The Tech Truth: Stepping Up as Pharmacy Technician Leaders

We are in a defining moment for pharmacy technicians. Health care is shifting fast with new staffing models, technology, patient expectations, and more. And right now, pharmacy technicians have a window to step into more advanced, impactful roles. But opportunity means nothing without action.

Here’s the truth: if we want raises, growth, or recognition, we need to keep proving our value, not only through hard work (which we already do), but by stepping up as problem-solvers, change-makers, and leaders. Our voices need to be at the table not just to share concerns, but to offer solutions. It’s no longer just about asking for a seat. It’s about showing we’ve earned it, taking it, and making our impact undeniable.

Pharmacy Technicians Are in Demand

Technicians need to be at the table | Image credit: SneakyPeakPoints/peopleimages.com | stock.adobe.com

Pharmacy techs are more essential than ever. With staffing shortages, burnout, and expanding roles, we’re often the ones keeping things running. But being in demand is just the starting point. Real impact comes from showing how our work contributes to patient safety, smoother workflows, stronger teams, and even cost savings.

It’s not just about raising the alarm on being short-staffed. It’s about highlighting how we’ve stepped up and what’s possible with the right support. That’s how we shift from being seen as necessary to being recognized as truly valuable.

Stop Waiting and Start Leading From Where You Are

You don’t need to be in a supervisor role to lead. You don’t need a fancy title to influence change. Leadership is about action. It’s about spotting issues and doing something about them. It's asking, “Is this process working for our team?” or “Can we do this more efficiently for our patients?”

I’ve seen technicians lead by creating better workflows for restocking, fixing communication breakdowns between pharmacy and nursing, or mentoring new hires in a way that actually sticks. These actions matter. You never know who’s watching or how your consistency can spark a system-wide improvement.

Start small by volunteering for a new task, speaking up in meetings, sharing an idea with your supervisor, or taking on a training project or documenting a process. Every little step counts and over time, they add up.

The Difference Between Complaining and Communicating With Impact

There’s a difference between saying, “This isn’t fair,” and “Here’s what’s not working and here’s what we could try instead.” Venting is human. We all do it. But when we’re trying to advocate for advancement, titles, or pay, our message has to come from a place of clarity and strategy.

It’s not about censoring ourselves. It’s about being intentional. When leadership hears constant complaints, they start to see you as a source of negativity. But when they hear thoughtful observations tied to possible solutions, they start to see you as a resource.

Here’s the mindset shift: Don’t just report the problem, but reframe it as a challenge worth solving, and position yourself as someone ready to help solve it. The best way to change a system is from within it, and that starts with learning how to speak the language of influence.

Practical Ways to Show Your Worth and Build Your Case

Want to ask for a raise or a promotion? Don’t go in empty-handed. Build your case with real examples that show your impact. Think about:

• Did you train a new tech or student?
• Did you improve a process or reduce errors?
• Have you taken on extra tasks during shortages?
• Did you build stronger relationships with nursing or another department?
• Are you the go-to person for solving a certain issue?

Track it, document it, and create a short summary you can share with your manager when the time comes. Numbers, timelines, and outcomes speak louder than emotions. You can even use a simple format such as, “Here’s what I did, why I did it, and what the result was.” That’s powerful.

Big “L” and Little “L” Leadership Applies to Us, Too

There’s a concept that really stuck with me from a lecture by Sara White, a nationally recognized pharmacy leader, former American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) president, director of pharmacy at Stanford Hospital and Clinics, pharmacy leadership coach, faculty member for the Pharmacy Leadership Academy (PLA), and recipient of the 2006 Harvey AK Whitney Lecture Award. I had the opportunity to learn directly from Sara through PLA, and her teachings on leadership continue to shape how I approach my work and influence others in the profession.

In one of her most well-known talks, she explains the difference between “Big L” and “little l” leadership and it’s something that applies to technicians just as much as anyone else. Big “L” Leadership is the formal kind—titles, positions, and the ones you see on the organizational chart. Little “l” leadership is informal; it’s based on behavior, not title.

And here’s the powerful part: little “l” leadership matters just as much, and sometimes more than “Big L” Leadership. It’s about stepping up when no one asks you to. It’s about noticing a workflow issue and offering a fix. It’s being the tech that new hires look to for help. It’s taking pride in the work you do, owning your space, and being a steady, supportive voice in times of chaos.

As pharmacy technicians, we often don’t have Big L roles, but we have countless chances to lead with a little l. And when we do, we build trust, influence, and momentum. We show leadership that we’re not just showing up to do a job, but we’re here to drive progress, build better systems, and support our teams.

Sara White’s message reminds us: leadership is a mindset, not a title. And if we carry that into our daily work, we’re already shifting the profession forward.

What Leadership Needs to See and How We Give It to Them

Let’s flip the perspective for a second. Managers and directors are under pressure, too, with budgets, metrics, staffing, regulations, and more. They need reliable people who bring calm, ideas, and trust.

Pharmacy technicians can be that. When we come in with solutions, show initiative, and make leaders’ jobs easier, they notice. We become the techs they lean on, and those are the techs who get opportunities, raises, recognition, and recommendations.

You want to be the person leadership can count on, especially when things are messy. When you show consistency and reliability during chaos, that’s leadership. Period.

We Do It All and We’re Ready for More

Pharmacy technicians play an essential role in nearly every area of pharmacy. We work in inpatient hospitals, community pharmacies, outpatient clinics, nuclear facilities, long-term care, home infusion, and specialty settings, each with its own complex responsibilities.

We support operations by compounding sterile and non-sterile medications; managing inventory, including high-alert and controlled substances; troubleshooting automation and tech systems; processing prior authorizations and patient assistance programs; prepping kits, crash carts, repackaging, and supply chain logistics; assisting with audits, regulatory compliance, and documentation; and training new staff and supporting team communication.

This work is often fast-paced, high-pressure, and critical to both patient care and safety. And through all of it, technicians consistently step up by taking on more, adapting to change, and keeping the system moving, even during staffing shortages or transitions.

Leadership has been instrumental in advancing the technician role, and we want to keep that momentum going. We’re not just looking for recognition. We’re looking for partnership. With continued support, structure, and investment, techs can grow into even more impactful contributors to pharmacy operations, innovation, and care quality.

Patient Care Starts With Us, Too

Pharmacy technicians are often behind the scenes, but the work we do has a direct impact on patient care and safety. Every time we catch an error, prepare a dose accurately, stock a medication in the right drawer, or streamline a process that prevents a delay, we’re helping patients get better, faster, and safer care.

Think about it. If a medication isn't stocked in the automated dispensing cabinet, a nurse can’t give it. If a scheduled medication is delayed because of a system breakdown, a patient may miss a dose. If we catch a labeling issue or inventory mix-up, we may prevent a serious event.

That’s not just “tech work.” That’s work that directly impacts the quality of patient care.

Pharmacy technicians play a vital role in the safety net. We’re the hands and eyes of the medication-use process. And when we perform at our best, the ripple effect is felt all the way to the bedside.

So yes, our work affects patients. And the better we get at it, the more trust we earn across the health system.

Invest In Yourself: Education, Certifications, and Next Steps

If we want to be taken seriously, we have to take ourselves seriously. That means putting in the effort to grow through certifications, specialized training, and even going back to school. This can include certifications such as Compounded Sterile Preparation Technician (CSPT), Technician Product Verification (TPV), and Apexus-Certified Expert (340B ACE). You’re not just building your resume by going after an associate or bachelor’s degree in health care administration, informatics, or something else. You’re building credibility. You’re showing initiative.

Certifications and continuing education give us the tools to speak the language of pharmacy operations, safety, and compliance. They help us understand systems at a higher level and make us better advocates for change.

When leadership sees you’re invested in growing, they’re more likely to invest in you. It’s not just about climbing the ladder; it’s about creating more value in your role and opening doors that may not even exist yet.

We’re Stronger When We Work Together, With Our Pharmacists as Partners

Technicians and pharmacists aren’t operating in separate lanes. We’re partners. When we collaborate, trust each other, and understand our unique roles, we elevate the entire pharmacy team. Pharmacists rely on us to keep things running, and we rely on them for clinical support and guidance.

The future of pharmacy isn’t about one role over another: it’s about everyone working at the top of their game, together. When technicians are empowered, pharmacists can focus more on clinical care. When pharmacists support technician advancement, the entire system becomes more efficient, safe, and responsive to patients. This partnership is the key to moving our profession forward, and we’re ready to keep building it.

Get Involved: State and National Society Networking Opens Doors

Another major way to level up your career? Get involved with your state and national pharmacy societies. Organizations like state societies, the American Pharmacists Association, ASHP, the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board, The Pharmacy Technician Society, and others, are doing important work to elevate the pharmacy technician profession. We need more technicians in those rooms, at those tables, and leading those conversations.

Joining a committee, attending a conference, or even just showing up to a virtual meeting can open doors you didn’t even know existed. You meet other technicians who are pushing the profession forward. You learn what’s working at other institutions. You start to see what’s possible and how your voice can shape the future of pharmacy.

This kind of networking is about visibility, not just about professional connections. When you get involved, people start to recognize your name. You build relationships. You get opportunities to present, publish, or pilot new ideas. And most importantly, you show that you care about the bigger picture and not just your daily tasks.

No matter where you are in your journey, there's a space for you to contribute. And trust me, your perspective as a technician matters.

This Is Our Moment. Let’s Not Waste It.

Pharmacy technicians are standing in a moment of change. Health care is evolving, and there’s space being made for us—but only if we show we’re ready for it.

This is the time to stop waiting. Step into the space. Be the example. Build your case. And speak up with strength and solutions.

The truth is, no one’s coming to save us or build our careers for us. But we can build them ourselves with action, intention, and the courage to lead from wherever we are.

We’ve got the talent. We’ve got the timing.
Now let’s make it count.

REFERENCE

White SJ. Leadership: successful alchemy. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2006;63(4):398-402. doi:10.2146/ajhp050287