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SOC 29-2052
Pharmacy technicians (O*NET 29-2052.00) prepare medication under pharmacist direction, and may measure, mix, count, label, and record drug quantities and doses, receive prescriptions, and maintain patient medication records and drug storage. Prescription appropriateness judgment, final release, and individual medication counselling are the responsibility of an authorized pharmacist under local law and organizational policy.
Model impact index for three equally weighted representative core tasks; not a measured share of working time or a job-loss probability. floor((75+0+50)/3+0.5)=42; fermatmind-ai-impact-v1; 2026-10-18.
Next, verify local pharmacy technician training, registration or certification requirements, and pharmacist supervision arrangements; a fictional exercise does not grant independent release or medication counselling authority.
The United States 2025 annual median for this occupation is 45,750 dollars; 2025—2035 shows overall growth of 6.4%, a net gain of 30,100 people, and 44,700 average annual openings including replacement of departures, retirements, and transfers, which is not AI's effect. In China, independent drug retail or hospital main business provides the official industry pre-tax annual average as a conditional reference, while strict percentiles for this occupation are still missing.
Suits people willing to examine prescription entry, drug labels, and inventory records closely in a busy environment and to report doubts to the pharmacist promptly.
Pharmacy technicians prepare medication under pharmacist direction and handle measuring, counting, labeling, data records, and inventory; the United States occupational profile does not directly grant Chinese dispensing or prescription review qualifications.
Pharmacy technicians prepare prescription medication under pharmacist direction, receive and enter orders, measure, count, mix, label, record, and maintain drug storage; pharmaceutical judgment and final release go to the pharmacist.
O*NET states clearly that technicians prepare medication under pharmacist direction and may measure, mix, count, label, and record; it also lists prescription intake, database entry, patient record, and drug storage tasks.
Career direction comparison
Compare task objects, pharmacist supervision, qualifications, and final responsibility, and do not treat experience as a pharmacist licence.
| Career direction | Core work and output | Key differences | Best-fit choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy aides | Incoming deliveries and inventory, prescription intake, cashiering, and support records. | Focuses on counter and receiving work, which may overlap with technical support. | For those who want to compare inventory and counter support first; task authority is verified separately. |
| Pharmacists | Professional review and dispensing, verifying and dispensing drugs, and individual medication guidance. | Pharmacist professional judgment differs from supervised technician preparation. |
AI impact on this career
Insufficient evidence: no verified actual generative AI adoption rate, overall substitution rate, or disappearance year for this occupation. Text organization can be a controlled trial suggestion; barcode inventory robots are tool task background and cannot be counted as a GenAI survey. The overall employment projection is also not attributed to AI. AI Impact Score 42% is an editorial estimate. Model impact index for three equally weighted representative core tasks; not a measured share of working time or a job-loss probability. floor((75+0+50)/3+0.5)=42; fermatmind-ai-impact-v1; 2026-10-18.The three tasks, ratings and sources are listed in the FermatMind method source record on this page.
FermatMind AI Impact Score estimation method v1
FermatMind / 费马测试 · 2026-10-18
Editorial ratings use the existing occupational responsibilities and AI task analysis on this page. They are not adoption rates, measured effects, job-disappearance or personal-unemployment probabilities, or official scores from Stanford or another external institution. No measured time weights or future robot deployment are assumed.
Chinese mainland salary reference
United States SOC29-2052 is an independent statistical occupation and does not serve as a Chinese professional title or licence correspondence table.
The United States pharmacy technician code does not automatically correspond to a Chinese pharmacy assistant, pharmacist, or general data support identity.
Insufficient evidence: median and percentiles were not verified.
Insufficient evidence: comparable-basis percentiles were not verified.
Insufficient evidence: tasks, qualifications, supervision, shift, and pay composition were not completely verified.
United States wage reference
The United States 2025 annual median for this occupation is 45,750 dollars; national percentiles and industry medians for this occupation are kept separate. In China, retail or hospital main business provides the official industry pre-tax annual average as a conditional reference; neither country's statistics provide a quantified GenAI wage causal effect for this occupation.
| Wage statistical position | Annual wage reference | Conversion boundaries | How to understand this position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% | 36,020 dollars/year (10th percentile) | Official annual wage, not personal monthly income | 10th percentile 36,020 dollars, not called an entry-level wage. |
| Median (50%) | 45,750 dollars/year | Official annual wage, not personal take-home pay |
Occupational fit guide
Fit signals are close verification of prescriptions and physical goods, completing counting, labeling, and records under pharmacist supervision, and pausing and reporting doubts promptly.
You may be better suited to： Willing to compare the prescription, patient records, and labels.
These situations need caution： Does not skip pharmacist handover for speed.
Do one entry-level exercise： Use the fictional A1—A5 materials to practice version and strength verification.
Work pressure, risk, and occupational boundaries
The potential errors identified editorially on this page include patient mismatch, version misuse, wrong strengths and quantities, label mismatch, and missed handover; there is no incidence ranking. Storage and privacy policy are verified separately, and on finding open items the corresponding steps are paused and handed to the pharmacist.
O*NET supports prescription entry, supervised preparation, patient records, and storage tasks; the six risks and fictional exercises are editorial synthesis.
Typical scenario：The prescription patient code and the record disagree.
Roles most affected：Patient and pharmacist
Possible consequence：May associate the drug with the wrong patient.
How to reduce risk：
Entry, eligibility, and career development
Start with prescription entry, counting and labeling, inventory, and anomaly handover, and verify the target jurisdiction's training and authorization; pharmacist roles require separate education and a licence.
Occupational outlook and related career moves
United States 2025 employment for this occupation 471.2 to 501.3 thousand in 2035, a net gain of 30.1 thousand and 6.4% growth; 44.7 thousand average annual openings including replacement of departures, retirements, and transfers, which is not AI's effect, Chinese demand, or individual unemployment. Adjacent moves require separate verification of training and qualifications.
United States · United States 29-2052 independent occupation
471.2 thousand (2025) → 501.3 thousand (2035)
Employment scale for this occupation
2025 employment 471.2 thousand, 2035 employment 501.3 thousand; net gain 30.1 thousand.
Does not establish：OOH rounds 6.4% to 6%.
Receive and enter prescription information under pharmacist direction, prepare medication, count and label, maintain patient records and storage records, and hand doubts to the pharmacist.
Technicians center on measuring, counting, preparing, and labeling under pharmacist direction; aide inventory, counter, and support tasks may overlap; pharmacists carry professional review and counselling. The United States profile grants no Chinese appointment qualification, and the actual division of work is verified by jurisdiction and institution.
Choose a real task from this page for a small practice project or a conversation with someone in the field. Use the planning guides to set a date, an output and feedback questions before deciding whether to continue.
Pharmacy technicians receive and enter prescription information and, under pharmacist direction, measure, mix, count, label, and record drugs; they verify patient records and storage conditions and hand doubts to the pharmacist. The specific tasks and authorization follow local law and organizational policy.
Use the completely fictional paper order exercise in A1—A5 to verify prescription versions, patient codes, drug strengths, labels, and inventory records; list only the differences, steps to pause, and items to hand to the pharmacist, without handling real drugs or patients.
Pause the corresponding technical steps and hand to the pharmacist when the patient code, prescription version, drug strength, dose field, or storage status is unclear.
Technicians center on preparing, measuring, counting, labeling, and recording under pharmacist direction; aides focus on inventory and the counter, although support tasks may overlap. Pharmacists carry professional review and counselling; the specific division of work and authority must be verified by jurisdiction and institution.
| Dimension | Primary track | Comparison track |
|---|---|---|
| Core purpose | Pharmacy technicians: accurately prepare and record drugs under pharmacist direction. | Pharmacists: review prescriptions, professional dispensing, and individual medication services. |
| Main objects and basis | Technicians: prescription information, drug strengths and quantities, and patient records. | Pharmacists: prescriptions and clinical medication needs, requiring professional judgment. |
| Core process | Technicians: receive and verify information, enter data, prepare and label under supervision, and keep records. | Pharmacists: review and assess prescriptions, verify and dispense drugs, and provide medication guidance. |
| Main outputs | Technicians: traceable preparation records, labels, and open item handover. | Pharmacists: review findings, dispensing verification results, and counselling records. |
| Responsible party | Technicians: responsible for the accuracy of actual execution records and timely reporting, without judging for the pharmacist. | Pharmacists: carry professional responsibility per practice and organizational authorization. |
| Authority and approval | Technicians: verify registration or certification, organizational task authorization, and pharmacist supervision. | Pharmacists: authority comes from the target jurisdiction's professional entry and institutional practice arrangements. |
| Conclusion boundaries | Technicians: the United States code is not the same as a Chinese pharmacy assistant appointment qualification or an independent prescription review licence. | Pharmacists: even the United States profile cannot automatically determine specific Chinese qualifications. |
Hand missing items to the pharmacist.
Verify versions.
Per authorization.
Pause on differences.
Report anomalies.
The pharmacist reviews and releases.
First verify the employer's locality and actual setting, then the prescription tasks, pharmacist supervision, education and training, registration qualifications, and shifts; the same name does not mean the same authority or wage basis.
Verify local pharmacy regulation and institutional professional appointment requirements.
Ask whether it is retail and outpatient flow or hospital inpatient supply.
Ask which entry, counting, or labeling steps are supervised by whom.
Ask who receives doubts and who is responsible for final review and release.
Verify medium-term training and additional qualifications for specific sterile procedures.
| For those willing to obtain separate professional pharmacy education and target jurisdiction qualifications. |
| Medical assistants | Vital signs and history records, preparation for diagnosis and treatment, and administrative assistance. | Administrative and some clinical support under physician direction. | For those willing to learn separate clinical support processes, training, and local entry requirements. |
|---|
| Medical secretaries | Appointments, documentation, medical records, and billing administration records. | Mainly appointments, records, and billing administration, not drug preparation. | For those who prefer medical documentation and appointment processes. |
|---|
| Retail pharmacy technician direction | Outpatient prescription entry, counting and labeling, payment, and handover. | This occupation's retail setting, requiring patient communication and pharmacist supervision. | Able to keep verifying identity and versions despite counter interruptions. |
|---|
| Hospital pharmacy technician direction | Inpatient drug preparation, records, and departmental delivery. | This occupation's hospital setting, where specific sterile IV tasks require training. | For those willing to verify separate in-hospital training, shifts, and departmental supply. |
|---|
Technicians prepare medication under pharmacist direction; aides focus on inventory and the counter although actual tasks may overlap; pharmacists carry professional review and counselling. Medical assistants work under physician direction on administrative and some clinical support, and medical secretaries focus on records, appointments, and administration; qualifications are not automatically mutually recognized by the Chinese name.
First use this page's fictional version, patient, strength and quantity, and label conflicts to practice close verification and handover habits, then compare real recruitment tasks and qualifications; the exercise does not replace real pharmacy training or authorization.
Editorial trial suggestion: organizing materials or handover drafts with no real patients; physical counting and label correspondence still require actual verification.
Insufficient evidence: the specific pharmacy tool types, deployment scope, and adoption rates are not verified; "can do" must not be written as "has adopted".
Insufficient evidence: no causal estimate of AI-caused job gains or losses in this occupation was verified; the BLS overall net gain serves as background separately.
| Work area | Task | Current change | Human control point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prescription intake | Verify patient and prescription fields | The system can prompt on missing items | People verify the original documents and versions. |
| Record entry | Maintain patient medication records | AI can organize fields | People verify accuracy and permissions. |
| Drug preparation | Supervised measuring or counting | Automation can assist | Pharmacist direction and final review. |
| Labeling | Compare the drug and label | Barcodes can prompt on differences | People verify the physical drug and prescription. |
| Storage and inventory | Maintain conditions and quantities | The system can alert on expiry | People verify on-site status. |
| Handover records | Write doubts and the recipient | The system can summarize drafts | The pharmacist verifies open items. |
| Privacy | Restrict access to patient information | The system can keep an audit trail | The organization verifies permissions and retention. |
Task exposure, tool capability, organizational adoption, and net job change are different evidence layers. The studies below provide no Chinese pharmacy technician adoption rate, substitution rate, or individual unemployment probability.
The following is an editorial comparison of trials and human responsibility, not a survey of actual deployment in institutions for this occupation; pharmacist professional review and the actual drug, label, and patient correspondence must be reviewed per policy.
AI primarily changesCan prompt on missing fields
Human responsibility remainsPeople verify the original prescription.
AI primarily changesBarcode or counting devices can assist verification; not all of them are generative AI.
Human responsibility remainsPeople verify the drug, label, and patient.
AI primarily changesCan organize handover drafts
Human responsibility remainsThe pharmacist reviews and finally releases.
The editorial suggested trial loop: first limit materials and authorization, keep the original input, verify the output, mark open items, and then hand pharmaceutical questions to an authorized pharmacist. Tool drafts do not constitute clinical review.
Define the task and purpose: data assistance only within the approved scope.
Keep inputs and versions: the exercise uses no real prescriptions or patient information.
Verify output against the physical goods: strengths, quantities, and labels must not be guessed or filled in by the model.
Write open items and handover: pause on conflicts and keep the source and time.
Handled by responsible personnel: pharmaceutical judgment goes to the pharmacist, and authority and records follow policy.
The model may generate non-existent fields or confuse patient versions.
Control: Compare against the original materials; unknown states remain unknown and are not auto-completed.
Prescriptions may contain sensitive medical and health information, and the scope of external sharing must be lawful and necessary.
Control: Verify the lawful basis and organizational approval, de-identification, and access control.
Missing input tool versions and revision records hinder traceability.
Control: Keep inputs, outputs, operator, time, and revision traces.
Confusing strength units, quantities, or pay periods misleads preparation or comparison.
Control: Verify each field against the original materials and units; real drug processes are reviewed per organizational policy.
Treating a tool draft as a release loses the responsibility boundary.
Control: Mark drafts and open items, hand pharmaceutical questions to an authorized pharmacist, and do not self-authorize.
First learn prescription information and label and quantity verification; tool suggestions are for paper trials only.
First verify authorized tools and de-identification scope, review outputs, and do not change treatment plans.
Define issue escalation, human review, and record responsibility.
Verify actual deployment, training, and error records, and do not use exposure research as a hiring metric.
There is no overall AI substitution rate for this occupation; exposure frameworks do not replace organizational deployment and job causal evidence.
Source: The ILO global task exposure framework; it provides no adoption or substitution rate for this occupation.Original source ↗
The BLS typical requirement is high school or equivalent and medium-term on-the-job training; programming is not listed as a typical entry requirement for this occupation, and specific employers are verified separately.
Source: BLS29-2052 typical preparation and the OOH state regulation note.Original source ↗
Text material organization may be trialed; the model cannot automatically decide prescriptions, strengths and quantities, or pharmacist verification results based on this page.
Source: GPT task impact potential; the application here is editorial advice.Original source ↗
BLS2025—2035 overall growth of 6.4% and a net gain of 30,100 people, not AI's separate effect or a Chinese projection.
Source: BLS29-2052 independent overall projections.Original source ↗
Pharmacist review authority cannot be inferred from AI tool capability; prescription responsibilities in Chinese medical institutions are divided by appointment qualifications, and in the United States by state and institution.
Source: NIST supports responsibility and review governance only; pharmacy authority is in the prescription administration measures register.Original source ↗
Insufficient evidence: no disappearance year was verified; potential task impact research does not predict organizational adoption timelines.
Source: The GPT study scope and its limit of not predicting adoption timelines.Original source ↗
First learn identity and version verification, strength and quantity and label records, pausing on doubts, and pharmacist handover, then verify authorized tools and sensitive data permissions.
Source: NIST risk governance; the specific pharmacy exercise is editorial organization.Original source ↗
First verify the specific tasks, jurisdictional qualifications, and organizational supervision, then compare tool trials; rule-based equipment and generative AI are kept separate, and the BLS overall net gain and openings including replacements cannot be read as AI results.
Insufficient evidence: no complete currently valid Chinese recruitment quote for this occupation was verified.
| Education background | Common role directions | Notes and verification advice |
|---|---|---|
| United States typical high school or equivalent | United States technician entry preparation | BLS medium-term on-the-job training; most states regulate, and specific certification requirements are verified separately. |
| Those intending to work in Chinese medical institution dispensing | Pharmacy professional appointment qualifications and organizational arrangements | Pharmacy assistants dispense; pharmacists and above review, verify, dispense, and guide, and a United States degree is not a substitute. |
| Specific Chinese pharmacy support roles | Actual authorized tasks such as data and inventory | Verify recruitment education, major, training, and tasks item by item, and do not invent a uniform education requirement or quote. |
| Those continuing professional pharmacy study | Pharmacist or a specific hospital specialty direction | Verify the degree, professional title, practice, and training separately; they are not obtained automatically from technician experience. |
The historical pharmacy department notice does not correspond strictly one to one with United States 29-2052 or prove a current opening.
Matches the wholesale and retail conditional reference; actual openings and shifts are verified separately, not an industry demand count.
Referenced by the health main business; in-hospital dispensing qualifications and sterile procedure training are verified separately.
First verify the employer's principal economic activity, and do not automatically extend the hospital or drug retail reference.
Insufficient evidence: no verified causal quantification of generative AI causing wage gains or losses in this occupation.
| Median 45,750 dollars, the midpoint of the wage distribution. |
| Highest 10% | 61,040 dollars/year (90th percentile) | Official annual wage, not personal take-home pay | 90th percentile 61,040 dollars, not a personal income ceiling. |
|---|
Pay · 10th percentile：36,020 dollars/year (10th percentile)；2025 10th percentile 36,020 dollars, not a new-hire starting wage.；O*NET wage page
Pay · 25th percentile：37,850 dollars/year；2025 25th percentile 37,850 dollars, not corresponding to particular seniority.；O*NET wage page
Pay · median：45,750 dollars/year；2025 annual median 45,750 dollars, not an individual quote.；O*NET wage page
Pay · 75th percentile：49,990 dollars/year；2025 75th percentile 49,990 dollars, not a role grade.；O*NET wage page
Pay · 90th percentile：61,040 dollars/year (90th percentile)；2025 90th percentile 61,040 dollars, not a personal income guarantee.；O*NET wage page
No. 45,750 dollars is this occupation's 2025 annual median, not a new-hire starting wage.
The 2025 national 10th/25th/50th/75th/90th hourly wages are 17.32/18.20/22.00/24.04/29.35 dollars; these are kept separate from annual pay, and individual income is not derived from self-defined hours.
The national 2025 wage percentiles come from the O*NET reprint of BLS, and the segment medians for this occupation come from the OOH; the EP employment 2025—2035 overall growth is 6.4%, the OOH rounds to 6%, and populations and measures are interpreted separately.
The United States 29-2052 pharmacy technician 2025 annual wage percentiles are an occupational distribution and do not equal a new-hire starting wage, Chinese wages, or an individual quote; wages and employment projections are different measurements.
| Industry | Annual wage median / statistical status | How to understand this value |
|---|---|---|
| Hospitals (state, local, and private) | 50,760 dollars/year | The 2025 annual wage median for this occupation in that segment; not all industry personnel average or an individual quote. |
| Outpatient care services | 48,860 dollars/year | The 2025 annual wage median for this occupation in that segment; not all industry personnel average or an individual quote. |
| General merchandise retail | 48,150 dollars/year | The 2025 annual wage median for this occupation in that segment; not all industry personnel average or an individual quote. |
| Pharmacies and drug retail | 39,240 dollars/year | The 2025 annual wage median for this occupation in that segment; not all industry personnel average or an individual quote. |
The wage distribution is a salaried occupation statistic, and actual city quotes require separate verification.
The medians for this occupation differ across hospitals, outpatient care, and drug retail, and an all-occupation industry average is not passed off as them.
Shift, specific training, and local regulation require checking the actual role; this page does not quantify the wage causal effect of each factor.
BLS 29-2052 independent occupation 2025 employment 471.2 thousand.；BLS projections table
BLS 29-2052 independent occupation 2025 employment 471.2 thousand and 501.3 thousand in 2035, 6.4% growth and a net gain of 30.1 thousand.；BLS projections table
The 2025—2035 average annual openings include replacement of departures, retirements, and transfers； distinct from the ten-year net gain of 30,100 people and current hiring counts.；BLS projections table
Conventional, realistic, and social interests rank relatively high; compare against tasks rather than treating a group description as an individual assessment.
Observe first whether the person is willing to do repeated records, quantity and label verification, and patient communication.
Which Holland type is closer to pharmacy technicians?
This occupation's O*NET interest order puts C conventional / R realistic / S social relatively high; group interests can suggest preferences for careful data verification, hands-on work, and service communication, and are not an individual hiring conclusion.
Do not use it this way: Individual interest scores grant no dispensing or prescription review qualification, and real tasks and training are still verified.
Test my Holland occupational interestsWhich Big Five traits are more relevant to this job?
Careful verification habits and returning to verification after interruption are worth observing; this page establishes no validity for Big Five scores predicting performance in this occupation.
Do not use it this way: An extroversion or conscientiousness score cannot replace pharmacy training and actual review.
See my Big Five personality traitsCan MBTI tell me whether I fit pharmacy technician work?
MBTI can help describe communication preferences; no evidence of a type predicting performance in this occupation was verified, and no best type can be designated.
Do not use it this way: Do not reject a role by MBTI type; compare with executable training and deliverables.
Understand my MBTI preferencesCan the Enneagram tell me whether I fit this occupation?
The Enneagram can support self-reflection; no validation for performance in this occupation was verified, and it is not used for hiring screening.
Do not use it this way: Pausing on doubts and handover behavior under pressure require actual observation, and no authorization is given by Enneagram label.
Explore my Enneagram patternsCan I be a pharmacy technician if I am bad at math?
Accurate verification of quantities and units is required and proficiency can be observed in training; this page sets no IQ or math score threshold.
Do not use it this way: This exercise has no real drug names, doses, or directions; an IQ score does not replace specific training and professional qualifications.
Understand my intelligence and reasoning performanceDo pharmacy technicians need high emotional intelligence?
Clearly explaining doubts and referring to the pharmacist per the rules when the patient is anxious is helpful; there is no evidence of a minimum EQ score.
Do not use it this way: An emotional intelligence score does not authorize medication counselling or independent handling of treatment conflicts.
Understand my emotional intelligenceFits better when: Likes prescription flow and customer handover.
Watch for: Final pharmacist review is verified separately.
Explore related career: Pharmacy techniciansFits better when: Likes inpatient drugs and departmental collaboration.
Watch for: Organizational training and shifts are verified separately.
Explore related career: Pharmacy techniciansFits better when: Likes inventory, batch numbers, and expiry.
Watch for: Does not judge drug quality on its own.
Explore related career: Pharmacy technicians: inventory and records directionFits better when: Likes the front counter and receiving.
Watch for: Technical task scopes differ.
Explore related career: Pharmacy aidesFits better when: Willing to study pharmacy long term.
Watch for: Degree and licence must be verified separately.
Explore related career: PharmacistsFits better when: Willing to learn health information systems, databases, and data analysis; existing record verification experience transfers only part of the ability.
Watch for: Verify system and data analysis training and patient data permissions separately; pharmacy entry experience is not full health information professional preparation.
Explore related career: Health information technologistsWillingness to do repeated close verification and to pause and hand over on conflicts is an observable signal; a personality label cannot guarantee suitability.
Introverts can also train clear handover and records and still need comparison against actual service tasks.
Extroversion aids communication but does not mean accurate quantities and versions; materials and rules are still verified.
No best MBTI type for this occupation was verified; compare with real training and this page's fictional deliverables.
O*NET C conventional 100/R realistic 54/S social 39 rank relatively high; this is not an individual fit rate.
Insufficient evidence: no valid mapping from this page's assessment scores to performance in this occupation was verified.
Quantity and unit accuracy requires practice; the A3 strength and A4 quantity and label are paper comparison only, and no threshold is set by IQ.
Clearly explaining doubts and referring to the pharmacist matters, but there is no evidence of a minimum EQ score.
No validity for Enneagram classification predicting performance in this occupation was verified; it can support self-reflection and is not used for hiring screening.
Submit the version and identity conflict card, the strength and quantity list, and the label handover note, keeping the drafts, revisions, and open items, and compare the actual tasks you like.
Evidence：O*NET pharmacy technicians · editor
Typical scenario：The two prescription versions have different sign-off status.
Roles most affected：Patient and pharmacist
Possible consequence：May prepare based on an expired version.
How to reduce risk：Mark the version and doubts and do not choose on your own.
Evidence：O*NET pharmacy technicians · editor
Typical scenario：The drug strength field and the shelf label disagree.
Roles most affected：Patient and pharmacy
Possible consequence：The prepared drug may be wrong.
How to reduce risk：Quarantine the related drug and verify the physical goods.
Evidence：O*NET pharmacy technicians · editor
Typical scenario：The counting record and the physical goods disagree.
Roles most affected：Patient and pharmacist
Possible consequence：The drug quantity may be wrong.
How to reduce risk：Stop the next step, have two people verify, and record.
Evidence：O*NET pharmacy technicians · editor
Typical scenario：The printed label and the prescription field disagree.
Roles most affected：Patient and pharmacist
Possible consequence：The patient may take the medication incorrectly.
How to reduce risk：Stop labeling or delivery and hand to the pharmacist for verification.
Evidence：O*NET pharmacy technicians · editor
Typical scenario：The anomaly was only stated verbally with no recipient recorded.
Roles most affected：Pharmacist and next shift
Possible consequence：The pharmacist may miss the doubt.
How to reduce risk：Write the source, time, status, and recipient.
Evidence：O*NET pharmacy technicians · editor
| Entry-level roles | What you mainly do early on | What employers usually look at | How to prove yourself without experience | How it differs from other directions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy technician entry | Learn prescription entry and drug preparation processes. | Can identify information gaps. | A1—A5 fictional verification card. | Requires pharmacist supervision. |
| Supervised technician | Counting, labeling, records, and inventory. | Can hand over anomalies accurately. | Fictional labels and handover note. | Does not release independently. |
| Hospital technical direction | Learn inpatient drug flow. | Verify organizational training and authorization. | Simulated departmental handover. | Specialization is verified separately. |
| Retail technical direction | Learn outpatient prescription flow. | Verify the patient and label. | Simulated counter handover. | Medication counselling goes to the pharmacist. |
| Pharmacist direction | Requires separate pharmacy education and a licence. | Pharmaceutical judgment ability. | Study plan. | Experience does not replace a licence. |
BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent and medium-term on-the-job training as typical; states and employers may differ.
Verify the target jurisdiction.
Use the A1—A5 to show version, patient, strength, and label gaps.
Does not handle real drugs.
O*NET lists preparing medication under pharmacist direction, entry, labeling, and records.
Verify role authorization.
Write the source, time, recipient, and open items.
Patient information is minimized.
You are a supervised technician at the fictional Qinghe Pharmacy and do paper verification only. A1: coded patient P has two prescription versions, and the sign-off status of the newer version is unknown.
A2: the patient code entered in the system is Q, which disagrees with paper prescription P.
A3: the strength field of fictional drug A differs from the shelf label; this exercise has no real drug names, doses, or directions.
A4: the simulated count record disagrees with the paper planned quantity, and the printed label also follows the old version.
A5: the organizational rule requires pausing the related steps when the patient, valid version, strength, quantity, or label disagree, and handing to supervising pharmacist Lin Lan; the treatment plan is not corrected independently.
The A1 version, A2 patient, A3 strength, and A4 quantity and label each have separate gaps; write the source and open items first.
The A5 hands the unresolved doubts with the time to Lin Lan; technicians cannot release drugs on their own.
Submit the A1—A5 evidence card, conflict list, and pause and handover note; no real patient or drug information is used.
A1 lists the two versions and the sign-off gap.
Cannot pick a version on your own.
A2 lists the P and Q conflict.
Do not merge the records.
A3 and A4 list the field and physical differences.
A4 old label and A5 pharmacist recipient.
| Stage | What may be assessed | Observable evidence | Boundaries of use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prescription version | The A1 sign-off status is unclear | List the versions to be verified | Do not choose on your own |
| Patient identity | The A2 paper P and system Q disagree | Pause entry and report | Do not merge the information |
| Drug strength and quantity | The A3 and A4 fields conflict |
Read A1—A5 and mark the prohibited actions.
Compare the A1 prescription versions.
Verify the A2 patient code.
Check the A3 strength field.
Check the A4 quantity and label.
Write the A5 pharmacist handover and review it.
Submit the conflict cards and revision records.
| Eligibility / status | Who it mainly suits | Real job-search role | Whether it is a general hiring threshold | Application / registration requirements | Investment level | Important limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Role entry | Preparing to enter pharmacy technician roles | BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical | Requirements differ by region | Check local rules | Medium-term on-the-job training | Do not release independently |
| Organizational mentoring |
Typical scope：Paper or supervised work only.
Readiness evidence：List differences and open items.
Credential boundary：Learn retail pharmacy technology fundamentals.
Next moves：Use the fictional A1—A5 materials to verify outpatient prescriptions, labels, and counter handover.
Typical scope：Pause first when information is unclear.
Readiness evidence：Can record and hand over anomalies.
Credential boundary：Complete organizational retail pharmacy technology mentoring.
Next moves：Handle outpatient prescriptions, labels, and counter handover under pharmacist supervision.
Typical scope：Does not release independently.
Readiness evidence：Records with a source, time, and recipient.
Credential boundary：Work per jurisdiction and organizational authorization.
Next moves：Verify outpatient prescriptions, labels, and counter handover and hand to the pharmacist.
Typical scope：Clinical judgment goes to the pharmacist.
Readiness evidence：Can show difference closure.
Credential boundary：Coordination is appointed by the organization.
Next moves：Review the quality of outpatient prescriptions, labels, and counter handover.
Typical scope：Paper or supervised work only.
Readiness evidence：List differences and open items.
Credential boundary：Learn hospital pharmacy technology fundamentals.
Next moves：Use the fictional A1—A5 materials to verify inpatient drugs and departmental handover.
Typical scope：Pause first when information is unclear.
Readiness evidence：Can record and hand over anomalies.
Credential boundary：Complete organizational hospital pharmacy technology mentoring.
Next moves：Handle inpatient drugs and departmental handover under pharmacist supervision.
Typical scope：Does not release independently.
Readiness evidence：Records with a source, time, and recipient.
Credential boundary：Work per jurisdiction and organizational authorization.
Next moves：Verify inpatient drugs and departmental handover and hand to the pharmacist.
Typical scope：Paper or supervised work only.
Readiness evidence：List differences and open items.
Credential boundary：Learn inventory and system fundamentals.
Next moves：Use the A1—A5 paper materials to verify version and identity, strength and quantity, and labels; the prompt provides no storage or batch number records, and none are fabricated.
Typical scope：Pause first when information is unclear.
Readiness evidence：Can record and hand over anomalies.
Credential boundary：Complete organizational inventory and systems mentoring.
Next moves：Handle storage, batch numbers, and entry quality under pharmacist supervision.
Typical scope：Does not release independently.
Readiness evidence：Records with a source, time, and recipient.
Credential boundary：Work per jurisdiction and organizational authorization.
Verify storage, batch numbers, and entry quality and hand to the pharmacist.
Identify fictional prescription version and patient information conflicts.
Supervised preparation, labeling, and records.
Hand open items to the pharmacist.
Coordinate record quality without making pharmaceutical judgments.
United States · United States 29-2052 independent occupation
6.4% growth; 44.7 thousand average annual openings (including replacements)
Employment growth and openings
The independent BLS row projects 6.4% growth.
Does not establish：44.7 thousand average annual openings include replacement of departures, retirements, and transfers; distinct from the ten-year net gain of 30.1 thousand and current hiring counts, and not an individual unemployment probability.
Chinese mainland · Occupational scope and period require separate verification
Insufficient evidence: no verified independent employment growth or openings for this occupation in China.
China occupational projection evidence status
Insufficient evidence: no verified independent occupational employment projection strictly corresponding to pharmacy technicians in China; the United States 6.4% growth is not treated as a Chinese trend.
Does not establish：Chinese industry wages cannot serve as an employment projection for this occupation.
These are capability relationships, not automatic promotions or credential waivers.
Transfers：Quantities, labels, records, and pharmacist collaboration are transferable.
Build next：Verify the target inventory, counter, or support division of work and training, and do not automatically expand authorization.
View career profileTransfers：Pharmacy processes, data accuracy, and problem referral are transferable.
Build next：Add professional pharmacy education, internship, and target jurisdiction qualifications.
View career profileTransfers：Patient data accuracy, communication, and rule-based referral are transferable.
Build next：Add physician-directed clinical support training and local entry requirements.
View career profileTransfers：Data verification, phone, and permission habits are transferable.
Build next：Add appointments, medical records and documentation, and billing and coding administration.
Career profile unavailableTransfers：Process observation, handover, and record quality are transferable.
Build next：Add service planning, budgeting and personnel management, and formal appointment.
View career profileTransfers：Explaining processes, communication, and timely referral are transferable.
Build next：Add community health resource liaison and local service training.
View career profileTransfers：Record accuracy, source, and permission habits are transferable.
Build next：Add health information database systems and data analysis governance.
View career profileTransfers：Mentoring records and clear process explanation experience are transferable.
Build next：Add the target school's academic degree and teaching appointment requirements.
View career profileUse the fictional A1—A5 materials to verify the prescription version, patient code, strength, quantity, and label, and see whether you can pause promptly and hand to the pharmacist.
Insufficient evidence: this occupation's actual GenAI adoption and overall substitution rate are not verified. Text drafts are editorial trial suggestions only; barcode counting robots are not all GenAI, and physical goods and professional review require actual verification.
Independent drug retail main business conditionally references the 2025 wholesale and retail non-private 135749 / private 69622 yuan pre-tax annual average; hospital and primary care uses health and social work 146266/75631. These are related urban legal-person multi-occupation averages, excluding the self-employed and freelance, not this occupation's percentiles or personal monthly take-home pay; a strict wage distribution and complete current quotes are still missing.
No. 45,750 dollars is the United States 29-2052 pharmacy technicians 2025 annual median.
The United States BLS typical requirement is high school or equivalent and medium-term on-the-job training, with most states regulating technicians and some states or employers requiring certification. Dispensing in Chinese medical institutions requires a pharmacy professional appointment qualification; United States training does not equal Chinese pharmacy assistant status.
Independent prescription review authority cannot be inferred from this page's occupational materials. In Chinese medical institutions pharmacy assistants dispense while pharmacists and above review, assess, verify, dispense, and guide; in the United States this occupation follows state rules and pharmacist supervision, and qualifications are not mutually recognized.
This page editorially identifies potential risks such as patient mismatch, version misuse, wrong strengths and quantities, label mismatch, storage anomalies, and missed handover; there is no error incidence ranking.
The United States 2025—2035 overall net gain is 30100 people and 6.4% growth, with 44700 average annual openings including replacement of departures, retirements, and transfers, which is not AI causation, a Chinese projection, or individual unemployment. Moving to pharmacist requires separate verification of the professional degree and qualifications; other directions are also verified by actual tasks and training.
Compiled and edited by the FermatMind career content team; no line-by-line review by pharmacy technician practitioners was obtained.
The original verification dates are retained as history; this round on 2026-10-12 verified O*NET tasks and interests for this occupation, national wages, BLS industry wages and the independent projection, and Articles 29—31 of the prescription administration measures on the Fuxin Taiping official site. Chinese statistical wages, PIPL, and the prescription review standards continue from evidence already verified in this window; the Wuhe County historical notice and the classification PDF text were not obtained and are not claimed as full-text review this round.
Tasks follow O*NET29-2052; United States wages use the 2025 national percentiles and industry medians for this occupation, and employment uses the BLS overall independent row. In China, the official industry pre-tax annual average is given as a conditional reference by employer main business, while a precise distribution for this occupation and a complete current quote are still missing.
Limitations：An occupational group profile, not hiring, a GenAI adoption survey, or Chinese clinical authority; the historical ID alias is not independent research.
Limitations：The salaried wage basis and overall employment are kept separate; not used for AI causation, Chinese projections, or individual unemployment.
Limitations：Not starting pay, extremes, individual after-tax pay, an industry all-occupation average, or Chinese compensation.
Limitations：Related urban legal-person multi-occupation statistics, excluding the self-employed and freelance; not this occupation's percentiles or personal monthly take-home pay, and not a United States code mapping.
Limitations：Applicable medical institutions; this cannot serve as the full Personal Information Protection Law text, a hiring education requirement, or the three-year prescription review condition for all pharmacy assistant dispensing.
Limitations：Applicable medical institutions; this cannot serve as the full Personal Information Protection Law text, a hiring education requirement, or the three-year prescription review condition for all pharmacy assistant dispensing.
Limitations：For adjacent task definition comparison only; its wages, tasks, or qualifications do not cover this occupation, and automatic transfer is not guaranteed.
Limitations：For adjacent task definition comparison only; its wages, tasks, or qualifications do not cover this occupation, and automatic transfer is not guaranteed.
Limitations：For adjacent task definition comparison only; its wages, tasks, or qualifications do not cover this occupation, and automatic transfer is not guaranteed.
Limitations：For adjacent task definition comparison only; its wages, tasks, or qualifications do not cover this occupation, and automatic transfer is not guaranteed.
Limitations：Potential exposure, not this occupation's actual adoption, substitution, or individual unemployment.
Limitations：Uses no real patients or drugs, authorizes no dispensing or prescription review, and proves no recruitment statistic or assessment validity.
Limitations：Grants no pharmacy licence and proves no clinical effectiveness or actual adoption in this occupation.
Limitations：Does not predict adoption timelines or provide this occupation's GenAI substitution or clinical effectiveness.
Limitations：Employer expectations, not actual pharmacy technician deployment or job causal evidence.
Limitations：An occupational group profile, not hiring, a GenAI adoption survey, or Chinese clinical authority; the historical ID alias is not independent research.
Limitations：An occupational group profile, not hiring, a GenAI adoption survey, or Chinese clinical authority; the historical ID alias is not independent research.
Limitations：Related urban legal-person multi-occupation statistics, excluding the self-employed and freelance; not this occupation's percentiles or personal monthly take-home pay, and not a United States code mapping.
Limitations：The salaried wage basis and overall employment are kept separate; not used for AI causation, Chinese projections, or individual unemployment.
Limitations：Not starting pay, extremes, individual after-tax pay, an industry all-occupation average, or Chinese compensation.
Limitations：An occupational group profile, not hiring, a GenAI adoption survey, or Chinese clinical authority; the historical ID alias is not independent research.
Limitations：An occupational group profile, not hiring, a GenAI adoption survey, or Chinese clinical authority; the historical ID alias is not independent research.
Limitations：Not starting pay, extremes, individual after-tax pay, an industry all-occupation average, or Chinese compensation.
Limitations：An occupational group profile, not hiring, a GenAI adoption survey, or Chinese clinical authority; the historical ID alias is not independent research.
Limitations：The unit's industry or wages are not decided by the job title, and this is not a compensation statistic for this occupation.
Limitations：The lawful basis, sensitive information conditions, and organizational policy must be verified specifically; this is not pharmacy qualification or assessment evidence.
Limitations：United States pharmacy technicians do not automatically equal Chinese pharmacy assistants; the medical institution scope is not automatically extended to all retail or support roles.
Limitations：Not a strict United States 29-2052 correspondence; no specific task, supervision, shift, or pay figures, and it does not prove a current opening.
Limitations：Only the adjacent occupation definition was verified; no claim is made about complete course qualifications or guaranteed automatic transfer for technicians.
Limitations：Only the adjacent occupation definition was verified; no claim is made about complete course qualifications or guaranteed automatic transfer for technicians.
Limitations：Only the adjacent occupation definition was verified; no claim is made about complete course qualifications or guaranteed automatic transfer for technicians.
Limitations：Only the adjacent occupation definition was verified; no claim is made about complete course qualifications or guaranteed automatic transfer for technicians.
Limitations：Editorial ratings use the existing occupational responsibilities and AI task analysis on this page. They are not adoption rates, measured effects, job-disappearance or personal-unemployment probabilities, or official scores from Stanford or another external institution. No measured time weights or future robot deployment are assumed.
The Chinese page explains the United States pharmacy technician occupational scope and the boundaries of local pharmacist supervision; A1—A5 is completely fictional and not for real prescriptions or drugs.
MBTI (English) · Big Five (English) · MBTI (Chinese) · Big Five (Chinese)
Check shift and standing time, wage unit, and composition, and do not use the national median as a quote.
| Verify the physical goods and mark as open |
| Give no dose advice |
| Label and handover | The A4 old label and the A5 rules | Write the Lin Lan recipient | Do not release independently |
|---|
| New technicians |
| Learn entry, counting, and labeling |
| Per organizational arrangements |
| Verify pharmacist supervision |
| On-the-job training |
| Must not exceed authority |
| Qualification registration | Where the jurisdiction requires it | Certification or registration rules may differ | Depends on the locality | Check with the competent authority | Cycles differ | A certificate is not a pharmacist licence |
|---|
| Hospital direction | Those intending to work in inpatient pharmacy | Departmental supply and system training | Organizational rules | Check with the hospital | Role training | Specialization does not automatically expand authority |
|---|
| Retail direction | Those intending to work in outpatient pharmacy | Patient data and counter handover | Organizational rules | Check with the pharmacy | Role training | Medication counselling goes to the pharmacist |
|---|
| Continuing education | Working technicians | Keep systems and safety processes updated | Local rules | Check with the competent authority | Ongoing | Coursework does not automatically authorize |
|---|
Typical scope：Clinical judgment goes to the pharmacist.
Readiness evidence：Can show difference closure.
Credential boundary：Coordination is appointed by the organization.
Next moves：Review the quality of inpatient drugs and departmental handover.
Typical scope：Clinical judgment goes to the pharmacist.
Readiness evidence：Can show difference closure.
Credential boundary：Coordination is appointed by the organization.
Next moves：Review the quality of storage and entry records and retain sources and open item handover.
Limitations：United States state regulation is not a substitute for Chinese qualifications; the overall growth is not AI causation, and annual openings include replacements.
