Pharmacy technicians assist certified pharmacists in giving patients access to prescription drugs and other healthcare supplies. In a pharmacy, they may also carry out administrative tasks like monitoring inventories or providing customer support. You need to finish an approved training course and pass a certification test in order to work as a pharmacy technician. In your interview, you can be asked a few questions if you’re applying for a position as a pharmacy technician. You can use the sample pharmacy technician interview questions and answers as given below.
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Top Pharmacy Technician Interview Questions
Q: Tell me about your skills as a Pharmacy Technician.
Ans: With this question, the employers want to know how much of a qualification and experience you bear within a pharmacy technician’s role. They want to establish your strengths so as to determine if you can fit into the organization in question. When answering this question, identify even two or three of your most powerful qualities. Use the following below examples to determine if the job advertisement and these competencies correspond well.
Example: You may say, (1) I give special focus on minor details as well as efficiently attend to customer queries. (2) Even inside the storage room where I work, I am always in a position to quickly locate members’ items because I am good at organizing things. These skills allow me to provide quality patient care at the same time staying organized which is required to be a good pharmacy technician.
Q: What brought you into pharmacy?
Ans: Employers ask questions about the past with respect to the previous or present occupational trend you decided to be in and why. They want to know whether you have experience to enable them to determine whether you are a qualified candidate for that position. Investigate what encouraged you to study for a career in this area of pharmacy in the first period when responding to the question. If any, you have any personal acquaintance, illustrate how gaining wisdom and knowledge about that field came to you.
For instance, one might say, “Ever since I was a child, I liked the sciences, which is why I opted for the biology courses in college as my major.” I learned during my lectures that pharmacists are essential in assisting patients with medication management. I started volunteering at my neighborhood drugstore because I wanted to be a part of a group that improves the lives of others. A paid internship was offered to me after the pharmacist there noticed my interest in the position.
Q: Why did you Quit Your Previous Jobs?
Ans: This is a typical question meant to ascertain your professional background and future objectives. It’s crucial that you only highlight the positive aspects of your previous employment and refrain from criticizing them. For instance, “I left my last work because, while it helped me get where I am today, I want to advance in a little different route and can do so only with a job move,”
Q: Describe your reasons for wanting to work for our company.
Ans: It’s a good question and one that I considered carefully during my preparation for this interview. the simple and honest answer is due to the fact that you have a good reputation within the community within the community, and you have also been growing as an organization over the last few years.
This tells you not to look after your patients and customers, but also to provide a great level of service. finally having personally used this pharmacy in the past, the customer service, and the competent advice I received, make you even more attractive to work for as a pharmacy assistant.
Q: What do your coworkers think about you?
Ans: Prepare a specific message or a few quotes from coworkers to share. for example, Ann stated I went above and above what she expected, and Jack claimed I was one of the hardest workers he had ever met. It has more impact when specific supervisors or coworkers are mentioned as if they were speaking for themselves.
Q: What do you think is the most challenging part of being a pharmacy technician?
Ans: An interviewer can know more about you from this question and learn about your perspectives on the position. Additionally, it can demonstrate to them how you might approach difficulties at work. Consider some of the most difficult components of your job as a pharmacy technician and explain why they are difficult for you or how you have dealt with them in the past as you respond to this question.
For example, the most difficult aspect of working as a pharmacy technician is managing multiple consumers at once. I struggle with it because I want to ensure that everyone receives their medication fast and effectively. We had a system in place at my previous job where one technician would handle the prescriptions while another assisted consumers with their questions. Thus, we managed to carry out all the deliveries.
Q: How would you respond to an angry customer?
Ans: This is a fantastic question to ask since it demonstrates the pharmacy technician’s capacity for cool, collected communication with others. The ideal applicant will be able to recognize the client’s issues, describe the circumstance, and provide a resolution.
Sample Response: I would take the customer’s concerns into consideration before reassuring them that we are making every effort to get their prescription to them as soon as feasible.
The interviewer is searching for the following qualities: – The ability to recognize the client’s issues; – The ability to explain the circumstance in a clear and simple manner; – The ability to provide a solution.
Q: Do you have a license or certification?
Ans: Overview of the issue: It is essential to express your concern regarding the pharmacy technician’s capacity to do the job by asking this question. Additionally, it demonstrates that you are aware of your state’s legal requirements for pharmacy technicians.
I possess a pharmacy technician license from the state of California and certification from the National Health Career Association.
What to look for during the interview
Lists of certifications and licenses, together with an explanation of their significance.
Related: Technical Pharmaceutical Interview Questions/Answers
Q: What Factors Must Be Taken Into Account When Storing Drugs?
Ans: The interviewer is interested in knowing the precautions to follow when storing medications.
Simple Response:
Drugs should always be kept out of light, and stored in a cold, dry environment. They must adhere to hygienic standards. Additionally, several medications lose their potency, efficacy, and purity when exposed to extreme heat, light, or moisture.
Q: What experience do you have working with prescription medications?
Ans: The interviewer can assess your level of experience in prescription handling. It can also demonstrate to them how you might manage the particular inventory of their pharmacy. Mentioning a few different drug classes you have handled in the past and the precautions you take to ensure their proper handling can be useful when responding to this question.
Example: “In my earlier work position as a pharmacy technician, I prescribed drugs for the patients”. This involved labeling bottles, weighing medications, and mixing liquids.
Q: How Can a Customer Be Informed About Their Prescriptions And/Or Medicines?
Ans: This pharmacy technician interview question is intended to measure how well you are aware of the process. For instance, it is essential that you know where to seek the information a patient is looking for if they have no knowledge of the prescription they are prescribed. The best response to this question can only be produced by combining it with additional knowledge. When responding to such a query, we advise using the following strategy.
First, make it obvious in your response how essential good communication is between you and the patient. It’s wise to always let patients know that before giving them their prescription, you will give them time to ask any questions they may have. Second, state how you would fully guide the patient through the answer if you already knew the answer to their inquiry. However, there will be times when you need to use your resources to find the information, particularly if it’s a new drug.
Answering Like this: Patients must be informed about their medications, particularly if they have never used them before. If the patient has any questions concerning the drug, I start by asking them and then providing a thorough response. If a patient asks me a question and I don’t know the answer, I use the tools at my disposal, such as consulting the pharmacist or looking up the drug in our DATABASE. After the patient or consumer has finished asking all of their questions, I believe it is imperative to go over all of the dosing information, including side effects, the medication’s intended use, storage instructions, and more. once I’ve provided all the crucial details about the drug.
Final Conclusion:
Although there is an increasing need for pharmacy technicians, this does not necessarily guarantee that you will have an easy time getting a job. Even if you apply for a position at a drugstore that pays slightly more than its competitors, you might still have to compete with three to five other candidates for the post. Success in this interview, however, is not dependent on chance.
Usually, the person who shows up well-prepared and is prepared to discuss both personal and behavioral issues will be successful. Excellent responses to every challenging interview question will enable you to unwind and succeed in the interview.
Naresh Bhakar is the Founder and Author at Pharmaguddu.com, bringing his extensive expertise in the field of pharmaceuticals to readers worldwide. He has experience in Pharma manufacturing and has worked with top Pharmaceuticals. He has rich knowledge and provides valuable insights and data through his articles and content on Pharmaguddu.com. For further inquiries or collaborations, please don’t hesitate to reach out via email at [email protected].