How to hire top pharmacy technicians: essential things to know
Pharmacy technicians are allied health professionals who work with Pharmacists to dispense prescription medicines at local pharmacies and hospitals. They usually assist pharmacists in preparing specific dosage drugs. Compared with pharmacists, pharmacy technicians have less responsibility in addressing patient queries and educating them on medications. Pharmacy technicians handle administrative tasks and inventory management under the supervision of a pharmacist. This blog delves into all the aspects to be considered when you hire pharmacy technicians for your facility. Read through to find out how to hire and retain top pharmacy technicians for your facility by avoiding the common pitfalls.
Impact of hiring pharmacy technicians on your facility
A skilled pharmacy technician can be worthwhile for your facility in reducing medication errors and operating efficiently. Since pharmacy technicians take care of the prescription drug dispensing and other administrative tasks, it would be easy for the pharmacists who supervise the pharmacy technicians to oversee the accuracy of tasks and manage other complex pharmacy-related duties effectively. In collaboration with pharmacy technicians, pharmacists tend to be more flexible in their duties, hence avoiding the possibility of burned-out staff. Building team dynamics within the workplace can lead to a better working environment and a satisfied workforce.
Key things to consider when you hire pharmacy technicians
While you are in the process of pharmacy tech recruitment, do consider the following key things:
- Education and certification: A postsecondary diploma from an accredited institution, along with on-the-job training, is needed to become a qualified pharmacy technician. Moreover, it will be ideal to hire pharmacy technicians who have completed the Certified Pharmacy Technician (CphT) program. This certification demonstrates a strong foundation of knowledge and skills.
- License requirements: The licensure requirements for a pharmacy technician vary from state to state. For some states, they need to pass a state licensing exam and often a state law exam to practice.
- Soft skills required: The most essential soft skills for a pharmacy technician are organizational skills, customer service skills, detail-oriented, active listening, etc.
- Job outlook: Like all other allied health professionals, there is an increasing demand for pharmacy technicians. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, this demand is expected to rise by 6% in the upcoming decade.
- Pay scale: Pharmacy technicians often get a median annual salary of $40,300 as per the data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Avoiding common pitfalls in hiring pharmacy technicians
When you hire pharmacy technicians, considering these common pitfalls can create a significant impact on the team dynamics.
- Carefully examine the qualifications and experience of the candidate to avoid any future compliance issues.
- When you hire pharmacy technicians, assess their soft skills as well since the job requires them to interact with patients.
- Do a thorough credentialing and compliance check (e.g., license verification, drug screening, pending criminal records) to ensure the pharmacy technician you are hiring is eligible to work in the state.
- Provide proper compensation on par with the market demand and follow retention strategies (e.g., training, development, career advancement opportunities) to reduce turnover rates.
- Involve current pharmacy staff while tailoring the job requirements of the pharmacy technician as they may know the specific requirements of your facility.
Addressing legal and compliance issues in pharmacy technicians hiring
To avoid potential legal problems for your facility, addressing all the compliance and regulatory concerns when hiring pharmacy technicians is essential. Here is a quick checklist to handle these concerns.
- Understand the regulatory guidelines prescribed by the state where your facility is located.
- Verify the certifications and credentials provided by the candidate.
- Conduct a thorough background check for criminal or drug abuse history.
- Refer to the recommendation letter from the prior organization.
- Provide a clear and detailed job description.
- Even if the hired pharmacy technicians are aware of it, ensure that you provide training on safety standards and pharmacy best practices.
- Maintain up-to-date records of the staff hired, including their license renewal details.
Importance of cultural fit in pharmacy technician recruitment
Cultural fit is an important strategy to focus on when you hire pharmacy technicians. This applies not only to pharmacy technicians but to all allied health professionals as it can significantly create an impact on the credibility and operational efficiency of a facility.
Having better team dynamics within the facility can promote better patient care outcomes. In a healthcare setting, not only professionals but patients can also come from diverse backgrounds. So, it is essential to make sure that proper policies are implemented to ensure a cultural fit across all the teams in your facility and increase collaboration. Improving the cultural fit can significantly impact employee retention by reducing the turnover rate.
Various steps can be taken to ensure cultural fit when you hire a pharmacy technician; this includes having a value system set for your facility and understanding the goals, values, and beliefs of the individual. Behavioral interviews, assessing soft skills, and involving more diversity in the interview board can help assess the cultural fit while hiring.
Also read: how employing a skilled pharmacist can be cost-effective for your facility
Building a long-term hiring strategy for pharmacy technicians
Employee retention is as important as employee recruitment in the healthcare sector. With more and more employees leaving the healthcare profession due to burnout and workload, it is vital to build a long-term hiring strategy for pharmacy technicians. Here is a brief list of points to consider when hiring pharmacy technicians to facilitate long-term employee retention.
- Conduct a detailed interview to check the experience, skills, and goals of the candidate.
- Provide compensation based on market standards.
- Fostering a flexible work environment emphasizing employee wellness.
- Create opportunities for the upskilling of the hired pharmacy technicians.
- Establish a proper pathway for progression.
- Implement policies to ensure cultural fit and reduce staff burnout.
How MedSquirrels can help you with pharmacy technician staffing
Hiring the best pharmacy technicians for your facility while balancing aspects like cultural fit, long-term retention, and avoiding common pitfalls can be a hurdle for most facilities. To streamline all the factors mentioned above and get the best-fit talent, you can collaborate with an experienced and reputed pharmacy tech staffing solutions provider like MedSquirrels.
MedSquirrels is an all-in-one platform that will take care of your end-to-end pharmacy technician staffing needs. To hire a pharmacy technician, sign up on our platform and post the job description specific to your facility’s requirements. Our platform will pre-screen the candidates’ profiles and share the top matches with you in 2-5 business days for further processes. With our AI-based platform and expert team, we ensure zero risk and compliance issues throughout the hiring process.
What makes us different from other pharmacy technician companies is our unique flat fee pricing, which allows you to avoid paying the huge markups they charge. With this pricing model, you can be in the position to pay top dollar to hire pharmacy technicians.
To know more about MedSquirrels’ staffing platform, book a demo today.
