Explore occupational profile

Version:
OaSIS 2025 Version 1.0
Search the OaSIS

32124.00 – Pharmacy technicians

Pharmacy technicians perform technical functions relating to prescriptions including gathering patients’ information, product preparation, product distribution and inventory control. Pharmacy technicians who are supervisors are included in this unit group.

Overview

Example job titles

  • Pharmacy technician
  • Pharmacy technician supervisor

Core competencies

  • Reading Comprehension to accurately read and interpret prescriptions, medication labels and patient information
  • Numeracy to accurately measure, dose, and compound medications and perform precise calculations to prepare and dispense the correct amounts of medication
  • Critical Thinking to identify and resolve potential issues, such as dangerous drug interactions or issues regarding dispensing controlled substances
  • Near Vision to read scales, weights and measuring tools to ensure correct amounts of ingredients are present in formulas and prescriptions
  • Verbal Ability and Speech Clarity to communicate with pharmacists about prescriptions, labelling drugs, chemicals and other pharmaceutical preparations
  • Attention to Detail to assist pharmacists by packaging, labelling and maintaining records and inventories of drugs and other pharmaceutical products
  • Knowledge in Chemistry to comprehend how different drugs interact, how they should be stored and how they affect the human body

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Assist pharmacists to maintain inventories of medications and prescription records of pharmaceutical products
  • Assess prescriptions for completeness and ensure information is accurate
  • Gather and enter client information in databases and prepare medications for clients in collaboration with pharmacists
  • Compound pharmaceutical products such as intravenous injections, oral solutions, ointments and creams
  • Process payment of prescriptions and other pharmacy services including direct billing to third party insurers
  • Provide instructions on how to use health aids, and medical devices such as drug administration devices and monitoring devices
  • May help with scheduling and workflow.

Additional information

  • Pharmacy technicians may progress to supervisory positions with experience.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants (33103)

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

3 – Health occupations

TEER

2 – Occupations usually require a college diploma or apprenticeship training of two or more years; or supervisory occupations

Major group

32 – Technical occupations in health

Sub-major group

321 – Technical occupations in health (except practitioners of natural healing)

Minor group

3212 – Medical technologists and technicians

Unit group

32124 – Pharmacy technicians

Occupational profile

32124.00 – Pharmacy technicians

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.