National Pharmacy Technician Day Date in the current year: October 15, 2024

Pharmacy technicians, also referred to as pharmacy techs, are to pharmacists what paralegals are to lawyers – they’re their right hand men (and women). They perform various pharmacy-related tasks, working under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist. Pharmacy technicians allow pharmacists to stay focused on their primary task by handling the routine pharmacy operations. In the United States, each state has a pharmacist-to-pharmacy technician ratio, i.e. the maximum number of pharmacy techs allowed to be working under one pharmacist at one given time.

The roles and responsibilities of pharmacy techs may vary depending on the setting, but they typically dispense prescription drugs and supply medical devices to patients, instruct patients on their use, perform various administrative duties, and conduct inventory control.

Pharmacy technicians are healthcare workers that can work in various healthcare environments, including community and retail pharmacies, hospitals, long-term care facilities, insurance companies, pharmaceutical wholesalers, etc. In the United States, about three quarters of all pharmacy technicians work in a retail setting, about 16% work in hospitals, and the rest work in other settings.

Training and certification requirements for pharmacy technicians vary by country; in the United States, they vary by state because there is no national agency governing pharmacy techs. All states typically require a high school diploma or GED, but other requirements may vary. Some states have no requirements at all, others require on-the-job training, training from a board-approved school, or national certification from the National Healthcareer Association or the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board.

The first celebration of National Pharmacy Technician Day took place in 1991, when the American Association of Pharmacy Technicians (AAPT) published a flyer during National Pharmacy Week, which takes place during the third full week of October. In 2015, Lindsey Ahrens submitted the holiday to the Registrar at the National Day Calendar, and National Pharmacy Technician Day has been observed annually ever since.

National Pharmacy Technician Day is endorsed by a number of professional organizations, including the AAPT, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), and the Pharmacy Technician Education Council (PTEC). The holiday aims to recognize all pharmacy technicians regardless of the setting they work in and to highlight their contribution to the healthcare system.

Celebrate National Pharmacy Technician Day by congratulating pharmacy techs at your local pharmacy and letting them know you appreciate their work. You also can give a shout out to pharmacy technicians on social media; don’t forget to add the hashtags #NationalPharmacyTechnicianDay and #PharmacyTechnicianDay to spread the word about the holiday.