Pharmacy Technician training programs may cause a labor surplus in the areas where they are offered. Most hospital pharmacies remain open 16 to 24 hours per day, seven days a week. Pharmacy Technicians may work day, evening, or night shift. For some positions, 10-hour shifts are required. Benefits include paid vacation, sick leave, medical and dental insurance, and retirement plans.
Many hospitals pay vision insurance.
While some employers will train and up-grade hospital pharmacy clerical assistants or ward clerks, most hospitals require completion of a recognized Pharmacy Technician training program or one to two years of equivalent hospital experience. This combination of training and experience usually must include preparation of unit doses and IV admixtures. Hospitals also expect applicants to have some degree of familiarity with medical and pharmaceutical terminology and metric measurements. Typing speed of 30 to 40 words per minute, good communications skills, and sufficient math ability to perform pharmaceutical calculations are also required. Familiarity with computer data entry is desirable.