Table 1Transition record

pharmacisttopharmacy technician

A pharmacist already meets 63% of what the pharmacy technician role asks for. The move turns on 13 required skills not yet in the profile.

From pharmacist

63%

Overlap1

To pharmacy technician

31 Skills carried over

13 Required, not held

48.9 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 48.9

This move: 48.9 of 100 · moderate

1 Share of the pharmacy technician role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the pharmacist profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 31 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A pharmacy technician role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a pharmacist background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held prepare doses of medication according to patient needs assisting and caring
already held check information on prescriptions information skills
already held handle the logistics of medicinal products handling and moving
already held prepare medication from prescription assisting and caring
already held ensure the appropriate supply in pharmacy management skills
already held maintain adequate medication storage conditions handling and moving

All 31 carried skills, including the 25 the pharmacy technician role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 21 missing skills fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 information skills 4 required

required, not held report medication interaction to pharmacist required
required, not held maintain pharmaceutical records required
required, not held take pharmaceutical inventory required
required, not held ensure quality assurance for pharmaceutical products required

02 handling and moving 3 required

required, not held follow procedures to control substances hazardous to health required
required, not held prepare prescription labels required
required, not held transfer medication required

03 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 required, 6 supplementary

required, not held communicate by telephone required
required, not held work in a multicultural environment in health care required

optional, not held apply context specific clinical competences optional
optional, not held communicate in foreign languages with health service providers optional
optional, not held develop a collaborative therapeutic relationship optional
optional, not held educate on the prevention of illness optional
optional, not held inform policy makers on health-related challenges optional
optional, not held provide medication information optional

04 assisting and caring 2 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held adhere to organisational guidelines required
required, not held promote inclusion required

optional, not held prepare intravenous packs optional

05 management skills 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held respond to changing situations in health care required

optional, not held manage schedule of tasks optional

06 health and welfare 1 required

required, not held medicines for self-medication required

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a pharmacy technician role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 31 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held accept own accountability skill
already held apply organisational techniques skill
already held check information on prescriptions skill
already held communicate in healthcare skill
already held communicate with customers skill
already held comply with legislation related to health care skill
already held comply with quality standards related to healthcare practice skill
already held contribute to continuity of health care skill
already held deal with emergency care situations skill
already held empathise with the healthcare user skill
already held ensure safety of healthcare users skill
already held ensure the appropriate supply in pharmacy skill
already held follow clinical guidelines skill
already held handle the logistics of medicinal products skill
already held interact with healthcare users skill
already held listen actively skill
already held maintain adequate medication storage conditions skill
already held manage healthcare users' data skill
already held obtain healthcare user's medical status information skill
already held operate cash register skill
already held process medical insurance claims skill
already held provide health education skill
already held refer healthcare users skill
already held use e-health and mobile health technologies skill
already held work in multidisciplinary health teams skill
already held advise on healthcare users' informed consent skill
already held advise on poisoning incidents skill
already held prepare doses of medication according to patient needs skill
already held prepare medication from prescription skill
already held provide pharmaceutical advice skill
already held use foreign languages for health-related research skill

8 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held prepare intravenous packs optional
optional, not held apply context specific clinical competences optional
optional, not held communicate in foreign languages with health service providers optional
optional, not held develop a collaborative therapeutic relationship optional
optional, not held educate on the prevention of illness optional
optional, not held inform policy makers on health-related challenges optional
optional, not held manage schedule of tasks optional
optional, not held provide medication information optional

55 held skills the pharmacy technician role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role accounting techniques knowledge
not needed by the target role analytical chemistry knowledge
not needed by the target role applied therapeutics related to medicines knowledge
not needed by the target role apply blended learning skill
not needed by the target role biological chemistry knowledge
not needed by the target role botany knowledge
not needed by the target role conduct health related research skill
not needed by the target role contribute to public health campaigns skill
not needed by the target role counsel healthcare users on medicines skill
not needed by the target role dispense medicines skill
not needed by the target role ensure client orientation skill
not needed by the target role ensure pharmacovigilance skill
not needed by the target role evaluate scientific data concerning medicines skill
not needed by the target role homeopathy knowledge
not needed by the target role human anatomy knowledge
not needed by the target role hygiene in a health care setting knowledge
not needed by the target role improve safety of medicines skill
not needed by the target role inorganic chemistry knowledge
not needed by the target role maintain medical devices skill
not needed by the target role maintain pharmacy records skill
not needed by the target role manage adverse reactions to drugs skill
not needed by the target role manage medical supply chains skill
not needed by the target role manage medication safety issues skill
not needed by the target role manage personal professional development skill
not needed by the target role manufacture medicines skill
not needed by the target role medical devices knowledge
not needed by the target role medical statistics knowledge
not needed by the target role medicines knowledge
not needed by the target role microbiology-bacteriology knowledge
not needed by the target role monitor patients' medication skill
not needed by the target role nutrition knowledge
not needed by the target role organic chemistry knowledge
not needed by the target role participate in medical inventory control skill
not needed by the target role pedagogy knowledge
not needed by the target role perform project management skill
not needed by the target role perform therapeutic drug monitoring skill
not needed by the target role pharmaceutical chemistry knowledge
not needed by the target role pharmaceutical technology knowledge
not needed by the target role pharmacognosy knowledge
not needed by the target role pharmacokinetics knowledge

15 further entries not listed here

1 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier

required, not held medicines for self-medication required

Index

Other moves recorded from pharmacist

Full index of moves from pharmacist

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.