While everyone on your staff plays an important part of your pharmacy’s success, your pharmacy technicians are often your team’s all-around MVPs. They must possess both hard and soft skills, splitting time between working with inventory and process while also working with patients and their prescriptions. They need to be analytical, organized, and good at communicating with customers, co-workers, and you.
You, as well as the profession, expect a lot from pharmacy techs. That can lead to major stress, burnout, and job dissatisfaction. Plus, you don’t want one of your MVPs to become a free agent, becoming the star of another pharmacy’s team.
Keep Your Techs Feeling Valued and Fulfilled
Create a positive company culture
Keep your finger on the pulse of your pharmacy’s workplace culture. Do your employees feel they can talk to you openly and honestly? Is everyone respectful of each other? Do you all pitch in and help each other out during busy times? Or is it a negative work environment, full of gossip, finger-pointing, and back-stabbing?
The pharmacy profession will always be stressful, which makes it that much more important to foster a sense of camaraderie, trust, teamwork, and enjoyment. A positive work environment pays off in employee retention as well as recruitment.
Encourage continuing education
By encouraging your pharmacy techs to expand their knowledge and skills, you’re providing new opportunities and challenges. With all of its faults, health care is a fascinating field. It’s filled with new discoveries, fresh approaches, and what seems like infinite new things to learn. And education doesn’t have to be limited to health care. Imagine if a pharmacy tech learned a different language—even the basics would be an asset to your patients and your pharmacy.
First, celebrate and reward (financially, if you’re able) employees who complete advanced training, gain additional certification, or pursue specialization. Next, make that employee the “go-to” expert in that area. Then, ask that tech to share the knowledge they’ve gained at a staff meeting or a special lunch ‘n’ learn.
Even with no financial incentive, learning new things can be its own reward. Plus, acknowledging and celebrating the efforts of your pharmacy techs will provide a tangible, positive example of the benefits of working for your pharmacy.
Suggest networking
Establishing and maintaining professional relationships can be rewarding, educational, and fulfilling. Additionally, engaging with peers can help your employees maintain their enthusiasm for the profession and bring new ideas into your pharmacy. Again, think beyond health care. Does the local chamber need a business representative? Is the regional hospital planning a community health fair? Encourage your employees to get involved. This will help raise awareness and knowledge of your pharmacy while creating goodwill among your employees and their neighbors. After all, everyone likes to work for a well-regarded business that supports the community.
The bottom line? The success of your pharmacy technicians and other employees will result in the success of your business.
A Member-Owned Company Serving Independent Pharmacies
PBA Health is dedicated to helping independent pharmacies reach their full potential on the buy-side of their business. Founded and owned by pharmacists, PBA Health serves independent pharmacies with group purchasing services, wholesaler contract negotiations, proprietary purchasing tools, and more.
An HDA member, PBA Health operates its own NABP-accredited secondary wholesaler with more than 6,000 SKUs, including brands, generics, narcotics CII-CV, cold-storage products, and over-the-counter (OTC) products — offering the lowest prices in the secondary market.
