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Healthcare is one of the fastest growing industries today and many job seekers are hoping to take advantage of the demand and job security by finding a job in the medical industry. For those workers who need a job in the immediate future, the pharmacy technician is a respectable job in the medical industry that has less formal requirements than most other positions and, therefore, can be started more quickly.

But what are the roles and duties of a pharmacy technician? In general, the pharmacy technician fulfills prescription orders. A pharmacy technician could work in a hospital, helping to fill the orders of doctors and nurses or in a consumer pharmacy, filling the orders that patients bring in from their doctors.

Other duties include:

• Count, package, and label pharmaceuticals.
• Fill pharmaceutical orders and prepare labels.
• Prepare I.V. mixtures and operate automated systems (if in a hospital environment).
• Maintain pharmacy inventory and perform clerical duties.
• Assist with inventory and ordering of pharmaceuticals.

If you’re interested in becoming a pharmacist technician and you think you would meet the basic roles and duties, start looking for employment for pharmacists now. Full-time jobs typically pay below $30,000 a year. However, there is a significant salary variance depending on the type of position and its location in the country.

Typically, a high school degree and a national certification (and perhaps a state certification) are the only educational requirements. However, the role of a pharmacy tech could lead to a better paying pharmacist position if your employer chooses to help in your educational goals.