Skip to main content
Wake Tech Community College
  • Menu
    • Admissions
      • Visit
      • Take Virtual Tour
      • Apply
      • CustomViewbook
      • Paying for College
      • Registration
      • College Catalog
    • Academics
      • Career Fields
      • Transferring Credits
      • Online Learning
      • HS Dual Enrollment
      • Workforce Training
      • Personal Enrichment
      • GED®/ESL
    • Student Support
      • Advising
      • Career Services
      • Care Center
      • Tutoring
      • Libraries
      • Disability Support
      • Military & Veterans
    • Student Life
      • College Calendar
      • Student Activities
      • Student Government
      • Clubs/Organizations
      • Athletics
      • Food and Vending
      • Bookstore
    • About
      • Locations
      • Administration
      • Academic Divisions
      • News
      • Employment
      • Foundation
      • Contact Us
    • More Info
      • Students
      • Parents
      • Businesses
      • Community
      • Alumni
      • Employees
      • En Español
    • Give
  • Login
  • Search

    Floating-Search

    Search WakeTech:

    Popular Searches

    • Apply to Wake Tech
    • Academic Advising
    • Orientation Sessions
    • Summer Classes
    • Tuition Information
    • Activate Key Account

Credit Programs

Pharmacy Technology

  • Apply
  • Financial Aid
  • Request Info
  • Search

2023 Careers Divisions Programs Menu

  • All Career Fields
  • All Divisions
  • A-Z Program List
  • Advising
  • Career Services
  • Credit Transfer Options
Program Menu
☰ ×
  • Degrees & Pathways
  • Bridge Program
  • Course Descriptions
  • Admissions
  • Costs
  • Program Outcomes
  • Required Skills
  • Career Explorer
  • Non-degree Pharmacy Courses
  • Faculty

Career Explorer


Job Description

Pharmacy Technicians assist pharmacists in preparing medications, making prescribed drug products, mixing intravenous solutions, establishing and maintaining patient records, purchasing pharmaceuticals and providing direct patient care.

A person in this career:

  • Receives and screens prescriptions and medication orders for completeness, accuracy and authenticity
  • Reviews and interprets medication orders written by prescribers
  • Calculates medication doses and compounding formulations
  • Prepares prescription and cautionary labels and patient counseling information sheets
  • Selects correct drug products to measure, fill, package and label for dispensing to patients
  • Establishes and maintains patient pharmacy and medical records
  • Prepares pediatric medication syrups and solutions
  • Compounds medicated lotions, gels, creams, ointments, pastes, suppositories, metered dose nasal sprays, lozenges and capsules for humans and animals
  • Compounds sterile intravenous admixtures and total parenteral nutrition
  • Prepares and labels medications in unit dose, blister and bulk packaging
  • Collects medication histories and performs medication reconciliation for emergency department patients
  • Collects medical and medication information and performs tests for patients in anti-coagulation clinics
  • Collects medical and medication information, performs medication reconciliation and coordinates medical and pharmacy services for ambulatory care and long-term care patients
  • Replenishes medications for hospital care units, emergency kits and cardiac arrest carts
  • Delivers medications to patients and patient care areas
  • Processes payments and adjudicates insurance claims with third-party payers
  • Purchases and stores pharmaceuticals, medical devices and supplies and manages pharmacy inventory
  • Assists pharmacist in identifying patients who desire or need counseling on use of medications and medical devices
  • Assists pharmacists in providing direct patient care in the hospital and community settings
  • Operates automated and robotic equipment to process and package prescriptions in hospital and community pharmacies
  • Utilizes automation and robotics to dispense and distribute medications from centralized and satellite pharmacies
  • Manages automated dispensing equipment for hospital point-of-care administration and to control medication and controlled substance inventory
  • Supervises pharmacy technicians and validates their work

Work hours and travel

  • Day and evening shifts
  • May rotate work shifts
  • May work some weekends and holidays

Career at a Glance

Salary Range
$20,580 to $42,400


Skills Needed
Good math and science skills
Enjoying helping people
Strong communication and people skills
Good computer skills
Strong critical-thinking skills


Job Duties
Assist pharmacists to prepare and dispense prescription medications
Calculate medication doses and formulations
Make drug products in prescribed dosage forms and strengths
Compound sterile IV medication admixtures
Purchase pharmaceuticals and maintain inventories
Provide direct patient care services


Work Locations
Acute care hospitals
Medical centers and clinics
Medication therapy management pharmacies
Long-term care pharmacies
Home health care agencies
Home IV infusion pharmacies
Nuclear medicine pharmacies
Medication compounding pharmacies
Retail community pharmacies
Independent retail pharmacies
Grocery store pharmacies
Mail-order pharmacies
Veterinary pharmacies
Pharmaceutical wholesale companies
Investigational drug pharmacies
Pharmaceutical companies

% of students employed in a pharmacy at graduation

Year
% Employed
2023
56
2022
83
2021
82
2020
100
2019
100

NOTE: The percentages do not reflect the number of job offers students receive. Some students continue their academic journey after graduation instead of entering the workforce.

Less More
Wake Tech Community College

2023 Footer Column 1

  • Campus Links
    • Answer Center
    • College Calendar
    • Get Emergency Alerts
    • Jobs
    • Maps / Directions
    • Accessibility

2023 Footer Column 2

  • Wake Tech Mobile App
    • Android
    • Apple
  • Help & Support
    • College Police
    • Services Directory
    • Student Support

2023 Footer Column 3

  • Connect
    • Wake Tech Enews
    • Wake Tech Podcast
Facebook Instagram X Social media account YouTube LinkedIn Threads TikTok
9101 Fayetteville Road, Raleigh, NC 27603
919-866-5000
Translation
Wake Tech Community College | ©2025 All Rights Reserved.
Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Campus Policies | Site Map