Pharmacy technician phone screen questions
Pharmacy technician hiring starts with the state registration and goes from there to accuracy, volume, and the software. Phone screening the same day an application comes in matters, because technicians with active registrations get hired quickly.
Eight questions, and what to listen for
Ask them in this order. The first two sort the pool; the middle ones show judgment; the last ones settle logistics before anyone books an interview.
- 1
Are you registered or licensed as a pharmacy technician in this state, and is it current?
Listen for: Yes, the state, and status. Many states require registration before a technician can work, so this sorts the pool.
- 2
Do you hold a national certification like PTCB's CPhT or NHA's ExCPT?
Listen for: Yes with the credential, or plans to sit for it. Some states and many employers require it.
- 3
Which pharmacy settings have you worked in: retail, hospital, long-term care, or mail order?
Listen for: Setting and tenure. Long-term-care packaging and retail counters are different jobs.
- 4
About how many prescriptions did your pharmacy fill per day, and what was your part in the process?
Listen for: A number and a role: intake, data entry, counting, insurance, register.
- 5
Which pharmacy software have you used?
Listen for: PioneerRx, QS/1, Rx30, EnterpriseRx, or similar. Not required, but it shortens training.
- 6
How do you make sure you are filling the right drug and strength, especially for look-alike names?
Listen for: Scanning NDCs, checking against the label, separating look-alike drugs, asking the pharmacist when unsure. Accuracy habits are the whole job.
- 7
Tell me about a time a patient's insurance rejected a claim at the counter. What did you do?
Listen for: Reading the rejection, calling the insurer, explaining options to the patient, involving the pharmacist on prior auths. Calm and specific.
- 8
Are weekdays and rotating Saturdays workable, can you pass a background check, and when could you start?
Listen for: Yes to the schedule and the check, and a date. Background checks are standard for pharmacy access.
Red flags on the call
- No current state registration where one is required
- No accuracy habits beyond being careful
- Cannot describe their part in the fill process
- Saturday rotation not workable
Keep it short
Five questions, four to six minutes. Pharmacy technician candidates are usually applying to several jobs at once; a screen they can finish between shifts gets finished. Save the deeper questions for the interview, where the candidate has already answered these once.
Ask whether the candidate can perform an essential task with or without reasonable accommodation; do not ask about disability or medical history. Avoid age, family, religion, national origin and other protected characteristics. See the EEOC's hiring-question guidance.
Run this exact screen for every pharmacy technician who applies
Create a role in PhoneScreen with these five questions, share the link, and every candidate gets the same screen the moment they call. You read the scorecards. First 10 screens are free.
- 1Are you registered or licensed as a pharmacy technician in this state, and is it current?
- 2Do you hold a national certification like PTCB's CPhT or NHA's ExCPT?
- 3Which pharmacy settings have you worked in, and about how many prescriptions a day?
- 4How do you make sure you are filling the right drug and strength?
- 5Are weekdays and rotating Saturdays workable, and when could you start?
Common questions
What licensing does a pharmacy technician need? +
It depends on the state. Most states require technicians to register with or be licensed by the state board of pharmacy, and some also require national certification through PTCB or NHA, or certification within a set time after hire. Check your state board's rules, ask on the screen, and verify the registration on the board's online lookup before the first shift.
Can we hire technician trainees? +
In many states, yes, under a trainee registration with a time limit to become certified. If you hire trainees, run them through a separate role so certified technicians and trainees are scored on their own lists.
Screening for healthcare and senior living · More roles: certified nursing assistant, medical assistant, phlebotomist, forklift operator, caregiver, CDL truck driver · Why the same questions for everyone