How to Retain a Rock-Star Pharmacy Tech

Our family has been running successful independent pharmacies for 25 years. In that time, we have had several pharmacy technicians who were "rock-stars". They could carry an entire shift by themselves. Answering phones. Helping patients. Filling prescriptions. They never complained and always did a great job.

A message to pharmacy owners/managers: if you don't treat them the way they deserve, they will take their talents to your competitors.

1. Start With Recognition That Actually Means Something

Forget generic praise like “good job today.”
Rock-star techs thrive when you notice specifics:

• “You caught that 90-day fill mistake before it hit the patient — that saved us a huge issue.”

• “You completely handled the phone chaos this morning. I noticed.”

Pro tip: Make it the norm to shout out accomplishments. Never get used to how great your pharmacy technicians are.

2. Give Them One Thing That’s Theirs

Ownership breeds loyalty. It doesn’t have to be a promotion — just a domain of control:

• Let them own the reorder process

• Make them the “training buddy” for new hires

• Give them full autonomy over the OTC section refresh

When they feel trusted, they’ll stay invested.

3. Ask for Their Input — And Actually Use It

Rock-star techs often see problems before the pharmacist does.
They know which doctors never answer the phone.
They know what's slowing the team down and causing burnout.

Ask them:

“If you could fix one thing about how we work, what would it be?”

Then test their suggestion. Even small changes build huge loyalty when they feel heard.

4. Invest in Their Growth (Without Formal Programs)

Professional growth doesn’t require Continuous Education budgets.
Try:

• Cross-training on inventory, scheduling, or compounding

• Shadowing a pharmacist for part of a shift

• Letting them lead part of your weekly team huddle

Growth = meaning.
Meaning = retention.

5. Protect Them from Burnout

Your best techs often take on everyone’s problems. They absorb stress, stay late, and never complain — until they do.

Here’s how to protect them:

• Set clear boundaries around breaks and overtime

• Don’t let “just ask [star tech]” become the default

• Normalize time off (and coverage plans that don’t punish them for taking it)

Burnout isn’t a lack of resilience — it’s a signal something in your system is broken.

6. Say What You’re Thinking

If they’re incredible, tell them. Don’t wait until they put in their notice.

Say:

“I can’t imagine running this place without you.”

Or:

“If you ever feel like something’s off, I want you to tell me first before anyone else.”

It’s simple, it’s free — and often, it’s the difference between staying or leaving.

Final Thought

You don’t need a bigger budget to retain your best tech — you need a better relationship.

Recognition. Ownership. Protection. Growth.
These are the things great techs stay for.

And if you’re lucky enough to have a rock-star on your team — don’t just keep them. Build around them.

P.S. If you want to stop wasting your best tech's time counting pills, give Sharpcount a try. Our average pharmacy reduces pill counting time by 75% so your pharmacy techs can get back to doing work which pushes your pharmacy forward.