removing outdated drugs

To keep up with these responsibilities, you’ll need strong attention to detail. Otherwise, you could make a crucial mistake when keeping records or dispensing medications.

It helps to have a good memory, too. For example, you’ll need to remember different medications and patient information. Before passing your certification exam, you’ll need to know the most commonly dispensed medications and their generic names, too.

Having these skills can make you a more desirable candidate for pharmacy technician jobs.

2. Customer Service Skills

To become a successful pharmacy technician, you’ll need strong customer service skills as well.

You’ll help multiple patients every single day. In fact, there are only six pharmacists for every 10,000 people in the world. People are depending on pharmacists like you for the help they need.

As a pharmacist, you’ll need to know how to put a name to a face. Remembering your patients can help you avoid costly mistakes. Otherwise, you might give the wrong patient the wrong medication.

They could experience adverse effects or a drug interaction as a result.

Remembering your regular visitors can also help your patients feel welcomed and valued. You can develop strong connections with the people you meet.

Meanwhile, you’ll have an easier time ensuring accuracy.

Strong customer service skills will require you to listen to each patient’s concerns and needs. You’ll need to offer service with a smile and remain calm if someone’s upset, too.

With that in mind, patience is crucial. You might struggle to remain calm in a fast-paced environment (like a hospital pharmacy), otherwise.

Developing strong customer service skills will help you appear as a reliable professional in your field. Here are a few extra tips that can help you land the job.

3. Math and Technology Skills

Developing an aptitude for math and technology can benefit your career as well. A successful pharmacy technician won’t have an issue with mathematics. You’ll need to feel comfortable working with numbers to ensure accuracy on the job.

You’ll spend a great deal of time counting pills, too. Strong math skills can help you avoid making crucial mistakes.

You’ll need to work with different computer software programs on the job. These programs will help you track prescriptions and customer records.

4. Teamwork Capabilities

As with most career paths, teamwork skills are crucial if you plan on becoming a successful pharmacy technician.

For example, you’ll need to ensure pharmacists can carry out their tasks efficiently. They might need help:

• Serving customers
• Calling practitioners to clarify a prescription
• Filing paperwork
• Taking inventory

Your contributions to the team can ensure everyone works efficiently. A strong team will ensure the best possible service for patients. Becoming a strong team player can set your entire pharmacy up for success.

5. An Appetite for Learning

The healthcare field is constantly changing. For example, nearly 7,000 cases of the coronavirus variant were confirmed in May. As new diseases spread, you’ll need to learn about new medications, too.

Having an appetite for learning can help you pursue local pharmacist jobs. It’s not enough to learn about medicine today. You need to focus on continuing education as the healthcare industry continues to change and grow.

Otherwise, you could struggle to help patients as their concerns change over time.

Your dedication to your field will show. Potential employers will see your focus on continuing your education as a strength. They’ll recognize you as a potential asset on their team.

Your learning will begin with formal training. You can cover pharmacology, healthcare law, physiology, and anatomy. You can also learn about insurance procedures and other areas relevant to your field.

Everything you learn can further benefit your career.

6. Compassion

Remember, you’ll spend a lot of time each day one on one with patients and customers. In addition to strong customer service skills, you’ll need compassion.

Imagine what your patients are going through each day. The help you provide them can put them at ease.

You could help patients with short- or long-term conditions. Either way, your compassion can make a difference in their lives.

Showing patients compassion will help put them at ease.

People who are sick aren’t always in the best mood. Many of the patients you interact with might feel under stress. Perhaps they recently received bad news about their prognosis, too.

As a pharmacy technician, you can help put these patients at ease.

Showing them patience and understanding can make a difference in their day. They’ll remember the understanding and kindness you showed them, too. You could make a big difference in their lives as a result.

It helps if you have a natural desire to help people as well. Your desire to help will show your interactions with patients.

7. Communication Skills

To become a successful pharmacy technician, you’ll also need strong communication skills. You’ll use these skills every day when talking to patients. You’ll also need them when speaking with physicians, answering the phone, and updating records.

Many pharmacists become experts in conflict resolution as well. You’ll need to know how to efficiently express yourself with patients and co-workers.

Otherwise, a communication error could lead to medication errors, too.

You might struggle to offer the best possible customer service as a result.

Developing your communication skills can make you a more efficient pharmacist. You can minimize errors, saving time and stress.

8. Strong Ethics

Before pursuing pharmacist jobs, it’s important to develop strong ethics, too.

You’ll need to remain up-to-date regarding the latest regulations and standards for healthcare. Otherwise, you’ll struggle to provide the best care for your patients. You might need to identify potential prescription drug abusers as well.

Many pharmacists also learn how to spot illegal prescriptions on the job.

Committing yourself to a strong code of ethics can ensure prescription drug abuse decreases in the country.

Remaining on alert could help you earn the respect of your supervising pharmacist, too.

Otherwise, you’ll need to give customers honest estimates about wait times and other concerns. You’ll handle confidential information every day, too.

Developing your personal integrity can help you gain the trust of those around you.

9. Problem-Solving Skills

If you plan on becoming a pharmacist, take the time to develop your problem-solving skills.

You’ll need to order inventory, set a printer to the right settings, call insurance companies, and more. Learning how to handle multiple problems can help you meet various demands on a daily basis.

As a pharmacy technician, you’ll need to work in a fast-paced environment. It’s important to learn how to keep a level head. Otherwise, you might struggle to manage the stress.

Learning how to prioritize specific tasks can help.

It helps to have strong multitasking, skills. Multitasking can help you work more efficiently. You can maintain perfect accuracy and demonstrate your organizational skills as well.

Healing Hands: 9 Essential Skills of a Successful Pharmacy Technician

Do you already have these nine essential skills? Great! With these skills, you can become a successful pharmacy technician and take the industry by storm.

These skills can help you become a desirable candidate as more pharmacist jobs become available throughout the country.

Searching for a pharmacist job? We’re here to help.

Apply here to get started.