Before Timothy Amin even arrives at CVS pharmacy to start his shift, he knows that there will be hundreds of prescription-refill requests waiting for him. That's before any patients or doctors have had the chance to inquire about new prescriptions.
Filling those scripts alone could keep Amin, a pharmacy technician in Newark, N.J., busy all day. But he also needs to find time to review inventory, stock the shelves with new deliveries and make calls to doctors and insurance companies if issues arise with a prescription.
"You're on your feet the entire time, and there's rarely a chance to sit down or take a break," Amin says. "It's a very active job, both mentally and physically."
Unlike pharmacists, who receive years of graduate-level medical training, pharmacy technicians often complete their training in two years or less. That's partly why pharmacists can make six figures in their first year on the job, while pharmacy techs typically start with a salary that's about a third of that, according to Payscale.
