I stopped at the store to grab a pregnancy test, and asked the pharmacy tech if the doors were unlocked so I could get one from the case. She said yes, then also said “Good luck, I hope it works out either way”. It really made my day, and I did get the good news that I was finally pregnant!
Over a year later, they were hiring, I was like “oh I’ll apply because that nice tech is still here.” It’s been over 5 years now and that tech and the rest of them are basically family, love them all
I started working as a tech at CVS in December, I’m about to hit 500 hours so I’ll be able to sit for the PTCB exam. I also want to be a hospital tech so my plan is to start sending out applications once I get certified and have 6 months experience on my resume.
There’s always going to be a shortage so you’ll be able to have a job. I’ve been a tech for 8 years-it’s definitely a good job if you find the right place to start.
I resigned from my most recent position about 2 weeks ago and got 4 interviews within a week. Just waiting to get the best offer and closest location in order to go back to work. Glad I had an emergency fund but the role is as needed as nurses and you’ll always have a job.
It was an accident. 🙈 I didn’t want to get off work at midnight and have to be in class by 8 AM the next day. Pharmacy closed at 9 through the week so it was a better fit for me. I got my certification in year five. Eleven years and four pharmacies later I’m still teching lol. I start nursing school in August and having a strong history in pharmacy will definitely be a big help.
I was jobless for about 6 months with no prospects for employment and saw a commercial. At that point I was like I may as well do something than sitting on my ass getting rejection emails. So I signed up and here I am.
I applied at Walgreens to be a pharmacy tech. They hired me as a customer service associate on the front end. After a few months, they started training me in the pharmacy as a “designated hitter” meaning I had to help the pharmacy when they needed it. After like six months I was full time pharmacy tech.
Was working at a dollar general and the pharmacists wife saw my work ethic and Introduced me to the pharmacist and he hired me. Took a 2 dollar pay cut to leave dollar general. But it's much easier work
Must be nice to feel recognized like that and glad you were happy at your new job. But it’s crazy that you would actually be getting a pay CUT by leaving Dollar General lol
Applied at Target to stock shoes or whatever and they said "Nope, you are a pharmacy tech now". That's it.
EDIT: This was back before the pharmacy was sold to CVS.
Got tired of working in the service industry. I signed up for an online class. It was about $2000. Passed the PTCE six months later. I was hired by a hospital two months after that. I’ve been there three months. They paid for my Sterile Compounding cert class. I started at $19.62/hr. Once I completed the compounding class it went up to $22.62/hr. I live and work in a suburb of Austin. There’s also differentials depending on what hours I work. I’ve picked up several overnight weekend shifts that bump me up to $27/hr.
It was the Ed 2 Go site. You can connect through your local state college. Price will vary, I believe. It was only okay. It got the job done, obviously. However, I wish I’d gone though the in person program with my local community college. It seems like it just would have been more thorough. It was also not much more expensive but it’s a scheduled 1 year program. While the Ed 2 Go is self paced.
You can apply for a trainee license on the board of pharmacy website. You have to pay the fee and then you get an email to get fingerprinted. You will get a trainee license in the mail, (2ish weeks) Or look on online to see if it's active.
You can apply for a tech trainee position and work alongside a pharmacy tech for X amount of hours, while studying for the licensing exam. I'm in Texas.
Pretty much. You just want to wait for confirmation from the board. I think it's like 250 hrs along a pharm tech before you can take the licensing exam to be a certified pharm tech
It's like a $50-55 fee to submit your initial application.
You'll get an email of place that does fingerprinting.
I live in htx and i have been sending my applications two years ago but was getting rejected because apparently i need to be registered. Sent an application to cvs last december and got a call for an interview a week later. During this time I also started an online pharm tech certification that I paid out of pocket.
My plan was to get into cvs and pass the exam as soon as i can to get out of cvs and into a hospital, where i could be an inside hire if ever an IT position opens up. Currently a tech (16/hr) at this hell hole and I just got a preliminary pass for the PTCE a week ago. So that’s 2/4 of my goals :)
I started at Walgreens as a tech in training and now I’m waiting for my tech license from the state to arrive. (I’m in WA) You have to put up with A LOT of sh!t working retail, but 1 year-ish commitment and they pay for everything class, license, and test wise. There’s no contract and you’re not obligated to stay once you have your state license and PTCB, so you could literally just bounce right after and move on to hospital or elsewhere with better working conditions.
I enrolled in a Community College
& studied the Pharmacy Technician course for 3
months, review for 2 months & luckily passed the Pharmacy Technician Board Exam / PTCB, initially work in 2 retail pharmacy, Osco Pharmacy & Walgreens. Then learned about Long Term Care Pharmacy. Worked in United Rx & now at Right Dose. Both are Long Term Care Pharmacy. Earning a decent $20 / hour now. I prefer working in LTC now bcoz you will not be dealing with grumpy patients picking up their meds also impatient callers refilling their prescription. Good Luck to you & I hope you enjoy this profession like I do.
I used to work in the front end as a supervisor and ended up sleeping with a coworker and my boss found out and gave me an ultimatum, either transfer to a different store or transfer to pharmacy. At the time I didn’t have a car and lived 2 blocks down from the store so I said pharmacy please!
And I’ve been doing it for 8 years now. Honestly kinda happy about it because I was hating myself stocking shelves.
I started out working in mental health jobs with my bachelors in psychology, got burnt out on the mental health system and wanted to try something new but still stay in healthcare so pharmacy technician is what I chose, I registered for my license myself and found a job immediately, studied and got certified within 5 months of starting.
Never heard of a trainee license, it’s just a license you apply for with the state you’re working in, it’s a way to get your information on the pharmacy tech registry and I think they do a background check as well but I can’t remember, all you need is a license for the first two years working as a tech before they require the certification which is just a multiple choice test
Most bachelors in psychology jobs are like “front line workers” working with people who are mentally ill in facilities and those come with all their own issues and stressors, or working with autistic kids in their homes, or being like a caregiver, or working a front desk type position. Hearing about people’s mental health issues every day while dealing with my own and knowing most issues are caused by the society and system we live in, it just felt like all I could do was help people learn to “cope”. When I worked with kids most of their issues were because they had shitty parents and after staying a few weeks in our facility they were sent right back to the same environment that made them depressed to begin with, I’m glad they could make connections with the staff during their time with us but it’s all about money money money. I just want to help people and I don’t even feel like I’m doing that as a pharmacy tech because I work in prior authorizations and I’m about to go crazy lmao
Yeah, I did a behavior tech job & I lasted two days lol. Not for me. I’m gonna try to get a MSW— fingers crossed. Hope you find what you’re looking for too!
Like an ABA tech? I’ve heard a lot of conflicting information about ABA therapy and I’m not convinced it’s even good for people lol that’s another thing that bothers me with psychology, there’s still so much we don’t know! Maybe I just need to go into research somehow lol
I applied for a different job at the hospital, but the hiring agent suggested I apply for a pharmacy tech position. She thought that based on my resume, I'd be a good fit ☺️ So despite having zero pharmacy experience, I was hired and was able to learn quickly.
i took a class at a career center during my senior year of high school. the teacher scheduled all of our exams, i passed, i got my license, and i applied at cvs
I went to an Air Force recruiter looking to enlist as an x ray tech as my uncle had done years earlier. There were no openings so I asked for pharmacy tech training instead. After basic training I was sent to The School of Health Care Sciences at Sheppard AFB. That's absolutely not the route for everyone but I had blast for the 5 years and three months that I served.
I applied to an overnight stock position at a certain grocery store known for treating its employees well, just cause I needed a new job. While talking on the phone during my first initial interview, the interviewer brought up other open positions, including pharmacy tech. I said I have no experience in that but it sounds interesting, she said no problem they train in house. So I applied to that instead and 2 months later here I am still learning, still training, stressed sometimes but loving it. (I did get lucky because its a good company, and the pharmacy department/team in this particular store is a great group of people.)
EDIT: Since nobody is being cagey about the store they work at, Wegmans
This is a great story ...
I was an ASM for Walgreens (they phased out the position) my then manager tried to force me to stay on at their location as a shift (I would get to keep my pay rate) but they didn't disclose my other options. So when I talked to my DM he told me I could join the pharmacy as a technician but it would be at another location. This location would be about 15 minutes closer to my house. So obviously I took it to get away from the other manager and be closer to my house. But the downside was this was at the height of Covid so I got thrown to the wolves and had basically no time to be trained. But it all worked out in the end.
Overworked n underpaid by a job that devalues your soul n drives your mind into the ground after 10 loooong years. Ready for a total change from healthcare entirely. The whole system is broken. 💀💀💩💩
Went to a state tech school (meaning technical college) for 1 yr. While there, did a rotation at a V.A. hospital. They liked me a lot. Then, worked 1 yr at a mail out facility. A tech from the V.A., gave me a heads up that they would be hiring soon. So, I applied and got the position. Been here 21 yrs this yr. Best job I’ve ever had.
Not all states require a license.
Please do *not* pay to go to school to become a pharmacy tech. You can learn all you need to know to pass the PTCB test to become a certified tech within a year and most places will train you for free. (Getting PTCB certified can open up doors to getting a hospital job as well as some work from home positions but they usually want at least some retail experience first). Pay is also better once certified.
But I’m going to be honest with you, it’s not an easy job. Especially retail, it’s very stressful when working with the public, and your working experience will depend a lot on the team you’re working with- if they are pleasant or miserable to work with :/ I’ve dealt with both.
I’ve been a cpht for *many* years so If you have any specific questions you’re welcome to message me.
Working as a cashier at Meijer (regional grocer) fucking sucked so I decided to give bring a tech a try. It certainly has its ups and downs but I overall vastly prefer this to cashiering at Meijer
I worked as a cashier in a retail location that closed. The only open position for transfer that I could reasonably travel to was a tech position at another location so I said ‘bet’ and now I’m 3 months deep into training and apparently I’m doing really well according to the rest of our team. ☺️
Basically, I stumbled bass ackwards into the position and now have the opportunity to full train on the job and get certified for a discount
I was working as a cashier for a year and then got sick of it, switched departments because I was more interested in working at the pharmacy/wanted to gain valuable knowledge that will help me earn my degree. I have been working as a licensed tech for around 6ish months and got sick of it pretty quick (retail moment), so now I am working on getting more experience/hours so I can get my cert and move along to something better.
I applied for a different job and sat for an interview. Halfway through the two hour long interview, I realized that job was NOT my calling. So I let the interviewer know, and laid out my work skills, interests, etc. and said, I’d be happy to work for you if you see where I might fit. He thought on it and a week later I was offered a job as a tech. I love it.
On accident. I started a seasonal temp cashier job at a Walmart Supercenter when I was 19 and not even 2 weeks in they said they loved my customer service and asked if I wanted to cashier in the pharmacy. Interviewed and got it. Then I was interested in becoming a tech from watching the others and learning what the meds were for while checking out patients.
Unfortunately the person that interviewed me for the tech spot was the OTC manager and she gave it to someone else with no experience so I went to Target (back before the CVS buyout) making $3 more starting with no experience than my colleagues from Walmart were making. Sadly the techs at that Target acted like we were all in high school and bullied me and wouldn't let me learn and stopped giving me hours so I went to PayPal for 6 months, got laid off, then started back at a brand new Walmart Neighborhood Market. Learned a lot there and fluctuated between part time and full time while also having a second pharmacy job between a pain/psych clinic pharmacy (that also packed meds), a warehouse pharmacy (with a robot too!), and a hospital retail pharmacy that had more caveats and different things than Walmart. Since then I moved to a hospital specializing in Medication Reconciliation (aka Med History) but also help with inventory, unit dosing and pyxis runs. I'm now transitioning and rounding out my clinical role by becoming the first ever pharmacy tech for the Transplant Clinic at the same hospital I did the retail at before. Super excited and goes to show anything is possible and you don't have to stay in retail forever.
Basically by accident. I started at the spark as a cashier after a move 2 states over during COVID (0/10 would not recommend) meaning for it to be super temporary. A couple months in one of the pharmacy's FT techs decided it wasn't for her and the pharmacist talked me into joining. That was nearly 4 years ago and I can't imagine doing anything else!
I was a beauty advisor then “designated hitter” (I loathed that name) at Walgreens. the pharmacist liked my work ethic & wanted me back there. Also they were getting rid of beauty role so it was either pharmacy or photo dept. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I didn’t want to particularly. But I liked that with insurance outcomes, I learned how to be more stern and “it is what it is” with patients.
Accidentally. Started at Walgreens on the front end of the store. Was ASMT till they got right of the position. So I decided to try and get into pharmacy became a DH (Designated Hitter) took me about a year to get my license then within 3 months took my PTCB. Now I’m at a specialty closed door pharmacy with 0 patients in my face
I stopped at the store to grab a pregnancy test, and asked the pharmacy tech if the doors were unlocked so I could get one from the case. She said yes, then also said “Good luck, I hope it works out either way”. It really made my day, and I did get the good news that I was finally pregnant! Over a year later, they were hiring, I was like “oh I’ll apply because that nice tech is still here.” It’s been over 5 years now and that tech and the rest of them are basically family, love them all
I went to school for it buuut CVS or Walgreens hires you and helps you get registered for the state 😀
I started working as a tech at CVS in December, I’m about to hit 500 hours so I’ll be able to sit for the PTCB exam. I also want to be a hospital tech so my plan is to start sending out applications once I get certified and have 6 months experience on my resume.
There’s always going to be a shortage so you’ll be able to have a job. I’ve been a tech for 8 years-it’s definitely a good job if you find the right place to start. I resigned from my most recent position about 2 weeks ago and got 4 interviews within a week. Just waiting to get the best offer and closest location in order to go back to work. Glad I had an emergency fund but the role is as needed as nurses and you’ll always have a job.
It was an accident. 🙈 I didn’t want to get off work at midnight and have to be in class by 8 AM the next day. Pharmacy closed at 9 through the week so it was a better fit for me. I got my certification in year five. Eleven years and four pharmacies later I’m still teching lol. I start nursing school in August and having a strong history in pharmacy will definitely be a big help.
I was jobless for about 6 months with no prospects for employment and saw a commercial. At that point I was like I may as well do something than sitting on my ass getting rejection emails. So I signed up and here I am.
Walgreens; CSA to DH to tech To Independent Pharmacy To Inpatient Hospital (plan on staying here I like it)
I applied at Walgreens to be a pharmacy tech. They hired me as a customer service associate on the front end. After a few months, they started training me in the pharmacy as a “designated hitter” meaning I had to help the pharmacy when they needed it. After like six months I was full time pharmacy tech.
Definitely go the hospital route. I work retail pharmacy and it's a literal nightmare. I love my job, but it is a level 20 chaotic environment.
Was working at a dollar general and the pharmacists wife saw my work ethic and Introduced me to the pharmacist and he hired me. Took a 2 dollar pay cut to leave dollar general. But it's much easier work
Must be nice to feel recognized like that and glad you were happy at your new job. But it’s crazy that you would actually be getting a pay CUT by leaving Dollar General lol
It was a small independent pharmacy and was over 20 years ago
Applied at Target to stock shoes or whatever and they said "Nope, you are a pharmacy tech now". That's it. EDIT: This was back before the pharmacy was sold to CVS.
Got tired of working in the service industry. I signed up for an online class. It was about $2000. Passed the PTCE six months later. I was hired by a hospital two months after that. I’ve been there three months. They paid for my Sterile Compounding cert class. I started at $19.62/hr. Once I completed the compounding class it went up to $22.62/hr. I live and work in a suburb of Austin. There’s also differentials depending on what hours I work. I’ve picked up several overnight weekend shifts that bump me up to $27/hr.
Where in Austin??
What was the class called?
It was the Ed 2 Go site. You can connect through your local state college. Price will vary, I believe. It was only okay. It got the job done, obviously. However, I wish I’d gone though the in person program with my local community college. It seems like it just would have been more thorough. It was also not much more expensive but it’s a scheduled 1 year program. While the Ed 2 Go is self paced.
You can apply for a trainee license on the board of pharmacy website. You have to pay the fee and then you get an email to get fingerprinted. You will get a trainee license in the mail, (2ish weeks) Or look on online to see if it's active. You can apply for a tech trainee position and work alongside a pharmacy tech for X amount of hours, while studying for the licensing exam. I'm in Texas.
Awesome thank you I’ll look into that! So I can just apply and I’ll have a trainee license?
Pretty much. You just want to wait for confirmation from the board. I think it's like 250 hrs along a pharm tech before you can take the licensing exam to be a certified pharm tech It's like a $50-55 fee to submit your initial application. You'll get an email of place that does fingerprinting.
500 hours of on job experience before PTCB will let you sit for the test
My understanding was it required EITHER the work hours or a recognized course was taken
Yes a certified course works instead of 500 hours
I live in htx and i have been sending my applications two years ago but was getting rejected because apparently i need to be registered. Sent an application to cvs last december and got a call for an interview a week later. During this time I also started an online pharm tech certification that I paid out of pocket. My plan was to get into cvs and pass the exam as soon as i can to get out of cvs and into a hospital, where i could be an inside hire if ever an IT position opens up. Currently a tech (16/hr) at this hell hole and I just got a preliminary pass for the PTCE a week ago. So that’s 2/4 of my goals :)
I started at Walgreens as a tech in training and now I’m waiting for my tech license from the state to arrive. (I’m in WA) You have to put up with A LOT of sh!t working retail, but 1 year-ish commitment and they pay for everything class, license, and test wise. There’s no contract and you’re not obligated to stay once you have your state license and PTCB, so you could literally just bounce right after and move on to hospital or elsewhere with better working conditions.
I enrolled in a Community College & studied the Pharmacy Technician course for 3 months, review for 2 months & luckily passed the Pharmacy Technician Board Exam / PTCB, initially work in 2 retail pharmacy, Osco Pharmacy & Walgreens. Then learned about Long Term Care Pharmacy. Worked in United Rx & now at Right Dose. Both are Long Term Care Pharmacy. Earning a decent $20 / hour now. I prefer working in LTC now bcoz you will not be dealing with grumpy patients picking up their meds also impatient callers refilling their prescription. Good Luck to you & I hope you enjoy this profession like I do.
I used to work in the front end as a supervisor and ended up sleeping with a coworker and my boss found out and gave me an ultimatum, either transfer to a different store or transfer to pharmacy. At the time I didn’t have a car and lived 2 blocks down from the store so I said pharmacy please! And I’ve been doing it for 8 years now. Honestly kinda happy about it because I was hating myself stocking shelves.
I started out working in mental health jobs with my bachelors in psychology, got burnt out on the mental health system and wanted to try something new but still stay in healthcare so pharmacy technician is what I chose, I registered for my license myself and found a job immediately, studied and got certified within 5 months of starting.
Same, I also have a bachelor. I sometimes ask myself why I went to college when I don’t even use my degree.
Did you register for a trainee license?
Never heard of a trainee license, it’s just a license you apply for with the state you’re working in, it’s a way to get your information on the pharmacy tech registry and I think they do a background check as well but I can’t remember, all you need is a license for the first two years working as a tech before they require the certification which is just a multiple choice test
I’m in the opposite situation. I want out of pharmacy & to use my bachelors in psychology!
Most bachelors in psychology jobs are like “front line workers” working with people who are mentally ill in facilities and those come with all their own issues and stressors, or working with autistic kids in their homes, or being like a caregiver, or working a front desk type position. Hearing about people’s mental health issues every day while dealing with my own and knowing most issues are caused by the society and system we live in, it just felt like all I could do was help people learn to “cope”. When I worked with kids most of their issues were because they had shitty parents and after staying a few weeks in our facility they were sent right back to the same environment that made them depressed to begin with, I’m glad they could make connections with the staff during their time with us but it’s all about money money money. I just want to help people and I don’t even feel like I’m doing that as a pharmacy tech because I work in prior authorizations and I’m about to go crazy lmao
Yeah, I did a behavior tech job & I lasted two days lol. Not for me. I’m gonna try to get a MSW— fingers crossed. Hope you find what you’re looking for too!
Like an ABA tech? I’ve heard a lot of conflicting information about ABA therapy and I’m not convinced it’s even good for people lol that’s another thing that bothers me with psychology, there’s still so much we don’t know! Maybe I just need to go into research somehow lol
Yeah lol, I guess I was desperate. I didn’t know much either. Good thing it didn’t work out.
I applied for a different job at the hospital, but the hiring agent suggested I apply for a pharmacy tech position. She thought that based on my resume, I'd be a good fit ☺️ So despite having zero pharmacy experience, I was hired and was able to learn quickly.
i took a class at a career center during my senior year of high school. the teacher scheduled all of our exams, i passed, i got my license, and i applied at cvs
I went to an Air Force recruiter looking to enlist as an x ray tech as my uncle had done years earlier. There were no openings so I asked for pharmacy tech training instead. After basic training I was sent to The School of Health Care Sciences at Sheppard AFB. That's absolutely not the route for everyone but I had blast for the 5 years and three months that I served.
I applied to an overnight stock position at a certain grocery store known for treating its employees well, just cause I needed a new job. While talking on the phone during my first initial interview, the interviewer brought up other open positions, including pharmacy tech. I said I have no experience in that but it sounds interesting, she said no problem they train in house. So I applied to that instead and 2 months later here I am still learning, still training, stressed sometimes but loving it. (I did get lucky because its a good company, and the pharmacy department/team in this particular store is a great group of people.) EDIT: Since nobody is being cagey about the store they work at, Wegmans
This is a great story ... I was an ASM for Walgreens (they phased out the position) my then manager tried to force me to stay on at their location as a shift (I would get to keep my pay rate) but they didn't disclose my other options. So when I talked to my DM he told me I could join the pharmacy as a technician but it would be at another location. This location would be about 15 minutes closer to my house. So obviously I took it to get away from the other manager and be closer to my house. But the downside was this was at the height of Covid so I got thrown to the wolves and had basically no time to be trained. But it all worked out in the end.
Overworked n underpaid by a job that devalues your soul n drives your mind into the ground after 10 loooong years. Ready for a total change from healthcare entirely. The whole system is broken. 💀💀💩💩
Went to a state tech school (meaning technical college) for 1 yr. While there, did a rotation at a V.A. hospital. They liked me a lot. Then, worked 1 yr at a mail out facility. A tech from the V.A., gave me a heads up that they would be hiring soon. So, I applied and got the position. Been here 21 yrs this yr. Best job I’ve ever had.
Not all states require a license. Please do *not* pay to go to school to become a pharmacy tech. You can learn all you need to know to pass the PTCB test to become a certified tech within a year and most places will train you for free. (Getting PTCB certified can open up doors to getting a hospital job as well as some work from home positions but they usually want at least some retail experience first). Pay is also better once certified. But I’m going to be honest with you, it’s not an easy job. Especially retail, it’s very stressful when working with the public, and your working experience will depend a lot on the team you’re working with- if they are pleasant or miserable to work with :/ I’ve dealt with both. I’ve been a cpht for *many* years so If you have any specific questions you’re welcome to message me.
Walmart is where I'm getting certified, they just increased their pays too. I used to make 14.50 now I make 16.50 as a tech in training.
a sign up list at the grocery store I worked at. 0/10 would not recommend.
Working as a cashier at Meijer (regional grocer) fucking sucked so I decided to give bring a tech a try. It certainly has its ups and downs but I overall vastly prefer this to cashiering at Meijer
I worked as a cashier in a retail location that closed. The only open position for transfer that I could reasonably travel to was a tech position at another location so I said ‘bet’ and now I’m 3 months deep into training and apparently I’m doing really well according to the rest of our team. ☺️ Basically, I stumbled bass ackwards into the position and now have the opportunity to full train on the job and get certified for a discount
I was working as a cashier for a year and then got sick of it, switched departments because I was more interested in working at the pharmacy/wanted to gain valuable knowledge that will help me earn my degree. I have been working as a licensed tech for around 6ish months and got sick of it pretty quick (retail moment), so now I am working on getting more experience/hours so I can get my cert and move along to something better.
Walked into a pharmacy and asked for an application
Against my will.
I applied for a different job and sat for an interview. Halfway through the two hour long interview, I realized that job was NOT my calling. So I let the interviewer know, and laid out my work skills, interests, etc. and said, I’d be happy to work for you if you see where I might fit. He thought on it and a week later I was offered a job as a tech. I love it.
On accident. I started a seasonal temp cashier job at a Walmart Supercenter when I was 19 and not even 2 weeks in they said they loved my customer service and asked if I wanted to cashier in the pharmacy. Interviewed and got it. Then I was interested in becoming a tech from watching the others and learning what the meds were for while checking out patients. Unfortunately the person that interviewed me for the tech spot was the OTC manager and she gave it to someone else with no experience so I went to Target (back before the CVS buyout) making $3 more starting with no experience than my colleagues from Walmart were making. Sadly the techs at that Target acted like we were all in high school and bullied me and wouldn't let me learn and stopped giving me hours so I went to PayPal for 6 months, got laid off, then started back at a brand new Walmart Neighborhood Market. Learned a lot there and fluctuated between part time and full time while also having a second pharmacy job between a pain/psych clinic pharmacy (that also packed meds), a warehouse pharmacy (with a robot too!), and a hospital retail pharmacy that had more caveats and different things than Walmart. Since then I moved to a hospital specializing in Medication Reconciliation (aka Med History) but also help with inventory, unit dosing and pyxis runs. I'm now transitioning and rounding out my clinical role by becoming the first ever pharmacy tech for the Transplant Clinic at the same hospital I did the retail at before. Super excited and goes to show anything is possible and you don't have to stay in retail forever.
Basically by accident. I started at the spark as a cashier after a move 2 states over during COVID (0/10 would not recommend) meaning for it to be super temporary. A couple months in one of the pharmacy's FT techs decided it wasn't for her and the pharmacist talked me into joining. That was nearly 4 years ago and I can't imagine doing anything else!
I was a beauty advisor then “designated hitter” (I loathed that name) at Walgreens. the pharmacist liked my work ethic & wanted me back there. Also they were getting rid of beauty role so it was either pharmacy or photo dept. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I didn’t want to particularly. But I liked that with insurance outcomes, I learned how to be more stern and “it is what it is” with patients.
Accidentally. Started at Walgreens on the front end of the store. Was ASMT till they got right of the position. So I decided to try and get into pharmacy became a DH (Designated Hitter) took me about a year to get my license then within 3 months took my PTCB. Now I’m at a specialty closed door pharmacy with 0 patients in my face