Onboarding plan
Pharmacy Technician Onboarding Plan (30-60-90 Days)
A practical, printable plan to take a new pharmacy technician from first day to full productivity.
Pharmacy Technician onboarding at a glance
Week one covers orientation, safety and shadowing. Days 1–30 build vocabulary and supervised practice on core procedures; days 31–60 move to independent work with competency sign-offs; days 61–90 focus on full productivity, cross-training and a credential plan.
Before day one
- Confirm start date, schedule, pay and supervisor in writing
- Verify required credentials: CPhT (PTCB), ExCPT (NHA) (as applicable)
- Prepare equipment and access: pharmacy management systems (such as PioneerRx, Rx30 or EnterpriseRx); counting trays and spatulas; automated dispensing cabinets (such as Pyxis or Omnicell); laminar airflow hoods for sterile compounding
- Assign a buddy or preceptor
- Enroll the new hire in Pharmacy Technician training so foundations are covered before or during week one
Week one: orient and protect
- Workplace tour, emergency procedures and incident reporting
- Verify every product by barcode or NDC before it reaches the pharmacist
- Use gloves and proper ventilation when handling hazardous drugs such as chemotherapy agents (USP <800>)
- Follow DEA rules for receiving, storing and counting controlled substances
- Report errors and near-misses: they help prevent future harm
- Shadow an experienced pharmacy technician through a full shift
- Training modules 1–3: role foundations, a day on the job and essential vocabulary (15 terms)
Days 1–30: learn
Goal: perform core tasks safely under supervision.
- Supervised practice: calculate days’ supply
- Supervised practice: fill a prescription accurately
- Supervised practice: resolve an insurance rejection
- Training modules 4–7: duties, step-by-step tasks, tools and safety
- 30-day check-in: confidence, questions and early wins
Days 31–60: contribute
Goal: handle a regular workload independently.
- Receive prescriptions and enter patient, drug and prescriber information accurately: independently
- Count, measure, pour and package medications for pharmacist verification: independently
- Process insurance claims and resolve rejections and prior authorizations: independently
- Manage inventory, check expiration dates and receive orders: independently
- Competency sign-offs completed (see checklist below)
- Training final knowledge check and certificate of completion
- 60-day check-in
Days 61–90: own
Goal: full productivity and a growth plan.
- Meet productivity and quality targets for the role
- Begin cross-training on a secondary task
- Agree on a credential goal (for example, CPhT (PTCB))
- Discuss the career path: Pharmacy Technician → Certified or Lead Technician → Hospital, Sterile Compounding or Specialty Tech
- 90-day review
Competency checklist
| Skill or task | Trained | Observed | Signed off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculate Days’ Supply | |||
| Fill a Prescription Accurately | |||
| Resolve an Insurance Rejection | |||
| Prescription entry and interpretation | |||
| Pharmacy math and dosage calculations | |||
| Insurance claims adjudication | |||
| Inventory management |
How to measure onboarding success
- Days until the new hire works without a preceptor
- Competency sign-offs completed on time
- Documentation or charting error rate
- 90-day retention
How Pharmacy Technician training maps to this plan
- Introduction to the Pharmacy Technician Role
- A Day on the Job
- Essential Pharmacy Technician Vocabulary
- Core Duties and Responsibilities
- Common Tasks, Step by Step
- Tools, Equipment and Technology
- Safety, Compliance and Professional Standards
- Skills Employers Look For
- Launching Your Pharmacy Technician Career
- Final Knowledge Check