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On Pharmacy Technician Day – designated as the third Tuesday of October – and every day, it’s a great time to thank pharmacy technicians for all they do to support patient care and pharmacy operations. These vital members of the healthcare team have taken on added and increasingly complex responsibilities in recent years, from administering vaccines to tackling challenging purchasing issues made even more difficult by supply chain disruptions. In response to the unique needs of this unprecedented time, pharmacy technicians stepped into newly created positions requiring expanded skill sets and increased proficiencies. Along with technician coordination operator, the role of pharmacy communication coordinator emerged, aimed at assisting staff and other departments with communications. Additionally, a drug shortage management coordinator role developed during the pandemic, centralizing the task of obtaining critically needed medications for entire health systems. This position allowed for up-to-date communications throughout health systems about critical medications, manufacturer policies, and inventory availability.

The role of pharmacy technicians continues to evolve today, with pharmacy technicians playing an even more integral role in the patient care partnership. Pharmacy technicians at every level are problem solvers, and they also have robust professional development opportunities to hone their skills and explore new areas of interest in a field that offers multiple paths for advancement.

Today, we hope you’ll join us in taking this opportunity to celebrate the contributions of pharmacy technicians, whose training and professionalism support positive outcomes — not only for the patients and communities they serve directly, but also for the health systems that rely on their insights as consultants, data analysts, and other advanced positions.