Pharmacy Technician Interview Questions for freshers experienced :-
1. Define prescription medicine?
Prescription medicines are those drugs or medicines that cannot be dispensed or sold without the written prescription of a qualified and certified medical practitioner and that too only in limited amounts.
2. What duties are a pharmacy technician required to perform?
Duties of a pharmacy technician include:
- filling prescriptions for patients
- advising them regarding safe and effective prescription using procedures
- maintaining records of each prescription
- collecting payment or checking insurance status before each prescription is handed out
- keeping sanitized and hygienic storage conditions for the prescriptions
- practicing infection control protocols on both sides of the prescription counter
3. Why do you want this type of Pharmacy Technician Job?
Think about aspects of the job that would differ from pharmacies in other health care settings, and explain how your personality, interests or skills would make you well suited for it. For example, if the position is in a retail pharmacy involving customer contact, you could mention you enjoy interacting with the public.
4. What Do Coworkers Say About You?
Relate complimentary remarks that specific people have made. For instance, you could say, “My former manager, Mr Williams, said I went the extra mile to ensure a job was done right.”
5. Why Did You Want to Become a Pharmacy Technician?
Instead of talking about the perks, discuss how it is a good profession. You could express your desire to be of service to the community through being a part of the health care team.
6. Why did you leave your last job?
This is a common question, so have an answer ready that will reassure the interviewer that you won’t leave if things aren’t completely to your liking. Avoid saying anything negative about your former boss or place of employment, or you may be perceived as being difficult.
7. What Is Your Greatest Weakness?
Like the previous question, this is frequently asked and can blindside you if you aren’t prepared. One approach would be to mention a weakness you are working on and, as a consequence, has greatly improved. Another strategy is to turn a negative into a positive. For example, admitting you can be a little obsessive about triple checking everything leaves the impression that your work seldom contains errors.
8. Where do you see yourself in next 5 years?
Before a company invests time in training a new employee, they want to know the worker has a commitment to their job and plans to be there long-term. Talk about how you can picture yourself with the company in five years and how you plan to stay current with the latest developments in your profession.
Aside from the above questions, you may be asked about how you would go about performing various tasks that are a part of your job. Practice discussing these procedures as well, so you can come across as being organized and competent.
As with most things in life, preparation can make a big difference in the outcome of a job interview. In planning your answers to pharmacy technician interview questions, the key thing to remember is to stay positive throughout the process. Your next interview could lead to the job offer that launches your exciting career.
9. How do you feel about serving an indigent patient?
I similarly serve all patients courteously and politely with a lot of compassion.
10. How do you keep yourself up to date with pharmacy practice?
I am an active member of the American Association of Pharmacists and regularly participate in various workshops and training held by them.
Also, I keep my knowledge base regarding the pharmacy field updated via the study of various research journals featuring ongoing pharmaceutical studies and their effectiveness.
11. How do you spot a drug seeker and what do you do if you suspect one?
If a person is asking for a prescription drug without a prescription from a certified practitioner, I usually suspect him or her to be a drug seeker.
In such cases, I refuse to dispense the drug and immediately report to the licensed pharmacist who then looks into the manner further.
12. What are the non-medication related responsibilities of a pharmacy technician?
These include dispensing drugs, storing medicines, labeling them, stocking them date-wise, and filling relevant inventories.
13. How do you deal with upset customers?
I often come across customers who get angry because their insurance does not cover specific medication or those who want refills before they are allowed. Before situations get out of hand, I explain to them that they need to contact their healthcare provider or insurance company.
Since my job is only to dispense medication, and I might not be able to provide them with information on why an insurance company will not cover their claim. I do not lose my temper as I see no point in two angry people shouting at each other.
14. Share a time when you had to deal with a demanding customer?
Last year, an elderly lady walked in with a prescription for a readymade pill. The pharmaceutical company that made it had changed owners, and they had slightly changed the name of that medicine.
I checked for the underlying salts and potencies they were the same as the old ones’ so I handed her the new packaged ones. She argued a lot about it and didn’t trust the pills due to the difference in packing and name. With a lot of patience and simplified scientific explanations, I finally convinced her that it’s the same medicine.
12. What is the importance of confidentiality in this role?
Keeping information discreet is very important as pharmacy technicians have access to customers’ private information. They need to keep the information confidential since it is ethically wrong if they divulge information that customers have trusted them with.
13. How do you handle things accurately?
Since accuracy means the difference between life and death in my job, I have to be very careful. I do not fill two prescriptions simultaneously so that the chances of errors decrease. I always double-check medicines before I hand them out.
14. How do you manage daily workplace stress?
I manage workplace stress by walking in each day organized and by ensuring proper communication regarding the prescriptions.
Tasks that may seem trivial like inventory upkeep, adequate labeling, and arrangement of medicines are very crucial to avoiding stress, guaranteeing smooth pharmacy operations throughout the day.
15. Which aspect of your job as a pharmacy technician do you enjoy most?
I enjoy my job immensely since I am very interested in the medical miracles these medicines can perform. My favorite aspect, however, is public dealing. I enjoy helping out people by preparing medicine for them and explaining to them how it must be used.
16. What do you do to avoid boredom while having to perform repetitive tasks each day?
Medicine mixing and getting the percentages right is critical, and the repetitive task can go wrong due to boredom. I take short breaks now and then to refresh myself and have a track record of always preparing exact compositions based on the given prescription.
17. How do you go about with drug storage?
On receiving the stock, I study the expiry dates and temperature requirements very carefully. Then store the drugs accordingly in the appropriate storage sections, placing the ones with lesser remaining expiry period in the front shelves.
18. Where do you see yourself after five years?
In five years, I see myself working for you in the capacity of a senior pharmacist.
19. Outline the steps you follow when you receive a prescription order?
On receiving a prescription, I determine the components required and their quantities. I then measure these out and create the mixture while paying a lot of attention to detail.
20. Why do you want to work for our company?
Research the company and pay particular attention to its values and mission. Tailor your answer to the company’s characteristics, and show why you believe you would be a good fit for the position.
21. How do you deal with difficult customers?
This is an important question, as the interviewer will want to know how you handle stressful situations. Anyone who has direct contact with customers represents the company, so emphasize that you will remain calm and courteous while solving the problem. You also may be asked to share an experience you had with an aggressive customer and explain how you responded.
The most stressful pharmacy technician interview questions:
- Why do you want this job?
- Why do you want to work at a pharmacy, as opposed to other healthcare facilities?
- How would you react to face customers who are verbally aggressive?
- How do you respond to deadlines?
- How do you manage stress in your daily work?
- What do you do to avoid burnout?
- Why do you want to work for this company?
- Are you a detailed oriented and hardworking person?
- What are your future goals?
- How do you deal with personal and work issues at the same time?
- Of all your activities that you make during the day, what task do you enjoy most to do?
Typical pharmacy technician interview questions:
- Who is for you your greatest role model?
- What exposures have you had in the Pharmacy industry?
- What do you feel are the most important qualities in being a good Pharmacy Technician?
- How will you deal with irate clients?
- Where would you like to be in five years?
- What makes you stand out among other applicants?
- How can you illustrate to me your dependability?
- When can you start working?
- What are your two weakest points?
- Tell me about a stressful time in your life. How did you handle it?
- What is the most positive aspect of pharmacy?
- Why should we hire you?
- What are your two greatest strengths?
- How do you think that your friends will describe you?
- When did you take the decision to join the pharmaceutical field?
- Can you give me an example of your leadership ability?
- How do you feel about working with indigent patients?
- What are your greatest strengths?
- What is your terminology of prescription medicine?
- What do you know about our pharmacy?
- How often do you partake in social activities?
- What do you do in your free time?
- What was your most difficult course in college?
- What was your favorite course in college?