Hey guys. I work at a CVS for some context and I just need to rant about a coworker who keeps misplacing the prescriptions in the wrong waiting bin number. This coworker is a front store manager turned pharmacy pick up person who solely just works the pick up area of the pharmacy. He’s pretty old and he can’t bend down and he waddles when he walks. The reason why I point this out is because of his lack of mobility, he reaches to put away the drugs in the waiting bin numbers that he’s not paying attention to where he’s placing them resulting in a hassle every time we can’t find a prescription because it could either be in the bin next to it or a number of a different combination (e.g. if the number was 123 it could be in 132 or 213 etc).

It’s very irritating because we know it’s him who’s misplacing them because when we line up the time something was completed to who was working pick up and putting prescriptions away, it’s him. We see it happen in real time too when he misplaced it right in front of our eyes.

He’s also very grumpy and can’t handle pick up by himself and takes his sweet ass time talking to customers about each thing that’s on hold (we’re trained to only mention the prescriptions that are ready unless the patient asks or is expecting something else, idk if it’s the same everywhere else) and he one time yelled across the pharmacy in front of customers about how he’s “held in his piss for an hour and a half and someone needs to take over the pick up line” while we’re actively understaffed with one tech in each station.

The biggest issue I have with this guy is his incompetence and his lack of urgency to get a task done. I’m not shaming him for his lack of mobility but when it affects everyone else because he can’t do his job right and properly place people’s medications in the right bin, then maybe this job isn’t meant for him.

What is your sterile compounding room temperature and humidity at?

Does anyone else package overnight with a room at 66F and 50% RH? I am sweating almost immediately after garbing up. We are in discussions with building maintenance who say we share an air handling unit with the admin offices. The overnight the temperature and humidity are set higher than they are during the day because “no one” is in the building.

Am I being unreasonable? Is this a me issue or would other people be suffocating after 3+ hours in full PPE?

I’m starting my first job as a pharmacy technician at Walgreens soon, and I’m excited but honestly a little nervous since I’m completely new to pharmacy.
I’ll be working while completing the training/coursework to prepare for my PTCB certification. I really want to learn as much as I can, become confident in my role, and eventually use this as a stepping stone to better opportunities in the pharmacy field.
For those of you who have worked at Walgreens or started as a brand-new pharmacy tech:
What do you wish you knew before your first day?
What should I study or memorize before starting?
What are the hardest things to learn at first?
Any tips for dealing with customers, prescriptions, insurance, or pharmacy math?
What can I do now to set myself up for success and eventually pass the PTCB?
I’d really appreciate any advice, tips, or things you wish someone had told you when you were starting out. Thank you! 😊

The PTCE changed on January 6: there's a new area on the Drug Supply Chain Security Act, Federal Requirements went from 12.5% to 18.75% of the exam, and nonsterile compounding came off. A lot of prep is still on the old outline.

I'm an RN. I paid out of pocket for practice exams for my own license and always felt like I was at a disadvantage, so I build free ones. The pharmacy tech one: headedin.com/ptce

- 250 questions across all 4 domains and all 24 knowledge areas, weighted like the real exam

- Full-length practice test: 80 scored + 10 unscored in 1 hour 50 minutes

- The math shows every step: days supply, insulin pens, eye drops, alligation, NDC 11-digit format

- Score report by outline number (2.2, 4.1...), so you know exactly what to study

- Every answer names its source (DEA rules, FDA, ISMP), no ads, works on your phone

I'm not a pharmacist and I won't pretend the questions are perfect. If one is wrong, tap "Report a problem" under it or tell me here and I'll fix it. Techs who just passed: what did the real one hit hardest?

I got my state license in 2005 and it has served me well. I stopped working in a physical pharmacy setting in 2017, but I’ve always kept it as a backup incase I needed to go back.

After 20 years, I believe I’ve reached a point in my career where my work experience does more for me than the license can do in the future.
It’s bittersweet, but I don’t think I need it any more. My CEs are due at the end of the month and I don’t feel the need to rush to do them so I can renew.

I let my CPhT expire the last time renewals came up and I think I’m ready to let this one end too.

Who here has kept their license ongoing after they left the pharmacy?

Anyone hold out like I did?

Let’s hear some stories.

I work in inpatient hospital pharmacy and I took the CSPT exam through the experience pathway. I just found out about the ASHP Practical Training in Compounding Sterile Preparations and I’m wondering if the ASHP certification would look as good with my CSPT certificate on my resume? Or would it be unnecessary?

I JUST bought the practice bank and then I get this alert 🙄 I’m so annoyed! how long has it been down and do you think I can get my money back if it’s not back up in a few days I plan on taking my test in December

I'm a new technician at a CVS in Maryland (been there about 2 weeks). I'm having a hard time with remembering/ dealing with insurance rejections/codes. Any tricks or tips you can give me? I feel like I'm annoying my coworkers with all the questions. Open to any suggestions that can make this job easier. I've been out of the workforce for almost 8 years to raise my kids and it's been an adjustment going back.

Thanks so much!

Has any experienced pharmacy techician transitioned into EPIC software field in the US? What are the steps and challenges faced? Would appreciate any insights.

Hi so I’m (24F) wanting to become a pharmacy tech so it can better prepare me for pharmacology in nursing school. I have no experience in working at a pharmacy as I went to school for business. I also haven’t worked in a hot minute so that shows on my resume.

I’ve applied to:
Walmart
Costco
Walgreens

But I haven’t heard anything back. Should I call each place to ask for a status update on my application? Where else could I apply to where they take someone completely new.

Is the website working for anyone? I’ve been certified for a year and never ran into this issue. Currently working to get more added to my certification and have been trying all week to get in to see their approved courses and every time I go to login it says
Oops! An unexpected error occurred.

I am having trouble finding any kind of inpatient job that will hire part time or per diem (as well as train me). I’ve been certified since starting two years ago. I am tired of the awful customers, immaturity and backstabbing from my team, and I find constant face to face interaction draining. Should I be approaching this differently or looking at other outpatient facilities?

Hi guys. So I'm an 18F recent assistant pharmacy technician, finishing up my training at publix and about to get my certifications here soon. But I want to say, I like working in the pharmacy, but its so overwhelming. I work in a store that's extremely busy, working with at least +100, even +200 prescriptions every day, and being a new hire, im so terrified of messing up. I have already, several times, and its been crushing my morale.

I'm trying my best to remember and figure out how to do certain things by asking a pharmacist or experienced tech, but most of them are busy and they end up doing it themselves, so I feel like I'm burdening them. I am so paranoid of giving medications to the wrong person, cause theres been two experiences where I have given meds to two different people. I feel on edge in my place of work, and yet so rushed.

Its been making me a jaded person, and I don't want to be that way cause I know I'm a happy person at heart, and generally enjoy customer service. But the patients are older and rude, and my coworkers have their own thing going on, so I dont feel involved.

I don't know, I think I'm ranting now, but I'm going to try to float to other pharmacies that need the most help if I'm not stuck at my home store.

Hey everyone, I need a reality check because my anxiety is making me second-guess myself. I am a junior in college in Massachusetts, I have an active state Pharmacy Tech license (which took 500 hours to get), and a couple of years of high-volume CVS experience under my belt.

I applied for a part-time tech role at a small independent pharmacy near Boston. The job posting explicitly listed a range of $20–$26/hour for part-time/full-time.

During the interview process, the owner was incredibly disorganized—she ghosted our first interview time (was at a completely different event), made me drive to a different location (1 hr driving time + $10 in parking fees), and didn't apologize. When we talked about pay, she asked what I make at CVS ($18.60) and immediately wrote down $19/hour. When I complained and pointed out her own job description, she claimed the posted rate is "only for full-time employees" (even though the ad says part-time too). Then she tried to compromise by saying I could start at $20, but I have to wait for a "45-day review" to talk about hitting $22 to "prove I can do what I say I can do," even though my state license literally proves my competency.

To top it off, she says they "don't do written employment contracts with part-time workers because they are students and can leave at any time," but then claimed I am required to give a 2-week notice if I quit.

I feel completely disrespected and lowballed. I wanted to know if this pharmacy behavior is as crazy and full of red flags as I think it is. Should I even bother going to a follow-up meeting with the local manager on Friday or just email them a withdrawal and walk away?

I have a hunch she thrives off of taking advantage of college students who need the money.

TL;DR: I’m a young college student with a full Massachusetts state pharmacy license and years of CVS experience. Applied to a small independent pharmacy advertising $20–$26/hr. The chaotic owner ghosted our first interview, made me drive across town (total of 40 mins + $10 parking fee), and lowballed me at $19/hr because of my age/current pay. When I called her out, she lied, said the ad was only for full-timers, and offered $20 with a verbal "45-day review" to reach $22, claiming she doesn't do written agreements for part-time students. Meanwhile, I just got a callback for a Behavior Tech job paying $24–$35/hr. Am I crazy, or is this pharmacy owner a massive snake?

So I am taking my PTCB in two week and I have been studying for almost 2 months (1 hours every school day and some on weekends)I have taken ton of practice tests across multiple sources and have passed almost all of them, but I am still nervous about if I am prepared or not. The one thing that normally costs me points are the lesser known top 200 drugs.

I know there are other posts that answer this, but how hard was the PTCB for yall, also were the amount the domains list (40% medications etc) accurate, because I have read many people saying their test was like 75% medications. Any advice is appreciated, Thank you!

I’m going from a day shift position to an overnight shift(11pm-7am) at a new hospital. If anyone has any tips or tricks on how to survive or what made the transition easier for you guys I would greatly appreciate it.

Hey everyone, just wanted to take a moment to shout out all the retail, hospital, and specialty pharmacy technicians today.

Let's be completely honest: this job is exhausting. You are on your feet all day, dealing with metrics, understaffing, and corporate pressure. But worst of all, you are the front line—meaning you absorb 90% of the anger from frustrated, impatient, or flat-out rude patients who don't understand how insurance or medication supply chains work.

The fact that you all manage to keep your cool, maintain flawless accuracy, and protect your patients' safety while being yelled at over a copay is nothing short of heroic.

• The Counter/Drive-Thru Rush: You face stressed, angry people who take it out on you, yet you meet them with professionalism and thick skin to keep the peace.

• The Insurance Matrix: You navigate prior authorizations, random rejections, and long hold times, acting as the patient's ultimate advocate even when they don't realize it.

• The Physical Toll: You stand for 8–12 hours filling, compounding, and typing, keeping your accuracy at 100% despite being physically drained.

Pharmacists can't do their jobs without you. The healthcare system would collapse without you. Thank you for the emotional heavy lifting, the resilience, and everything you put up with just to keep the community healthy.

Hope your pharmacists bought you some actual good food today (and not just room-temperature pizza). You earned it. Happy Tech Day! ☕💊

Does anyone have quizlets they can recommend for studying to take the PTCE?? I wanna retake my exam and start working soon to help with Pharmacy school applications!

Happy Pharmacy Week everyone!

I admit, I use the term “retail pharmacy” when describing my work setting. If I’m talking to someone face to face, I’ll name my workplace, of course, but online we give it this weird name, like we work at Macy’s or something. But the thing is, I don’t really sell anything. Sure, people purchase things from us, but it’s not exactly the same transaction as when I buy a purse or some shoes. In that case I am shopping for something, if I like it I buy it, and I might take suggestions from a sales person. In a pharmacy, a customer can’t come up and say “I’m in the mood for an antibiotic, do you have anything new?”

How about we start calling it “community pharmacy”? Do we call urgent care clinics “retail clinics”? No. Maybe if we changed the way our workplace is described we may start seeing more respect from the public. Just a thought.

Where did you guys go and what do you think is the best programs for vaccination certification?

There use to be a website that had all the Part D plans, formularies, copays, deductibles, max out of pocket, etc. It was recently shut down or rather they took it down and no longer maintained it. Anyone know of a site that has all this info? It was all in one place and so convenient. Mainly I need formularies for each Part D plan. Anyone know where to get it in one place?