As a pharmacist, you already know that your everyday duties are evolving. No longer do you focus solely on dispensing drugs. Today, you play a much larger role in health care.
Pharmacists are administering vaccines, managing patients’ diabetes and, in some states, even prescribing birth control. More than ever before, pharmacists are offering clinical health care services. As your responsibilities continue to increase, so will the necessity to hire and utilize adept pharmacy technicians.
Employment of pharmacy technicians is projected to grow 9 percent from 2014 to 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is faster than the average for all occupations.
As pharmacists provide more clinical services, they’ll need capable pharmacy techs to take on more responsibilities.
Here are five tips to make the most of your pharmacy techs to improve efficiency, provide more services and better serve patients.
1. Make a good hire
Taking the time to hire the right person is crucial. When looking to hire a pharmacy tech, be sure to interview candidates in person, complete a background check and contact their references. Here are some more tips to hire a great pharmacy team.
2. Verify their credentials
Verifying the credentials of potential new hires is also important. Currently, credential requirements vary from state-to-state. But as pharmacy tech training grows, and techs increase their presence in the pharmacy, regulation of their practice will become more standardized, according to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP).
The NABP Task Force on Pharmacy Technician Education and Training Programs even recommended that state boards of pharmacy require all certified pharmacy techs to complete an accredited education and training program by 2015.
3. Explain their duties
Explain your pharmacy’s culture and guidelines to new pharmacy techs. Every independent community pharmacy has its own way of operating. For techs to better support you, they should have a thorough understanding of how you like your pharmacy to operate.
4. Utilize individual skills
Find ways to best use each pharmacy techs’ individual skills.
If one of your techs is really good at maintaining inventory, then make that her prime focus. If another tech has great social skills, make sure he handles answering the phone and greeting patients.
Developing your techs’ unique skills, and using them to the best of their abilities, will help them perform better, improve job satisfaction and boost your business.
5. Communicate well
Communicate effectively with your pharmacy techs by holding weekly meetings, giving regular feedback or sending out weekly email newsletters that highlight necessary information your employees should know.
When your techs feel like they’re a part of your pharmacy, they’ll be more invested in its success.
Entrusting extra work to responsible technicians will free up your time and your pharmacists’ time. Here are some tips for hiring great non-pharmacy employees, too.
