With the great leaps forward taken by modern medicine and pharmaceutical companies, more people are enjoying a higher quality of life. But pharmacists aren’t the only ones in the white lab coats behind the counter helping patients receive the correct prescription medication. Behind every great pharmacist, there is a team of great pharmacy technicians. Pharmacy technicians work alongside pharmacists to ensure the accuracy, safety and wellbeing of the people who rely on modern medicine.

These jobs are just as crucial to the functioning of the pharmacy system because while the pharmacist is the authority on medical knowledge and can give patient recommendations (technicians cannot), a pharmacist would be swamped without a solid team of technicians to keep the system running.

A pharmacy technician will most likely be the one counting and bottling pills, labeling prescription bottles, keeping track of patient data in the computer and performing other important behind-the-scenes tasks. Because organization, efficiency and accuracy are substantial parts of the job, it is advantageous to be inclined toward these characteristics.

Routine duties aren’t the only aspect of the job, however. The pharmacy technician is the person that patients picking up prescriptions are most likely to see and interact with on a regular basis. The customer service portion of the job includes answering phones, communicating with insurance companies and doling out the correct prescriptions. For some people, their medication is a lifeline, and the pharmacy technician becomes somewhat of a saving grace. Good people skills and enjoying customer interaction can make this job highly rewarding.

Ensuring that the right medication goes out to the right person is the most important part of the job. Many lives are lost each year because of routine medical errors, so a pharmacy technician will fill a prescription, and then the pharmacist will double-check the order before it is handed out. While a technician’s authority is limited, they are far from silent robots. There is significant room for critical thinking and learning on the job, and a technician’s knowledge is important. Often, pharmacists and technicians may brainstorm the best medications for a certain patient, or go over possible risks that the doctor may have missed.

In fact, there is so much room for learning that in some regions, it is possible to start as a pharmacy clerk, answering phones and handling the cash register, and then receive on-the-job training for a pharmacy technician position. And sometimes these two jobs overlap in one position. However, it is advisable to seek official training and certification to increase knowledge, skills and marketability. One of the benefits of a pharmacy technician’s job is that, unlike pharmacists, six or more years in medical school are not required. An official certification can be obtained in as little as a few months.

The same benefits of helping people, ensuring accuracy and filling prescriptions apply. Pharmacists and their team of pharmacy technicians have their choice of settings to work in, including hospitals, assisted living facilities, nursing home, retail stores or drug stores. And because of advances in medical technology, and longer life spans that result from it, there will be increased demand for pharmacy technicians as the field of allied health sciences continues to grow.

Nancy Woo is a freelance writer who covers various lifestyle industries including health care, education, and fitness.