McKesson ideaShare 2025: Pharmacy Technicians Drive Efficiency and Care

As pharmacies face increasing financial and operational pressures, building a high-performing and empowered pharmacy technician team is no longer optional—it’s essential. In this insightful conversation, Keri Bates, PharmD, owner of Rocky Ridge Drug Company in Birmingham, Alabama, shares how she’s developed a structured career advancement model for pharmacy technicians that promotes efficiency, improves patient care, and boosts team morale. Bates discusses the evolving role of technicians, their growing clinical responsibilities, and how pharmacy owners can rethink compensation and career growth to retain top talent and operate more sustainably.

Q: In what ways do you believe a well-developed and empowered pharmacy technician team contributes to the overall success and efficiency of a pharmacy? How does this impact patient care?

Keri Bates, PharmD: Oh my gosh, it’s so, so important to have a team that communicates well and has a good culture. They need to have a purpose in their day. I try not to micromanage the staff—I want my staff to take ownership of their roles. But they can’t do that unless we invest the time and energy to train them properly. Once we do that, we encourage them to take ownership. If they see a way to do something better, we shoot ideas around and collaborate.

It’s important for the pharmacy that they do that, and that we all communicate with each other. It makes our day more fun and enjoyable. It’s not an environment where a technician just comes in and gets told what to do all day. They know what to do, and they come up with creative ideas and solutions to make the pharmacy work better. The customers notice that. It creates not only a better work environment but also a better experience for customers who walk in and get the service they need.

Q: Looking ahead, what future trends or changes do you anticipate in the roles and responsibilities of pharmacy technicians, and how do you plan to continue supporting their adaptation and growth?

Bates: As pharmacy owners, we’ve had to get really creative to survive in the current industry. We’re finding ways to diversify revenue and manage expenses more strategically. One area we’ve focused on is maximizing pharmacist-to-technician ratios. The only way to do that is with a well-trained team.

For me to be comfortable as a pharmacist, I need a staff that is educated, trained, and knows how to do their role. It's more economical to maximize those ratios, and technicians are becoming more important and valuable in how a pharmacy operates. They’ve always been essential, but as more certifications, qualifications, and educational opportunities become available, technicians are really starting to show their value. They’re now performing at the top of their license, just as pharmacists are aiming to do.

It’s been a journey over the past 8 years owning the pharmacy, but I’ve seen firsthand how technicians can really jump into the clinical world. When they were able to start giving immunizations and performing wellness screenings, it freed up the pharmacist to focus on tasks like reviewing drug interactions and consulting with practitioners—really optimizing patient care. It’s also allowed for potentially filling more prescriptions.

And it’s been rewarding. The technicians who have gone through these programs have enjoyed stepping outside the pharmacy to engage more directly with patients and learn clinical skills. It gives them more purpose and excitement in their day, instead of just standing behind a computer screen. I think we’ll continue to find new ways for technicians to practice pharmacy—just as pharmacists are expanding how we practice.

Q: What advice would you offer to other pharmacists who are looking to create a more robust career advancement framework for their pharmacy technicians?

Bates: We started very simply. A lot of pharmacies already do some version of this, like offering extra compensation for certified pharmacy technicians or for immunizers. So just start. Start by putting it on paper: what qualifications can a pharmacy technician have? What value does that bring to your business? And what would you be willing to compensate for that?

Some examples of items on our career path advancement list include biometric screenings, inventory management, being an immunizer, and being a certified pharmacy technician. We’ve recently added community health workers—if someone gets that certification, it counts as an additional qualification. We also include training on how to measure for compression stockings.

There are many possibilities. A technician might manage your schedule or your hiring process. Whether it's more clinical or more administrative, think about the different roles your pharmacy technicians can fill. Get specific and branch out beyond the typical model of certified vs. non-certified or lead vs. non-lead technician.

Every staff looks different, and pharmacy owners have different numbers of employees. You can tailor this to your business model. Just think outside the box.