How to hire a Pharmacy Technician

Hiring skilled pharmacy technicians is essential for maintaining an efficient and reliable pharmacy team. Pharmacy technicians play a vital role in supporting pharmacists, managing medication inventory, and ensuring accurate dispensing of prescriptions. To find the right talent, it’s important to follow a structured process that ensures you’re selecting qualified, dependable individuals. This guide covers the key steps in pharmacy technicians hiring to help you build a strong, capable team, along with how MedSquirrels can support your recruitment needs.

1. Define the role and job requirements

Before you start the pharmacy technicians hiring process, clarify the specific responsibilities and qualifications you’re looking for in a candidate. Pharmacy technicians perform a wide range of tasks, from handling administrative duties to managing medications, so understanding what’s needed for your team is essential.

• Tip: Create a detailed job description outlining the core tasks, required certifications, and preferred experience. Listing essential skills, such as knowledge of electronic health records (EHR) or inventory management systems, helps attract candidates who are well-suited to the role.

2. Look for certified candidates

Certification is an important factor when you’re looking to hire a pharmacy technician. Certified Pharmacy Technicians (CPhTs) have undergone formal training and passed an exam, which demonstrates their knowledge and skills in the field. Certification assures you that the candidate is familiar with industry standards and can handle the responsibilities effectively.

• Tip: Prioritize candidates who hold certifications from reputable organizations, such as the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) or the National Healthcareer Association (NHA). Certified candidates are often more prepared and knowledgeable, making the hiring pharmacy technicians process smoother.

3. Assess relevant experience

Experience in pharmacy settings, whether in hospitals, retail, or clinics, can give candidates an advantage. While new graduates can be excellent hires, previous experience often means that candidates are familiar with handling patient inquiries, managing prescriptions, and using pharmacy software. Relevant experience also helps reduce training time.

• Tip: During interviews, ask candidates to discuss their previous experiences and any specific tasks they handled. This will give you a clear sense of their expertise and how they can contribute to your pharmacy.

4. Evaluate soft skills

Pharmacy technicians frequently interact with patients, pharmacists, and other healthcare staff. Soft skills like communication, empathy, attention to detail, and teamwork are essential qualities in a successful pharmacy technician. Ensuring candidates possess these soft skills will contribute to a positive patient experience and a cohesive work environment.

• Tip: Use behavioral interview questions to gauge candidates’ soft skills. For example, ask how they would handle a patient’s question about medication or how they’d manage a stressful situation. Soft skills are a critical component when you hire pharmacy technicians for high-quality service.

5. Use digital platforms to reach candidates

To connect with a broad pool of qualified candidates, leverage online job boards, social media, and healthcare-specific recruitment platforms. Many platforms allow you to filter candidates based on experience, certifications, and location, making it easier to find the right fit.

• Tip: Utilize professional sites like LinkedIn and healthcare job boards for hiring pharmacy technicians. These platforms can help streamline your recruitment process by giving you access to pre-qualified candidates actively seeking pharmacy roles.

6. Partner with MedSquirrels staffing platform

For facilities that need to hire quickly or frequently, working with a specialized staffing platform like MedSquirrels can save time and resources. MedSquirrels specializes in sourcing, screening, and placing pharmacy technicians who meet your unique requirements, ensuring you find candidates who align with your needs. With their expertise in healthcare staffing, MedSquirrels makes the process of hiring pharmacy technicians more efficient and reliable.

• How MedSquirrels helps: By partnering with MedSquirrels, you gain access to a pre-screened pool of certified and qualified pharmacy technicians ready to step into roles. This reduces recruitment time, lowers the risk of turnover, and ensures your facility always has the support it needs to maintain high-quality service standards. MedSquirrels' platform also manages candidate verification, making it easy to find reliable talent quickly.

7. Conduct thorough background checks

Given the sensitive nature of handling medications, conducting background checks on potential hires is crucial. Verifying candidates’ employment history, criminal background, and certifications ensures you’re hiring trustworthy individuals. Background checks also provide an added layer of security, giving you peace of mind in the hiring process.

• Tip: Run background checks early in the hiring pharmacy technicians process to avoid delays in onboarding. Ensure that candidates are compliant with local and national regulations for pharmacy work.

8. Provide comprehensive training and onboarding

Once you’ve hired a pharmacy technician, a comprehensive training and onboarding process can set them up for success. Training should cover pharmacy protocols, software systems, customer service practices, and safety guidelines. A structured onboarding helps new hires integrate smoothly into your team, reducing turnover rates and enhancing productivity.

• Tip: Pair new hires with experienced staff for a few weeks to help them get familiar with daily routines. Providing resources and mentorship helps ensure they meet the quality standards expected in your pharmacy.

Conclusion

To hire a pharmacy technician who will contribute to your team’s success, it’s essential to follow a structured hiring process. Defining the role, prioritizing certification and experience, evaluating soft skills, and using digital platforms can help you identify qualified candidates. Partnering with a staffing platform like MedSquirrels can further streamline the process, making pharmacy technicians hiring more efficient and effective.

MedSquirrels provides a valuable resource for healthcare facilities, offering a tailored approach to recruiting skilled pharmacy technicians who meet your practice’s standards. By focusing on these key steps and leveraging the expertise of MedSquirrels, you can build a reliable team that enhances service quality, supports pharmacy operations, and ultimately contributes to patient satisfaction.