Preparing for your interview by studying the MOST common Pharmacy Technician interview questions and answers is KEY to your success!

You are a RECENT pharmacy technician graduate and are now looking for jobs. However, once you start landing those job interviews, you have to START preparing. From our research, some interview questions are straightforward, while others CAN be trickier to answer. The tricky questions require additional preparation and MUST be answered strategically, so you do NOT hurt your chances of a successful interview. With that said,

Our pharmacy technician interview questions and answers provide you with an OVERVIEW of all the common questions you CAN expect during your interview. We recommend studying this guide and preparing your answers, so you DO NOT get caught off guard. As a pharmacy technician, you will be responsible for dispensing medication, keeping customer records, and ensuring the pharmacy runs efficiently. The KEY objective of the interviewer is to find/hire a candidate with the necessary skillset/knowledge required for the job.


1) Briefly Tell Me About Yourself?

This question is as BASIC as it gets and is usually the lead-off question in MOST interviews. We recommend keeping this question short and RELEVANT to the job you are applying to at hand. For example, when applying as a pharmacy technician, there is NO point in emphasizing your love for cooking or gaming because it does NOT add value to the bottom line. If cooking is something you are passionate about, then you CAN briefly mention it WITHOUT going into detail about it. Instead, we recommend mentioning passions that WILL complement the job you are applying for. You CAN mention hobbies like your love for reading or learning new things. You can mention other possible attributes i.e., your love for networking or finding solutions for everyday problems. By mentioning things like reading, networking, or even learning new things, you illustrate skills that CAN be transferrable in a pharmacy technician job. With that said,

It’s also a GREAT strategy to NOT go in-depth into your work history because the recruiter CAN already see this on your resume. If they have any questions about your previous work history, they will ask you about it separately through another question. Instead, maybe briefly mention some skills you have and touch on your education.


2) Why Do You Want To Work As a Pharmacy Technician?

This is a very common pharmacy technician Interview question, and it’s your job to convince the interviewer of two things – 1) Why you decided to pursue a career as a pharmacy technician, 2) you love what you do and have a passion for it. The problem is that many people pursue a career path for the wrong reasons, which hinders their OVERALL performance. For example, some candidates mention things like salary as the driving force of their career choice, and these people fail to perform on the job. Therefore, we encourage you to prepare for such a question beforehand to know exactly how to approach it when asked by the interviewer. With that said, here’s a great strategy you can use to help you prepare:

Read the job description because you will be able to pull all “action” words to include in your answer. Let’s take a look at the following example –

We have highlighted the following with red arrows – “assisting the pharmacist”, “utilize departments for customer service.”

The above are all “action” words, and you can use these words to construct a relevant answer. For example:

“As a pharmacy technician, I will have the opportunity to work with the pharmacist in maintaining safe handling and disposal requirements. In addition, I will have the opportunity to identify safety and risk management areas that need to be updated and recommend the required changes if needed. Not only that, this job is very hands-on, and I will excel in a field that gives me the chance to use my mind too. For example, measuring and filling prescriptions, restocking medications, etc. I will also get a chance to utilize my passion for communicating when speaking to patients and helping the pharmacist complete daily tasks.”


3) Tell Us About One of Your Greatest Strengths? How Did This Strength Help You At Your Previous Job?

Interviewers will definitely ask this question during the interview process, so make it COUNT. We encourage you to make a list of your greatest strengths before your interview so you have them ready. List the strengths that you feel will relate well to the job at hand and those strengths that will be an asset when on the job. Why? The interviewer is trying to determine during this brief time they have with you if you have the qualities they are looking for in a candidate. For example, pharmacy technicians require patience, excellent communication skills, and superb organizational skills. Some other skills may include being calm under pressure helping you meet tight deadlines when required. Here is a PRO tip – read over the job description and look over the requirements because you WILL find a great list of skills the job requires an ideal candidate to have. Jot down some of the KEY requirements and see which ones align with your strengths because these skills will be excellent/relevant to mention during your interview.

Next,

You MAY be asked to mention a scenario at your LAST job where your KEY strength helped resolve a problem or helped find a solution. In this case, let’s look at the following example below.

The HIGHLIGHTED RED arrows show some of the requirements for this role as a Pharmacy Technician. We recommend using this information to craft the BEST answer when asked about your strengths related to your previous job.

“I believe one of my GREATEST strengths is my ability to organize and prioritize information quickly. At my previous job (name company), I was responsible for maintaining patient records and prioritizing their insurance claims according to urgency. Since I work well under pressure and CAN organize information efficiently, I was able to SUBMIT claims immediately as per the requirement. I was also able to gather all the necessary information to ensure NO errors were made during the submission process.”


4) What Would You Say Is Your Greatest Weaknesses?

Everyone has a professional weakness they are NOT proud of, and the interviewer will ask about yours. First, do NOT worry when asked this question by the interviewer because they expect some answer from you but want to determine if it will interfere directly with the job you have applied for. Secondly, do NOT answer by saying you have NO WEAKNESSES because, as mentioned, no one is perfect, and everyone has some weakness. To be honest, even the person interviewing you has a professional weakness. We’ll leave it at that! With that said,

When answering this pharmacy technician interview question, mention a weakness NOT directly related to the job at hand and then talk about the steps you are taking to work on the weakness. For example, your fear of public speaking which is a great one to mention because it is NOT directly related to the job. In terms of overcoming this weakness, you can STATE that sometimes in your spare time, you practice at home for fun for your own personal development. This will highlight that you are always looking for self-improvement. Alternatively, you can STATE your weakness where you push new hires too hard because you want perfection out of them, and you often FORGET how they are new to the job, etc. This is another great example because it shows your skill of perfection but can also be seen as a weakness.

“One weakness I am NOT proud of is my tendency to want perfection out of everyone I’m managing or working with. Perfection stems from my passion for delivering excellent patient care no matter the obstacles in my way. Therefore, I expect everyone on my team to be aligned with this shared objective. However, my journey for “perfection” at all times may put pressure on others to perform, especially those who are new to the team. To improve on this weakness, I’ve learned to delegate more tasks and even taken some online management courses. I have also taken one on one meetings with all my team members so we can voice concerns with each other and help each other in achieving a common objective.”



5) Why Did You Leave Your Previous Job?

This question CAN be tricky to answer and makes many candidates nervous because discussing why you left your previous job is rarely a TOPIC many like talking about. However, there are ways to strategically answer this interview question by putting a positive twist. For example, mentioning that you left your job because of limited growth potential is a good answer. However, you can also STATE that you left your previous job because it didn’t allow you to develop into other areas you are interested in, like specific specializations or perfect a skillset. With that said,

Suppose your previous job wasn’t as a pharmacy technician. In that case, it is acceptable to mention that you left your previous job because you decided to follow your passion of becoming a pharmacy technician. Either way, when answering this question, be clear about why you left your previous job, stay positive, answer with confidence, and be honest.

If your previous job was as a pharmacy technician:

This is a great question, and I want to be completely transparent on why I left my previous employer. I was limited on the number of hours I could work and was in a position where I could learn very little. My main objective was to work as many hours as possible closely with the pharmacist to GAIN as much experience as possible. My previous employer at (ABC pharmacy) did not provide me with this opportunity because they were NOT as busy as other pharmacies. This position here at (XYZ pharmacy) is more of a full-time position where I feel I can learn more by working with a more extensive staff. By working longer hours, I will be saving more money to go to pharmacy school part-time and become a licensed pharmacist in the future. I do want to own my own pharmacy in the future”

 If your previous job was NOT as a pharmacy technician:

 “ I decided to leave my previous employer, so I can follow my passion of becoming a pharmacy technician. I worked in retail because it helped me pay for my education, and I am now certified to work in a pharmacy. I want to work hard and gain enough experience to become a licensed pharmacist in the future. The experience and knowledge I gain here will allow me to open my pharmacy in the future. But for now, I want to work hard here with an experienced staff and learn as much as possible. In addition, I want to be an asset to my colleagues and customers by educating them on their medications and answering questions.”


6) How Do You Deal With Upset Customers?

This is a very COMMON question asked during the interview process, especially when your work involves working closely with customers. The interviewer is trying to assess how well you will de-escalate a tense situation and find out more about your OVERALL temperament. Why? Because the position you are applying for is within the service industry and WITHOUT customers, the pharmacy will have a hard time making a profit. For this reason, being able to handle customers is extremely IMPORTANT because the more satisfied the customer, the greater the business will excel. Not to mention, if you are NOT able to handle an upset customer, you will likely have a hard time working with colleagues when an uncomfortable situation arises. With that said, we recommend before you answer this question, you think about strategies that have worked for you in the past to deal with UPSET customers. If this is your first job, think about what strategies have been successful in dealing with UPSET family members or FRIENDS. For example, if you are asked this question, you MAY want to mention –

Staying Calm

The less you raise your voice, the less you add fuel to the fire. When a customer is UPSET and speaking loud, you must speak in a calm voice because this will agitate the customer even less. If you speak in a  loud voice, the customer MAY feel you are yelling at them, which will escalate the situation even more.

Listening

That’s right! Sometimes the customer MAY be upset because of a slight misunderstanding which CAN be cleared up if you JUST listen to the customer. You can also repeat what the customer is saying for clarity. When you listen, the customer automatically feels that they have your support and that you care about them, which will again help EASE the conversation back into normality.

Take Action

In the end, your main objective is to find a solution to their problem or the reason why they are upset. As a pharmacy technician, you have a certain level of control that comes with the job. Tell the interviewer that you will reach out to whatever resource you have available to you for clarity or a solution. Sometimes, you MAY not be able to provide a solution, but the FACT you tried WILL be satisfactory enough to calm the customer down. Where you cannot find a solution, you should always provide the customer with the information to guide them towards the correct solution. Remember, customers are sometimes UPSET because they simply DO NOT know what steps to take next, so they just need a hand in the right direction.

 “The main thing I believe is to remain calm, so the situation does NOT escalate further. I also believe the only way to find out why the customer is UPSET is to listen to them carefully and then take action. For example, the customer MAY be upset due to a misunderstanding or needs some direction on their prescription. My job is to provide them with the information they need to either solve their issue or get them to the right person who can. So, to answer your question, if a customer is UPSET, it’s IMPORTANT to stay calm, listen carefully, and take whatever action I can (in my role) to find a solution for them.”

PLEASE NOTE: The interviewer MAY ask you to reference a scenario at your previous job on how you handled an UPSET customer. In this case, talk about a situation you faced with a customer and how you used calmness, your listening skills, and the resources available to you to de-escalate the situation with the customer.


7) What Strategies Do You Use To ENSURE You Respond to Deadlines on Time?

This pharmacy technician interview question focuses on your ability to handle pressure and GET the work assigned completed on time. As a pharmacy technician, you WILL be responsible for preparing prescriptions and reports for the pharmacist. Therefore, the assigned work MUST be completed by the deadline for the pharmacy to operate effectively. We recommend focusing on one (1) primary strategy rather than mentioning a handful of smaller strategies you are utilizing to ENSURE deadlines are met. However, you CAN mention some methods to keep track of the deadlines. For example, STATE your ability to organize work effectively or stay calm under pressure. You CAN also mention CERTAIN applications you use to keep track of work that’s due. In this answer, mentioning the skill of “time management” is IMPORTANT because meeting a deadline is about completing a project in a given period…RIGHT? In terms of time management, talk about how you organize your day BASED on the times you are MOST productive. For example, some people are MOST productive first thing in the morning, while others are in the evenings. It is ESSENTIAL to know your NATURAL productivity period to incorporate it into your answer. You CAN then STATE how you like to complete the MOST IMPORTANT work during this period because it helps you finish it before the deadline passes. With that said,

When constructing your answer, we recommend talking about “time management” FIRST, then smaller steps you take to ensure the deadline is MET. For example, you utilize an ALERT application on your phone for reminders or have a color-coded calendar indicating the MOST IMPORTANT tasks to be completed and when.

“I have always enjoyed finding creative ways to manage projects. I have learned that meeting a deadline comes down to how well you CAN manage time. This SKILL will ultimately determine how quickly you CAN complete an assigned project. For example, my MOST productive time is in the afternoon, so I make sure to work on the MOST sensitive projects during this time. However, before starting any project, I organize the different sections that need to be completed so I can get to work right away. I keep track of all my deadlines on my smartphone and use an application called Asana. This tool allows me to add my colleagues to different groups and delegate sections of the project to them. With that said,

By managing my time effectively and organizing my projects, I am happy to say that I have always completed my projects/assignments before the deadline.“


8) How Do You Educate a Customer About Their Prescription And/Or Medication?

The interviewer asks this pharmacy technician interview question to understand your knowledge of the procedure. For example, if a patient does NOT have any information about the medication they are being prescribed, it is ESSENTIAL you know how to find the information they are looking for. This question does NOT have one single answer but should be combined with other skills to create the CORRECT answer. We recommend the following approach when answering such a question.

First, establish in your answer how clear communication between you and the patient is IMPORTANT. It’s always a good idea to mention that when a patient picks up medication, you give them some time first to ask any questions about the medication. Secondly, if you already know the answer to their question, then STATE how you would thoroughly walk the patient through the answer. However, there will be some instances where if it’s a new medication, you have to tap into your resources to locate the information. If this is the case, we recommend STATING the process you would follow to find the information you need. For example, you will either ask the pharmacist for assistance or utilize the computer DATABASE on file to gather the necessary information. The KEY here is to let the interviewer know that you are confident in locating the information required to educate the patient about the prescription/medication. Next,

If the patient has no other questions, then STATE in your answer how you allocate time during your conversation to go over the prescribed medication reviewing dosage information, side effects, storage information, and more. Finally, its always a good idea to mention how the end of the discussion is reserved for any follow-up questions by the patient for clarity, etc.

“Educating a patient on their medication is VERY IMPORTANT, especially if it’s a medication they have NOT taken before. I start by asking the patient if they have any questions about the medication, and if they do, I answer the questions in detail. If the patient has a question and I don’t know the answer, I use the resources available to me, such as asking the pharmacist or utilizing the DATABASE we have on file for the medication. Next, once the patient/customer has NO MORE questions, I think it is ESSENTIAL to go over all the dosage information, including side effects, the intended purpose of the medication, storage information, and more. After I have covered all the IMPORTANT information about the medication, I ask the customer if they have any follow-up questions to what we have discussed here today.”



9) What Information Do You look For On A Prescription Before Dispensing Medication? What Things Do You Consider?

As a pharmacy technician, you WILL be responsible for inputting patient/customer information into the computer so their prescription CAN be filled. However, a process MUST be followed before any medication CAN be dispensed to the customer. For example, as a pharmacy technician, you need to ENSURE the customer’s safety by giving them the correct medication and the RIGHT dosage. So, first, when preparing for this interview question, study what information MUST be present on the prescription for validation purposes. For example, patient name, refill information, drug name, drug dosage, the doctor’s name/signature. Some protocol is different among pharmacies, but the MOST common information should still be available, as mentioned above. With that said,

When answering this question, focus on what you would do to validate a prescription and ensure a patient’s safety—mention validating the patient’s name, date of birth, drug name, dosage, and validating doctor’s name. When answering this question, you also want to STATE how you check the prescription for authenticity by comparing it to other prescriptions on file or calling the doctor’s office if necessary. You can also ask for the assistant of the pharmacist for more clarity. A good strategy is to think about when you have gone to a pharmacy to drop off a prescription and what information the pharmacist asked you. Think about the information on your prescription ????.

“I know the importance of each prescription being validated before being filled. If each prescription is NOT checked thoroughly, the customer can receive the wrong medication and dosage, which would be detrimental. Not only that, but we MUST ensure each prescription is authentic and no one is abusing our healthcare system. To accomplish this, I review each paper and electronic prescription sent to our pharmacy. I check the date issued and the doctor’s name/signature. Then, I double-check the drug name, dosage, refill information to make sure it is correct. Suppose I have issues understanding the writing, I ask for help from my colleagues and I will call the doctor’s office for clarification. If the paper handed to me looks suspicious, I will NOT hesitate to look up the doctor’s number on file or online to speak with them about the prescription. In the end, I will ask the customer if they have questions.”


10) How Do You Stay/Remain Up-to-Date on New Medications?

As a pharmacy technician, ongoing education/training is an ESSENTIAL part of your career. You are in an industry where RAPID changes are made daily, monthly, and even annually. The interviewer will ask this pharmacy technician interview question to LEARN more about how you stay CURRENT and the measures you take to ENSURE you are NOT left behind on changes in the industry. Pharmaceuticals is a sensitive industry because people’s lives depend on the medication dispensed to them, and they come to you (pharmacy technicians) to understand more on dosage, side effects, and alternatives that MAY be available in the market.

When answering this question, you should FOCUS your answer around the resources you read to stay current. We also recommend mentioning continuing education (CE), reading magazines, speaking to colleagues, attending conferences, and even speaking to other pharmacists you work with on a daily basis to LEARN more on new medications. It is also a GOOD idea to STATE how you have an allocated time weekly to research this TOPIC actively on your own.

“To do my job with confidence, I need to ENSURE I am up to date with the changes taking place in this industry (mainly the new medication being introduced into the market). By educating myself, I will be able to help customers/patients with questions they have about any new medication they are being prescribed and fulfill all the expectations as a pharmacist. To ensure I am always CURRENT on a new medication, I have a dedicated window of time each week to read industry magazines and browse pharmaceutical websites, such as the American Pharmacists Association and Pharmacy Times, where I read over publications. Not only that, but every few weeks, I attend conferences to LEARN more about new medications and ask any questions I have. Finally, I have found that continuing education (CE) classes are a great way to GAIN the information I need too. With that said,

I have some daily protocols/procedures like talking to colleagues working at different pharmacies and to the pharmacist working with me to pick their brain on new changes they are aware of.”


11) How Do You Ensure The Patients Confidentiality Remains Priority At All Times?

This is another GREAT question and WILL “definitely” be asked during your pharmacy technician interview because a patient’s healthcare/treatment and prescribed medication is extremely sensitive. First, to be clear, you CANNOT discuss this information with anyone except for the patient or someone designated by them as their guardian. The interviewer WILL first want to hear that you understand how sensitive prescription/treatment information is, and you CAN do this by acknowledging how you understand patient confidentiality and will do whatever is in your power to keep this information confidential. Next, when answering this type of question, you have to STATE what measures you WILL take to ensure two things: 1) that information remains confidential at all times, and 2) how you will ensure that you have discussions ONLY with the correct person. With that said, let’s breakdown both:

a) To ensure PATIENT information is kept confidential, STATE what steps you take to ENSURE this is accomplished. For example, you WILL ONLY access a patient’s information upon request by the patient and NOT leave their information on the computer screen WITHOUT you present. You CAN also mention how you ENSURE patient files and their paperwork is NOT left on the counter. Finally, MOST IMPORTANTLY, you will not discuss a patient’s information with anyone except with colleagues for the sole purpose of OBTAINING information for the customer/patient.

b) To ENSURE you only speak with the customer/patient at all times, mention to the interviewer how you verify a customer/patient. Some great examples will be ID, date of birth, address, or other information you MAY have on file.

“Working as a pharmacy technician, I will have access to what medication is currently being prescribed to the customer/patient. I recognize this information is confidential, and it MUST be protected at all times. First and foremost, I have to ensure I have the correct person in front of me by validating their information before taking further steps. Checking ID, asking for date of birth, addresses, phones numbers, and medicine names are great ways to authenticate the account. Next, to ENSURE, the information remains discrete, I never leave their information on the screen except when I am present and only access it when necessary (i.e. prescription refill, questions, etc). I also ENSURE I ONLY discuss a patient’s file with them or with fellow colleagues to gather the information requested by the patient. With that said,

A patient’s prescription and the file should never be left laying around on the counter for any reason and MUST be placed securely away as soon as it has been received and processed.”


12) What Is A Significant Drug Interaction? What Would You Do If A Clinically Significant Interaction Between Drugs Occurs?

As a pharmacy technician, you will have to REPORT drug interactions so the necessary steps can be taken to stop them from happening again. A drug interaction is the following –

“Drug-drug interactions occur when two or more drugs react with each other. This drug-drug interaction may cause you to experience an unexpected side effect. For example, mixing a drug you take to help you sleep (a sedative) and a drug you take for allergies (an antihistamine) can slow your reactions and make driving a car or operating machinery dangerous.” – FDA

So, when asked this question by the interviewer, it is IMPORTANT to know what it means to have a drug interaction. Next, as a pharmacy technician, you have to take the RIGHT steps to report these interactions. The first step is to report this to the pharmacist on duty so they CAN then take the next steps. For you to prepare for this type of pharmacy technician interview question, please read the following resources –

National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine

Drug Interactions: What You Should Know

Next,

The KEY is to know about specific drug interactions and what steps to take when you are made aware of a severe drug interaction.


13) What Kinds of Vaccinations Have You Given?

Since the pandemic, this pharmacy technician interview question has become very common in the interview process. The pandemic has forced pharmacy technicians to take on more responsibilities especially being able to immunize/vaccinate patients who come into the pharmacy. For example, the pandemic has overwhelmed the healthcare system incredibly, so to sufficiently vaccinate an entire population requires more than just the pharmacist and nurses. Pharmacists look to their technicians to help out with the growing number of people coming into the pharmacy looking for a vaccination. Not only that, but the pandemic has paved the way for pharmacy technicians to take on these responsibilities in the future by administering flu shots and other types of medications required by patients. With that said

The interviewer will ask this question to determine if you are experienced in this area or are teachable (if you have no experience at all). Therefore, we recommended that you answer this question in two (2) ways which WILL depend on your experience level. For example, if you have experience, STATE your experience and knowledge of different vaccinations. However, if you have no experience, mention your willingness to learn on the job and take any training necessary to administer vaccinations. Interviewers are aware that NOT every candidate will have experience administering vaccinations but want to hear they are willing to learn on the job. If you have NO previous experience, it’s a GREAT idea to mention some other duties you had to learn on the job and are now excelling at.

NO EXPERIENCE

“The pandemic has swept through our country, and I know the importance of being vaccinated. I wish I could be in the front line helping others vaccinate the population; however, I have NOT had this opportunity yet. Therefore, I am willing to take whatever training and work alongside others to learn the process. There have been times I had to learn a process from start to finish throughout my life, and I am proud to say that I did with complete confidence. I understand the focus and patience involved in learning a new skillset. I will put my 100% effort into ensuring it is done correctly. If you CAN recommend a training program to learn this skill, I am willing to enroll in it right away to get started.”



14) How Do You Handle New Technology Being Introduced At Your Pharmacy? What Steps Do You Take To Ensure This Technology Does NOT Restrict Your Work?

In healthcare, there are advances in technology, medication, procedures, and others. Through this pharmacy technician interview question, the interviewer determines how quickly you can adapt to a change and if it will affect your productivity. When answering this question, focus on your willingness to learn and how you excel at problem-solving (learning to perfect a new skill). You CAN also reiterate your experience working with computers because this shows general technical knowledge and how you know your way around technology.

Every new piece of technology comes with its tutorials and manuals, so mentioning proactive steps like taking time out of your day to read through these guides is also helpful. Next, talk about your willingness to ask questions whenever you have them to ensure you know how to use the new technology introduced into the pharmacy. With that said,

A pharmacy operates on efficiency, so the interviewer wants to know if this new technology will restrict your workflow. When answering this part of the question, talk about when operating or using this new technology; you will work alongside a colleague to get it RIGHT the first time around. Why? This will avoid you having to do the process repeatedly, causing delays in administering documents, medication, and other claims. Remember, in the end, the interviewer wants to determine if this new technology will delay your productivity and quality of work, so your GOAL is to ensure that it will NOT.

“I understand that new technology is going to be introduced into a pharmacy to make our process more efficient. The greater efficiency we have, the better we can serve our customers. However, the first step is for the staff to learn this new technology and ENSURE we can operate it with complete confidence, so our quality of service is NOT slowed down. First, I have used computers throughout my life and have a good grasp of how operating systems work. Second, I have had no problems learning new software and have worked with new pieces of technology at my previous jobs. For example, when I was working at ABC pharmacy, we received an advanced tablet counting machine and liquid dispenser, allowing us to get medication ready more efficiently/quickly. I started learning how to operate these machines RIGHT away to start utilizing these machines without any delays. I took time out every day to read through the manuals and watched the instructional videos several times to ENSURE I was doing everything correctly. Not only that, but my colleague and I asked each other questions and used the machines together to make sure the process we were doing was correct.”

PLEASE NOTE: If you have NOT worked as a pharmacy technician and have no experience with pharmacy-specific machines, talk about other jobs where you had to learn new software or machines introduced at work. For example, as a customer service representative, you had to learn how to use new software or when working at a restaurant, you LEARNED how to use a new digital ordering tablet or grill.

The KEY is to make the interviewer understand that you have the skills and focus to solve these situations without the business suffering in productivity, etc.


15) Where Do You See Yourself In Five (5) Years?

The answer to this question should be focused on “passion” and your love for helping others. The more passionate you are about being a pharmacy technician, the more you will excel at work. Interviewers want to hire someone they know will perform their best and have an authentic love for the job. For example, imagine asking this question, “where do you see yourself in five (5) years?” and they answer, “I see myself working as a mechanic or as a computer programmer.” If you were the one interviewing this individual, you WOULD NOT hire them, would you? This person does NOT plan on being a pharmacy technician, so will NOT devote their time as much as someone who truly loves what they do…right? With that said,

When answering this question, talk about your future goals as a pharmacy technician. For example, how you plan on becoming a pharmacist or GAIN experience to advance your career into other areas like compounding, pharmaceutical sales, management, and more. You can also mention how you plan on learning as much as possible working as a pharmacy technician so you CAN operate your own pharmacy later in your career and help others follow their passion. The KEY here is to focus your answer and be honest about your plans as a pharmacy technician. The good news is a majority of those that become pharmacy technicians have plans to advance their education in this field, so being honest about your career goals should NOT be a problem when answering this question.

“ I often think about this because I love what I do and want to continue my journey in this field but in different areas. I hope to GAIN enough pharmacy experience to open my own pharmacy one day and help other pharmacy technicians pursue their career goals by providing mentorship to them. While I am working here, I am looking to start educating myself further to become a licensed pharmacist and then see what other options I have available like sales, management, etc. The main thing I want to mention is that I love being a pharmacy technician because I am making a difference in two (2) ways: First, by educating people about their medication, so they take it, ultimately leading to a life they enjoy more. Secondly, I help my colleagues whenever they feel overwhelmed. For example, with the pandemic in full swing, I am learning how to administer vaccination so the entire load does not land on the pharmacist and nurses. In the end, this is the field I want to be in and see myself right here in five (5) years from now”.


16 ) Are You Available To Work Different Shifts (Day, Afternoon, Night)? Can You Work Overtime?

During your pharmacy technician interview question, you will be asked about your availability, and you have to be strategic in the way you answer this question. For example, if you say that you are NOT willing to work in the evenings or morning, it will hurt your chances of getting hired. Why? It’s because as a pharmacy technician, you have to be flexible and be ready to work during peak hours. Also, the pharmacy already knows when they need a pharmacy technician to help out, so they are probably hiring for specific times. Remember, there are NO shortages of candidates willing to work all available shifts to help out and GAIN experience whenever possible. Therefore, to increase your chances of getting hired, you should be willing to work whenever you are called upon. The good news is that the more you work, the greater experience you GAIN. Not only that, you will be considered a loyal and hardworking employee, which increases your chances of promotions and flexible shifts in the future. With that said,

Answer the question with complete confidence and let the interviewer know you are willing to work whatever shifts are available. Spice up your answer by saying you want to help as much as possible and GAIN as much experience on the job as possible.

“I am ready to work whatever hours you need me to work. The more I work, the more I can be of service to my colleagues and customers. I believe that to excel in life; you need to work hard and be someone that others can depend on. It’s also a benefit to me because by working longer shifts and overtime, I GAIN more experience which I would NOT have gained otherwise.”


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Final Thoughts

Our pharmacy technician interview guide has covered all the COMMON questions asked during the interview process. As mentioned, preparation is KEY for a successful interview, so take some time to read through our guide again so you CAN continue to memorize and build on your answers. If you have any questions about these questions, please post them below in the comment box. Also, DON’T forget to help us and others by sharing this guide on social media… Good luck!

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