A Hospital Pharmacy Technician plays an important role in helping patients by filling prescriptions requested by physicians, preparing feeding solutions and chemotherapy liquids for intravenous use, and mixing creams and powders used by patients.
They also help maintain inventory in the hospital pharmacy by organizing the stock of medications, disposing of expired medication, and keeping track of the amounts in stock.
Hospital pharmacy techs also differ from those that work in a retail setting in that they also deliver medications to nurses or doctors. Hours may also differ and might include night shifts as hospitals are operated 24/7.
There are certainly differences between hospital pharmacies and retail pharmacies such as CVS or Walgreens. Generally, Pharmacy Technicians working in retail pharmacies handle more customer service and relationship issues than those in a hospital setting. While techs in a hospital setting will generally deal with some more complex medicines and pharmaceutical solutions based on the needs of patients in the hospital.
While you may read about the stress of the business side of pharmacy in retail settings - trying to maximize sales and volumes of prescriptions distributed - a different source of stress in a hospital setting might include the severe condition of patients, many of whom may be terminal.
Because Technicians in hospitals are required to have some skills not required in retail settings, salaries for these positions are generally higher than those in retail positions. In fact, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, salaries are about 15% higher in hospitals than in retail stores.
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