Written and Interpersonal Skills Needed as a Pharmacy Technician

Interpersonal Communication

The one-on-one exchange of verbal and nonverbal information to convey competence, accuracy, and professionalism.

Customer Service Impact

Courteous patient interaction that builds trust and influences where patients choose to fill their prescriptions.

Cultural Competence

Tailoring pharmacy care to respect diverse ethnic, cultural, and personal values without letting bias affect service.

Telephone Greeting Protocol

Answering calls by clearly stating your name, professional title, and pharmacy location as required by practice standards.

Phone Triage

Prioritizing incoming calls and routing clinical queries to the pharmacist while handling administrative requests independently.

Clinical Phone Inquiries

Complex calls regarding drug errors, safety precautions, or contraindications that must be transferred to a pharmacist.

Non-Clinical Phone Inquiries

Routine questions handled by technicians regarding drug pricing, refill requests, readiness times, and profile facts.

Prescriber DEA Number

A unique Drug Enforcement Administration identifier assigned to prescribers to authorize controlled substance orders.

Look-Alike / Sound-Alike (LASA) Drugs

Medications with similar spelling or pronunciation (e.g., Cerebyx vs. Celebrex) that pose a high risk for dispensing errors.

Tall Man Lettering

A safety convention capitalizing unique letter combinations in look-alike drug names to prevent medication mix-ups.

Dosing Zero & Decimal Rules

Paying strict attention to zeros and decimal points to avoid catastrophic dosing errors (e.g., 0.5 mg vs 0.05 mg).

Otic vs. Ophthalmic Routes

Otic indicates ear administration, while ophthalmic indicates eye administration; ear drops must never be placed in eyes.

Standard Prescription Frequencies

Common frequency abbreviations: QD (once daily), BID (twice daily), TID (three times daily), QID (four times daily).

Clarifying Illegible Orders

Directly contacting the prescriber or pharmacist to confirm unreadable handwriting rather than guessing the intent.

National Drug Code (NDC)

A unique 10- or 11-digit number identifying the drug manufacturer, specific product formulation, and package size.

Want Book

A dedicated log used by technicians to record depleted or low-stock inventory so replenishment orders can be placed.

Par Level

The designated minimum quantity of stock that triggers an automated or manual reorder when inventory drops below it.

Medication Recall Protocol

The immediate removal of affected inventory using specific manufacturer lot numbers, expiration dates, and NDC codes.

Handling Language Barriers

Communicating patiently with non-English speakers, utilizing translation services, or involving the pharmacist when needed.

Golden Rule of Pharmacy Practice

Always ask a supervisor or pharmacist for clarification when uncertain, and never assume or guess on a prescription.