Im finished a course and got my license a month ago (not the cpht yet, Im gonna do it with this store), and tomorrow Im gonna be working at the pharmacy for first time. I work on Walgreens in this cashier/tech position and they gonna put me there ocasionally until I move completely there.

What are the basic stuff I should read again/know, since I want to be prepared. They know I dont have any experience so Im gonna be train but still I dont want to give a bad impression, specially after I took a course.

For what I think I would be doing like filling, data entry, know about prescriptions, doses and prescription symbols. Basic conversions and insurances (what types of insurances are the most used on walgreens) Any tips or advice would be good, Im kind of excited to start this job tho

Hello I'm wondering is there a study group that anyone can recommend me that can work thru a zoom meeting because I can't get any help from my Ed2go instructor and I'm very annoyed

In The pharmacy I work in a huge part of the job is mostly answering phone calls and doing Refills for the patients. The software at our pharmacy is UBIK and most people have RAMQ insurance. I am new ( one month and a half to this job) and every time I have to do a refill I’m stressed about if I’m doing it right or not I have to ask other pharmacy technicians to see if I’m doing it right . It’s because it’s always refill with change. Most of our patients are old people who happen to take their medications every 4 months due to travelling and for it to be covered by the insurance it gets complicated and confusing for me . The pharmacist and other technicians tell me to copy RX and then change the dispense date and refill and the press refill I get it but it always change when it’s other scenarios or refills . When the remained quantity is 30 but the patient wants it for 4 months and the pharmacist has the authorization to renew the medication how do you refill it to get it covered ? The pharmacist tell me do a three month and then a month but it’s still confusing to me. Does anyone can explain the process and insurance billing better here ? What if a Patient wants it for a year due to travelling abroad? how do you that on UBik

Can’t sleep because I’m already imaging the bs I gotta walk into tomorrow. It’s seems on the weekends there’s always a few people lined up before I even pull into the parking lot. God it makes me so mad. Haven’t even clocked in yet and it’s already customers breathing down your neck. Do these people really have nothing better to do in the morning? They really do haunt us in our free time because I do not wanna be thinking about work yet here I am irritated about work. Pharmacy techs can never get a break from the stress of the job. Gotta love retail. Just wanted to rant to those who can relate!!

I recently passed the PTCE and got licensed in my state but I don't have any experience. I have an interview coming up but I've heard nothing but horrible stories, not just online but from techs I know personally that have worked for them. I really want to do hospital pharmacy but my application keeps getting rejected as soon as I submit it. I guess I'm just wondering if anybody has had a positive experience in retail, particularly the 3 letter one.

Hey all! Prospective Pharmacy Technician here, and a desperate one at that. I currently have no pharmacy experience and no certifications, but would really like to work in a pharmacy environment as a technician.

Long story short, I've been applying, interviewing, and shadowing for different hospital and retail pharmacies (where you don't need a certification to be hired) and have yet to hear a word after every interview, despite me thinking that my introverted self just pulled of the interview of the century every time.

Clearly I'm either doing something wrong or I'm simply not standing out enough compared to other applicants. My plan is to just get certified first so that I'll instantly be more qualified than my uncertified peers, and I've yet to think of a better plan.

So r/PharmacyTechnician , how/where would I self-study for the PTCB? Is there another certification I should have instead? I have no clue how any of this works, so some guidance/tips would be incredibly helpful. I should also mention that I have to self-study, as I don't have the time or money to deal with any kind of structured coursework, especially during the day.

I’ve been working for about 4.5 months, and have been scheduled for 3, 9-hour weekends in a row with Thursdays off, closing shifts (12-8) everyday. I would’ve worked 4 Saturdays in a row if I had said yes.

I’m currently taking a class, and need the weekends to recuperate and be a human. Would it be unfair to my coworkers and pharmacy manager to change my availability to weekdays only? I’m currently being given all the closing shifts.

Is it fair to change my availability to weekdays only?

To give context (not to justify my feelings as correct) but I didn’t grow up in an American society, I lived in poor middle eastern country that had (and still has) an ongoing crisis. My view of struggling is probably a lot harsher than the average person here, I’m not proud of that and I know I need help. But recently the complains and “excuses” of patients have been hard for me to sympathize with. I totally understand the frustration of people not being able to get their GLP-1 medications, but if a pharmacist is saying it didn’t arrive in the shipment like expected, what’s the point of yelling and saying the pharmacist needs to contact the wholesaler now? No one is gonna dropship your mounjaro just because I called them.

The request of patients to service them like personal assistants is also frustrating. I truly try my hardest but first of all I’m overwhelmed with the amount of tasks I have and second, I’m really not a social person and I work in the back solely for that. I answer calls and take requests but I really don’t wanna be calling you everyday once or twice for the updates. I feel like if that’s a thing that’s very important for the customer then that’s where the Amazon and CVS apps help, or at least wait a little longer on the phone to know the status of the prescription and delivery rather than asking me to call you with updates.

Another maybe controversial opinion is that you’re really not going to die from missing 1 pill/dose of your medication, and given the shittiness of the health system in the US and everything being dictated by insurance companies and doctors then it’s partially on you if you left yourself till the last minute

And finally, it’s arguing with pharmacists (especially independent small businesses) about pricing. I feel like my blood is boiling because yesterday an elderly lady was with her friend and she didn’t have her insurance card. I told her sorry I really can’t help, 3 month worth of eye drops will cost 30$ and you can maybe submit that to your insurance company. And the friend gets defensive and say “WELL FIGURE IT OUT BECAUSE 30$ IS A LOT OF MONEY FOR HER” And honestly I don’t buy that shit. Given the economy, 30$ is not an outrageous amount, you’re literally in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in this city and frankly you don’t look like struggling. I have seen what poor struggling people from wars and crisis look like and that’s definitely not it. And if they’re such a hero then maybe pay for your friend. I’m honestly so fucking frustrated with patients thinking that their prescription money goes to the pharmacists/Tech’s pockets.

I am not proud of being aggressive and angry at people, and I’m doing my part of getting therapy, it’s very hard to keep acting like the bigger person. How can I at least restore some of my sympathy and kindness (especially when I feel like no one is kind to me) ?

What conditions, besides hypertension, can be treated with nebivolol due to its antioxidant properties and nitric oxide-enhancing effects?"

So monday is our pharmacy inventory day and i was wondering do we count all the bottles even the stock bottles like i know we’re supposed to do the high dollar ine but idk

Can we give ace inhibitors got patients with diabetes to decrease progression of diabetic nephropathy in the absence of hypertension

Sorry, I’ve been holding it in. I’ve been working at cvs pharmacy for a month and some days. So far all techs and pharmacists are nice except for one tech. Dont get me wrong, never looked forward to make friends at work I just do my job and go home. I don’t know what her problem is, maybe it has nothing to do with me but it doesn’t give her the right to take it out on me??? She clocks in/out with an attitude. Long story short another tech was showing me how to do things in drop off with a very nice lady who wasn’t in a rush, she just wanted a flu shot and her insurance on file. It was slow at that time around 6pm so there was no reason to. Rude tech pushed (not really) us out the way and did it herself. She then turned to me and asked “did they even train you??” She proceeded to go to the lead tech saying that the one who was helping me isn’t qualified to train, but gag neither is she “as a matter of fact she’s more qualified to train than you.” (lead techs own words). Few coworkers said more but I won’t repeat. I got trained at a different store and it’s only so much they can do while also WORKING. Theres a lot more I can say from the time and setting but this is just the start. I don’t really talk to anyone unless I have questions, small talk, and helping others at pick up and such. At the end of the day I‘ve improved compared to where I was during training.

Hello I'm new to becoming a pharm tech and is there a textbook like a pdf file I could use to practice the test because I'm tight on my money

So I’ve been scrolling through posts and noticed some talks about a traveling technician and I think it’s a very cool opportunity however I have no idea how to even begin? How much experience would one need to even be considered for a role and are there any agencies to look out for??? Would love more information on the matter

Doing school right now for pharmacy tech was wondering if anybody has any pointers on how to remember zip codes and the metric system mentally for preparation for national test

I want to become certified in giving immunizations, so what are the best programs that will allow me to best take the test offered by the PTCB?

I work at a group home for foster kids and all of our residents get their medication from this locally owned pharmacy near by. They have gone above and beyond for us consistently, deliver meds the day prescriptions are received for free, and even have done some free testing for us. I am wanting to put together a Christmas gift for the staff there and have no idea what to include. I don’t know anything about their personal lives so I want to focus on what they might like or find useful as pharmacy technicians/staff. I know I’m going to include some gift cards, but what would you like if you were receiving a work related gift? Budget isn’t an issue, although I’d prefer to not go crazy overboard.

I'm an environmental lab tech by day, it pays the bills but I could do with some additional income. What's the bar to entry for pharm tech? Would a 4 year bachelors in Bio and a handful of years at lab bench be enough? Or should I really go for the study program first? If it helps I also use to work retail and was an educator in my younger years so front facing customers or patients usually isnt an issue for me.

I just got my certification and have no experience but supposedly hospital work is a lot better and you miss 100 percent of shots you don't take so I want to try for a hospital job but I can't find any listings on any of the hospitals websites for pharmacy technician, so maybe the jobs aren't open but it still couldn't hurt to send one but I don't see an email or anything there to just send in a resume, so what should I do.

There's like 5 clinics and hospitals relatively close to me btw and none list for pharmacy technician on their official websites

how do you guys handle days when it’s an absolute mad house? when the tasks stack up and the level of priority becomes unclear. Just wondering cause I’m having trouble with this at the moment.

I work for a decent clinic pharmacy that is a part of a hospital system that helps care for underserved communities. The benefits are very nice, health insurance is extremely affordable as a single person, and I get paid the best here compared to other pharmacies.

I spend half the day or more dispensing prescriptions, sometimes filling, and answering a lot of phone calls. It's a very all or nothing environment. Super busy or dead. I think they need another pharmacist.

Standard day time shifts M-F and one half Saturday a month. The hardest part is that a large amount of the patients here speak a different language and I am the only tech who is not bilingual. It feels like I have lost my independence to frequently need help to just communicate with the customers.

I had been out of pharmacy for like three years. I have come back for a few months and I am not certain, if the constant chaos and stress is worth it. How do you guys cope with the madness? What do you do after work? By the time I get home, I only have energy to get food and watch TV until bed.

I am obsessing with the idea that I need to quit. I feel guilty about it. However, the lack of energy and feeling constantly stressed are too much. I can't tell anyone around me that I want to quit because they all tell me I should stay. I will add that my coworkers, techs and pharmacists, are also not happy with the work experience.

I am going to get some counseling sessions from EAP, if possible ASAP. I am really just curious what other pharmacies are like and how people cope or if you just love it.

Pretty self explanatory but I'll give some background on myself. Went through an accredited certification program in 2019 (great timing right?!), did a month long internship at an inpatient pharmacy, started at an outpatient pharmacy in late 2020 (we're also a full service retail pharmacy), been here ever since. PTCB certified.

I know it's probably more complicated than I wish it were due to differences in laws and whatnot but... just curious if anyone else has done it.

I feel like all depression meds need pretty colors. I recently started bupropion xl and I hate that they’re not pretty like the other meds we get to count. 😂

I didn’t expect to pass but I’m really proud of myself!

(not so) hypothetical situation: If there was a tech with 20 years of American experience, how hard would it be to get established as a tech in the great white North? Asking for reasons that are probably obvious. Would I need formal education, or is it a matter of passing boards?

Professor L aka Ptcb exam tutor on YouTube

Http://www.cphtin90.org

Pharmacy tech Scholar

Http://www.pharmacytechscholar.com

North Carolina A&T State university

https://ncat.edu2.com/product/990/pharmacy-technician

These are some online programs for pharmacy

First and foremost: I really want a productive conversation and no bashing of different people/professions. I get enough of that day in and out. I appreciate the kindness of your responses in advance.

I (CPhT at an inpatient pharmacy) find that, besides internal pharmacy conflict, there’s quite a bit of conflict and disengagement between departments (primarily nursing staff and pharmacy technicians).

I have a sensitive heart and from the get go (I started this position a few months ago) have been treated the way every tech describes treatment from the nursing teams (aka poorly). AND. I know firsthand that techs are not kind to nurses in return. I hear all the badmouthing on both sides. I see the looks. I see the petty crimes.

What are some real, solid suggestions yall have for improving the working environment culture? The way I see it, though we (nurses and techs) provide different functions for the patients and hospital, we have mutual goals of patient care, efficiency, excellence, etc.

I feel I’m fighting a losing battle by myself when my fellow techs treat nurses like shit, and the nurses treat all of us like shit, even if I myself have been kind. I get it, I’m an extension of a group you dislike/find unkind. And I know I, by myself, can’t “fix” things.

Some potential things I have though about that may impact the relationships:

• we don’t have a clear understanding of what each others’ roles, responsibilities, and scope/capacity are. ** as a tech I’m asked a bit snottily if I know what ibuprofen is used for (yes, I do…) by the same nurse who then asks me if two IV drugs are compatible for simultaneous administration in a patient. And then they get upset that that’s outside of my score and I correctly refer them to a pharmacist. Like, yes, I have a very solid, yet relatively basic, understanding of pharmacology. No, I cannot prescribe or change orders nor give you the mechanism of action of certain drugs as a pharmacist would be able to.

• we are creatures of habit. Once the gossip and bad attitudes start, it’s hard to stop

• we don’t value each others jobs and functions and how they both impact patient care and outcomes

• there’s a breakdown of communication

• people are simply mean? And/or we’re not giving others the benefit of the doubt

• we generally as people feel relatively superior to others without really recognizing our basic humanity.

*** as a side note, I have a bachelors and graduate degree, as well as my national certification. And the degree of difference I’m treated (by both pharmacy and other hospital staff) from before I disclose my education status to after is substantial. Like, I think we as people maybe generally assume that techs are less educated/intelligent/skillful? Idk. I’m just throwing stuff out there.

Like I said, I’m looking for constructive remarks and ideas for real improvement/change—while I recognize I myself have not been supremely objective in my descriptions of my experiences. I simply want to avoid further bashing of people because we all deserve better, and our patients do too.

I just got a new job at a specialty pharmacy and so far I’m not liking it, I don’t think I like it and I’m scared I might not last long enough as I’ve started looking for something else. This is my first week and I don’t want to go in anymore. Also one person is also trying to make my life miserable like it’s my first week and I had to hide from him so I can be out of sight out of mind.
I don’t know maybe I’m overreacting but I can’t move past this feeling that this place ain’t for me. I used to work at the three letter word company for a year and I thought this would be so nice and I will be happy but I hate it here already 💔. I’m scared

Hi!

I’m interested in becoming a pharmacy technician while I finish college (for a job in the medical field.)

CVS/Walgreens near me are not currently hiring and I’d like to begin a program by end of year so I’m interested in taking a course and just paying out of pocket. As I see they all seem to offer payment plans.

That said is there any specific online course you’d recommend? There’s so many that I think half of them may be scams lol.

I see some are self paced, some include internships, etc. I guess I’m just trying to see if anybody else went the online course route and what worked for you. Thank you.

For reference I’m in GA for now but possibly moving to nyc by spring.