Five Mistakes New Pharmacy Technicians Should Avoid

Are you a future pharmacy technician in training? Or are you interested in entering the pharmacy field but not sure it’s the right fit? Rest assured, the pharmacy industry is exciting, with a wide variety of career pathways available to students. We are confident one of these pathways will be a good fit for you!

However, as you begin your career, you must watch out for these common mistakes. If you master the five most essential skills for a new pharmacy technician and avoid these five common pitfalls, you are likely to hit the ground running in your new career!

Mistake 1: Mislabeling Medications

Imagine dispensing the wrong medication to a patient because of a labeling mix-up. This “tiny error” can have significant consequences for your patient’s health and well-being. Your first crucial lesson is always to double and triple-check your labels. Precision is critical in pharmacy, as seemingly small mistakes can have major consequences.

Whenever you handle medication, especially when transferring it into a container, always double-check the name, dosage, and any special instructions. This ensures you take an appropriate pause and that the label matches the prescription exactly.

Don’t rush this Step. This only takes a few extra seconds, and it can make a world of difference. Build it into your everyday workflow, and you will significantly minimize the risk of errors.

Mistake 2: Not Paying Attention to Prescription Details

It’s easy to go on autopilot when you do similar tasks multiple times daily. We’ve all been there. You’re driving somewhere, and suddenly you are halfway to work or home when you meant to go somewhere else. This happens to me all the time.

The same can happen in a pharmacy. Suppose you are filling certain common prescriptions frequently. In that case, it can be easy for your brain to “fill in the details when looking at a prescription rather than actually reading the prescription completely. However, skipping over those details is not in your or the patient’s best interest

Every word on the prescription is valuable. Take it seriously, and follow it to the letter. This ensures you provide the medication as the provider recommends. If something is unclear or seems unusual, contact the prescriber for clarification. The healthcare provider may have made a mistake, or a staff member may have miswritten the prescription, so pharmacy technicians need to double-check to minimize the risk of medication errors.

One common source of errors is the use of prescription abbreviations and medical jargon. While these abbreviations and jargon are supposed to be “common knowledge,” they can still be unclear because abbreviations may mean similar things or because people were trained under different systems. Don’t hesitate to ask a senior technician or a pharmacist for help deciphering a prescription you are filling.

Don’t forget your most important responsibility is maintaining accuracy and attention to detail. A simple misinterpretation can lead to a serious error, and a few extra seconds of effort can prevent a lot of heartache.

Mistake 3: Failing to Communicate

Whenever you work on a team with others, it’s imperative to communicate effectively with those around you. It’s even more critical when you are new to an industry or when your industry is highly technical, such as pharmacy.

Communication is critical in pharmacy because mistakes can have serious consequences when someone is unsure about a task, medication, or procedure. Don’t shy away from asking questions, clarifying doubts, or seeking guidance from senior technicians or pharmacists.

If you stay clear on instructions and the details of any prescriptions you work on, you can support patient safety while growing professionally. The takeaway is that it’s always better to ask and confirm you’re on the right track than to risk mistakes from a lack of understanding.

Mistake 4: Being Disorganized

A typical pharmacy stocks hundreds or thousands of medications. As you can imagine, without a well-maintained organizational system, total chaos will ensue.

Good organization extends beyond the pharmacy’s overall systems and includes pharmacy technicians’ workspaces. If your workspace is messy, you are more likely to get confused and make a mistake about what medication you are working with. Many medications can look alike and can be easily mixed up if your workspace isn’t tidy.

Your pharmacy will typically already have a system for storing medications and supplies. However, you still need to do your part and make sure everything is labeled clearly and logically.

Create a daily routine for cleaning and organizing your workspace so it becomes part of your regular process. This will help you work more efficiently, find what you need, and reduce the risk of costly errors.

Mistake 5: Assuming Learning Stops After Graduation

Becoming a great pharmacy technician takes much longer than the 9 to 10 months of a typical training program. It certainly isn’t a “learn it once, and you’re done” kind of job. You need to be prepared to embark on a lifelong learning journey.

The pharmaceutical industry is always evolving and introducing new drugs. What was once popular can become outdated, and a new medication with new dosing, regimens, etc., can take its place. Pharmacy technicians are expected to stay up to speed on industry changes.

Since knowledge is the key to your success, sign up for newsletters, join online forums related to the pharmacy industry, or pursue additional advanced education and certifications. The more you know, the more confident you will be in your role.

Conclusion

While these may seem like simple, easily avoidable mistakes, people often lose focus and develop bad habits. If you are mindful of these mistakes, though, you will undoubtedly be able to avoid them and have a wonderful career as a pharmacy technician.