Top Traits of Highly Effective Hospital Pharmacy Technicians

Behind every good pharmacist is a great pharmacy technician. The pharmacy runs more efficiently, staff relations are better, and the patient receives better care with highly effective technicians.

Here are the top 8 traits I look for in a hospital pharmacy technician:

• Team player: A team player is willing to go above and beyond the normal job description and help with other job roles when there is a deficit in the team. Instead of worrying about what others are doing, this individual have a positive attitude towards helping serve the patient.
• Self-starter: Taking the initiative on completeing tasks is a very desirable trait. Noticing where help is needed and jumping in without being told is one of my favorite traits of a good pharmacy technician.
• Problem solving and critical thinking: Improving process and flow is not just for the pharmacist to figure out. Many times, the pharmacy ttechnician has a unique view into operations that the pharmacist may not recognize. When a nurse calls with medication delivery issues like a missing order, a good technician will be able to problem solve and help find solutions prior to sending the call to a pharmacist.
• Commitment to learning: Medicine is a fluid field of study. Not only do guidelines change for the patient, but care and pharmaceutical delivery changes also occur. A good technician will be committed to making things better by staying up-to-date within the field.
• Customer service, conflict resolution, and empathy: Rather than showing defensiveness and pointing out errors with nurses or coworkers, a good technician will be able to problem solve and deliver the message in a kind way. He or she will be able to diffuse emotional issues and serve as the "go-to" for nursing staff when medication help is needed.
• Accuracy and focus in a busy environment: Being able to focus on details with a lot of external stimuli is a plus! I know from first-hand experience how difficult this can be, but being able to focus is a trait I find important in a pharmacy technician.
• Prioritization, organization, and time management: When someone on the medical team needs something done quickly, being able to prioritize, manage requests, and know the timing is very important to the workflow. Knowing that a medication is due later in the day and instead loading a medication on the floor that will be needed earlier is part of prioritizing. It is also important to know how to manage the day when things are not as busy and then going above and beyond to perform tasks that are normally at the bottom of the list.
• Computer skills: Every technician needs to know how to work a computer and be able to quickly learn medication software to help with problem solving and triaging issues that can be handled prior to a pharmacist getting involved.