One of the most popular positions at CVS is the pharmacy technician. With a decent starting pay and rapid opportunity for advancement, this position is ideal for many individuals looking for a career in healthcare. This position is also a great stepping stone if you’re looking to become a pharmacist in the future. In this article, we look at some of the things you should know about the CVS Pharmacy technician job position, including the job description, salary, and work hours.
CVS Pharmacy Technician Job Description & Duties: What Does a Pharmacy Technician Do?
The CVS pharmacy technician role requires someone who displays a great deal of attention to detail. Also, you must be able to thrive in a fast-paced environment while remaining patient as you assist customers with a wide range of different needs. With daily responsibilities that range from ringing up merchandise to filling medications, the ability to multitask is key to continued success.
Technician Job Duties
As a pharmacy technician at CVS, you will be reporting directly to the pharmacist on duty and working with them to fill medications quickly and efficiently. You will be expected to answer the phone and help direct customer inquiries to the appropriate department as needed. The primary responsibilities of CVS pharmacy technicians include the following:
- Operate the cash register and ring up customer purchases
- Answer customer questions via telephone and in-person
- Process prescription orders for customers and collect payment
- Contact insurance carriers as needed to resolve issues with orders
- Accurately track inventory levels within the pharmacy
Working Hours
The working hours for pharmacy technicians at CVS can vary considerably from location to location. These positions can be full-time or part-time and work anywhere from 20 to 40 hours each week.
Shift times can vary as well with this position. Applicants who have completely open availability are given a strong preference, as they are able to accommodate the store’s needs.
Work Environment
As a CVS pharmacy technician, you will be working on your feet for the full duration of your shift. You will also be bending and crouching frequently as you reach for various medications. The most important fact to remember is that you will be working directly with people and answering any questions that they may have.
With this in mind, a strong sense of empathy and patience is crucial to your success in this position. In many cases, customers will be sick and are looking for someone who is understanding of their situation.
4 Types of Pharmacy Technicians at CVS
There are actually four different types of pharmacy technicians at CVS: Long-Term Care, Managed Care, Specialty, and Retail. Let’s delve a little deeper in to each one.
Long-Term Care Pharmacy Technicians
These technicians will use their specialties and expertise to provide to patients needing chronic care. They help these patients to manage and improve their health.
In this position, you will provide care in skilled nursing facilities, chronic care settings, and assisted living communities. This position is through Omnicare, who is an industry leader in long-term pharmacy care.
If you’re striving to provide compassionate and continuous care to patients, this job may be for you. It’s a great stepping stone if you’re building a career in healthcare.
Managed Care Pharmacy Technicians
These technicians use innovative technology to provide high-quality care. This position is for CVS’ pharmacy benefit management and mail order business with CVS Caremark.
You will contribute to the health and well-being of patients through helping patients to manage and understand their prescriptions.
This position is ideal for those knowledgeable pharmacy technicians who are detail-oriented.
Specialty Pharmacy Technicians
The technician position gives you the opportunity to provide highly individualized care to patients who really need it. This is probably the most rewarding CVS pharmacy technician position.
These specialty technicians give crucial infusion services and expert support to numerous Americans every month.
These are Coram technicians, and Coram is and industry-leading infusion provider of CVS Health.
This position provides you with a unique opportunity to create relationships with patients who have complex infusion needs. In this position, you could work at one of 90+ Coram locations, or provide in-home care. Regardless of where you’re located, you will directly have an impact on your patients’ health and will give them an improved quality of life.
Retail Pharmacy Technician
This is the classic CVS pharmacy technician position, where you work as a pharmacy technician directly in the in-store pharmacy.
Advancement & Training
CVS strongly believes in enriching their employees, and there are numerous opportunities to advance your career with CVS, no matter where you start out. All pharmacy technicians at CVS are able to experience their robust training programs. This includes new colleague orientation and on-the-job training opportunities.
CVS Pharmacy Technician Salary
The starting pay for most CVS pharmacy technician jobs is around $11 an hour. In some cases, already possessing a valid pharmacy technician certification can slightly increase the starting pay rate. Also, speaking a second language also frequently earns an increase in pay as well.
As for benefits, CVS pharmacy technicians are eligible for benefits like 401(k), health insurance, and paid vacation. In some cases, the company will also reimburse employees for ongoing education that relates to their position as well.
Employee Benefits
While working at CVS, you are able to receive a competitive benefits package, depending on the position that you have. This package includes:
- Medical, prescription, dental, and vision coverage
- Company contribution to HSA
- Stock purchase plan
- Adoption benefits
- Life, accident, and disability insurance
- Paid Time Off
- Tuition reimbursement
- Discount at CVS stores
Pharmacy Positions Available at CVS
In addition to pharmacy technician, there are numerous pharmacy positions available at CVS. Maybe you don’t feel as though pharmacy technician is a right fit for you, but maybe they offer a position that is.
- OmniCare Lead Pharmacy Technician
- Pharmacy Operations Undergrad Technician
- Pharmacy Scheduler
- Retail Store Associate
- Pharmacy Service Representative
- Dispensing Technician
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy Technician – Sterile Compounding
- Field Colleague Trainer
- Pharmacy Operations Consultant
- Pharmacy Customer Service Representative
Our Final Thoughts
Though the pharmacy technician position at CVS can be quite demanding, it can also be quite rewarding helping people when they need it the most. By displaying a genuine sense of empathy and working as efficiently as possible, you can increase your chances of being successful in this position. To find out what openings are available in your area, check out the CVS jobs page for more information.
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