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What is the stress tolerance necessary for non-retail techs?

What is the stress tolerance necessary for non-retail techs? I am curious as I want to go into this career path but I have a pretty low stress tolerance level, and need to know how much I need to work on that before entering the field.

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Gerry’s Answer

What you refer to as a low stress tolerance might be high to someone else. My highest stress level is preparing meds for a code or trauma in the room where the patient is. When you say non-retail, I presume you are asking about hospital. I have worked at three different hospitals as a pharmacist and some level of stress comes with every job. We are human but 100% accuracy is the requirement and not just a lofty goal. We are helping treat a human being who is someone's mom, dad, daughter, son, friend, etc. If a tech does not make something correctly, he/she will be told it is wrong and most likely have to redo it and maybe watched to make sure it is done correctly. If something needs to be delivered right away, that does not mean walk out the door and stop and check your phone or take your time before delivering the medication. Just like retail, we have health professionals we interact with at all hours of the day. Some are friendly and others are not and come across as rude, angry, obnoxious, etc. Does that happen all the time? No but it can happen at any moment. I am stating what is reality. So, if any of these scenarios are above your stress level and you are not sure about this career, ........
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Nick’s Answer

Non-retail pharmacy is typically lower stress with respect to customer service, but can have other areas that can cause stress. Inpatient hospital positions avoid patient contact, but you will have to deal with nurses and doctors, communication and organization will be instrumental. Outpatient hospital pharmacy is typically more relaxed than retail, but there is a mix of doctor and patient interaction. Regardless if your initial choice always stay vigilant for new opportunities, as some of the best jobs are discovered accidentally.
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Brianna’s Answer

I agree with the two previous answers. Hospital pharmacy can be quite stressful. The techs have to deal with phone calls, running meds various places, and prepping urgent meds, such as IV infusions, to be sent to a unit for a critical patient. It is more physically demanding than other tech positions. A long term care pharmacy might be the least stressful avenue. You don't have to deal with customers/patients and your schedule is rarely disrupted by any urgent need.

Brianna recommends the following next steps:

See if you can shadow techs at some places you are interested in to give you an idea of whether you can handle it.
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