Fall 2026
Pharmacy Technician Apprentice
Walgreens
10,001+ employees
Retail pharmacy chain with health services
Compensation Overview
$18.05 - $21.50/hr
Chicago, IL, USA
In Person
 Medical, Clinical & Veterinary (1) |
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- Fluency in reading, writing, and speaking English, except in Puerto Rico.
- Willingness to work a flexible schedule, including evening and weekend hours.
- Willingness to earn and maintain Pharmacy Technician Certification Board certification through the designated training program and/or state-required certification or registration.
- Assist the pharmacist, under direct supervision, in the practice of pharmacy and perform other Pharmacy Department duties in accordance with state and federal regulations and company policies and procedures.
- Use pharmacy systems to obtain patient and drug information and process prescriptions.
- Assist with and coach pharmacy technicians in pharmacy systems and cashiers in pharmacy cash-register operation when Pharmacy Technician Certification Board certified.
- Model and deliver a distinctive and delightful customer experience.
- Engage customers and patients by greeting them and offering assistance with products and services.
- Resolve customer issues and answer questions to ensure a positive customer experience.
- Model and share customer-service best practices with team members, including greeting, eye contact, courtesy, proactively offering help, identifying needs, and servicing customers until satisfied.
- Develop strong relationships with valuable customers.
- Review and comply with the Walgreens Pharmacy Code of Conduct.
- Enter patient and drug information into pharmacy systems and ensure that it is entered correctly.
- Fill prescriptions by retrieving, counting, and pouring pharmaceutical drugs; verify that medication is correct and check for possible interactions.
- Assist pharmacists in scheduling and maintaining workflow.
- Immediately report prescription errors to the pharmacist on duty and follow company policies and procedures related to pharmacy errors and the Quality Improvement Program.
- Follow the Walgreens policy regarding Good Faith Dispensing during applicable prescription-dispensing activities.
- Register related sales on the assigned cash register, collect and handle cash, and assist customers in locating over-the-counter products.
- Handle telephone calls that do not require the pharmacist’s personal attention, including calls to physicians.
- Process, correct, and resubmit manual claims for third-party prescription services and perform assigned clerical duties.
- Support Pharmacy Department inventory-management activities, including ordering, unpacking, checking, and storing pharmaceutical shipments.
- Maintain knowledge of company asset-protection techniques and file claims for warehouse overages, shortages, order errors, or damaged prescription drugs.
- Assist the pharmacist with administering clinical services, including collecting and properly labeling blood and urine samples, and coordinate clinical services with pharmacy staff, Walgreens healthcare clinics, and external providers.
- Assist the Pharmacy Manager and Staff Pharmacist in maintaining relationships with the local medical community through medical-provider detailing and outreach to health groups, retirement homes, nursing homes, and other forums.
- Maintain the Pharmacy Department’s exterior and interior condition by ensuring adequate supplies and a clean, neat, and orderly appearance.
- Comply with company policies and procedures and maintain respectful relationships with coworkers.
- Complete special assignments and other assigned tasks.
- Attend manager-requested training and acquire continuing-education credits.
- Maintain current knowledge and skills in healthcare and pharmacy, including the latest news and developments.
- Six months of experience in a retail environment.
- Prior work experience with Walgreens.
- Good math skills for accurately counting, measuring, and weighing medications.
- Good computer skills.
- Knowledge of store inventory control.
- Pharmacy Technician Certification Board certification.
Walgreens is a retail pharmacy network in the United States that sells prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, health and wellness products, and offers photo services. It operates through a large network of stores and an online platform, enabling customers to order prescriptions or products online and pick them up the same day. Walgreens’ photo service lets customers print photos and create personalized gifts such as photo books, cards, invitations, and other custom items via in-store kiosks or online. The company differentiates itself with a nationwide store footprint, integrated pharmacy and health services, and the ability to deliver convenience through online ordering and same-day pickup. Its goal is to provide convenient access to medications and health-related products while expanding personalized consumer services to improve everyday wellness.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
Grant
Total Funding
$25M
Headquarters
Deerfield, Illinois
Founded
1901
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Kent’s 85 jobs and Seattle-area capacity deepen Walgreens’ Western prescription logistics footprint.
- Robotic fulfillment lowers labor pressure and stabilizes pharmacy hours during ongoing staffing shortages.
- Sycamore’s August 2025 ownership let Walgreens slow closures and prioritize profitable locations.
What critics are saying
- Walgreens now expects fewer than 100 closures in 2026, signaling weak store economics.
- 2025 DOJ and HHS-OIG settlements imposed seven-year DEA monitoring and five-year compliance oversight.
- Opioid and pricing litigation, including the $100 million Savings Club settlement, keeps legal overhangs alive.
What makes Walgreens unique
- Walgreens’ Kent MFC opened July 22, 2026, automating prescriptions across 196 stores.
- Walgreens runs five micro-fulfillment centers handling over 40% of prescription volume.
- Walgreens’ nationwide pharmacy records and delivery network preserve prescription continuity during closures.
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Benefits
Flexible Work Hours
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↓ -2%1 year growth
↓ -2%2 year growth
↓ -2%Walgreens opens new Kent micro fulfillment center. * August 6, 2026 On July 22, Walgreens opened a new 45,000-square-foot micro-fulfillment center (MFC) in Kent, Washington. This new facility brings 85 new jobs to the greater Seattle community and will support nearly 196 Walgreens stores across the Mountain West region, including 122 in Washington alone. Washington Retail Association President & CEO, Jan Himebaugh, was on hand to welcome the state-of-the-art facility to Washington; the opening was also attended by multiple state legislators, locally elected officials, and pharmacy school representatives, demonstrating that WRA's retail members are driving technological solutions that better serve its communities. Walgreens' MFCs use innovative robotic technology in a centralized pharmacy environment to dispense and ship prescriptions to its retail stores. This helps improve efficiency, stabilize staffing and pharmacy hours, reduce workflow pain points, and free up pharmacy team members' capacity to spend more time with patients. The Kent MFC joins 13 other facilities supporting 5,400 stores across the country. These centers fulfill anywhere from four to five million prescriptions weekly, handling over 40 percent of Walgreens' total prescription volume. Share the Post: August 6, 2026
Walgreens has closed four locations in Illinois in 2026 as part of its multiyear turnaround strategy. The pharmacy chain announced in 2024 plans to shutter roughly 1,200 underperforming stores across three years to improve profitability. The Illinois closures include three Chicago locations: 2351 E. 71st St., 8628 S. Cottage Grove Ave., and a specialty pharmacy at 2835 N. Sheffield Ave. A Rockford store at 5503 E. State St. also closed. The closures stem from pressure on drug reimbursement rates and weaker retail sales. Walgreens says customers need not manually transfer prescriptions, as all locations nationwide access customer records. More than 500 Walgreens stores remain in Illinois.
Barnes & Noble plans new Pentagon City location. The bookstore will replace the Walgreens that closed at Westpost in May. By Emily Perez August 5, 2026 at 11:08 am A new bookstore is headed to Pentagon City. Barnes & Noble will take over the former Walgreens space at Westpost, Washington Business Journal reported. The mixed-use Westpost development combines residential units with retail and commercial space. It encompasses nearly 14 acres near Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. The nearly 11,000-square-foot Barnes & Noble store will be located at 1301 S. Joyce St. The retailer says it will carry a "well curated selection of books, toys, games, puzzles, gifts and more." It is expected to open in early 2027. This will be Barnes & Noble's second location in Arlington. Its 14,000-square-foot Clarendon store reopened in early May following a major remodel. Barnes & Noble' has nearly 20 stores throughout the Greater Washington area and more than 700 locations nationwide. The bookseller plans to open 60 new stores in 2026. Feature image, stock.adobe.com
Walgreens is closing approximately a dozen locations recently, significantly fewer than initially planned under its turnaround strategy. The drugstore chain, acquired by private equity firm Sycamore Partners in August 2025, now expects to close fewer than 100 stores in 2026, down from earlier internal plans of up to 700 closures. Before the acquisition, Walgreens had announced plans to close about 1,200 underperforming stores across the US. Several hundred locations were shuttered before Sycamore Partners slowed the closure programme. Recent closures span multiple states, including Illinois, Missouri, New York, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. At the time of acquisition, Walgreens operated 8,500 US locations; it currently lists about 8,000.
Walgreens closing stores in the tri-state: see where. Posted: Aug 4, 2026 / 09:40 AM EDT Updated: Aug 4, 2026 / 09:40 AM EDT NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) - A popular pharmacy chain will be closing the door to some of its stores as early as this week. Walgreens is expected to close two stores in New Jersey, the first in Bogota on Aug. 6 and the second in Dumont on Sept. 3, a spokesperson for the company confirmed to PIX11. They assured that customers would still be able to shop at the locations until their closing dates. PIX11 News has also reached out to confirm whether any New York stores might be closing but did not hear back at the time of publishing. According to the representative for Walgreens, prescriptions will be automatically transferred to nearby stores after the closures to ensure uninterrupted service. Prescriptions from the Bogota location will be transferred to Walgreens at 520 Cedar Ln. in Teaneck, while prescriptions from the Dumont location will be transferred to Walgreens at 241 N. Washington Ave. in Bergenfield. To accommodate customers, those impacted will also get 90 days of free prescription deliveries. While a specific reason for the store closings was not given, the company spokesperson acknowledged that the change might be difficult for customers. "We recognize these changes may be disruptive for residents who rely on these pharmacies, particularly for essential medications," the representative said. "Decisions to close stores are never made lightly, and we are committed to making the transition as seamless as possible." Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here.