Hi, I’m Kayla. I’ve worked as a travel pharmacy tech for a year and a half (my real-life take on being a travel pharmacy technician). I packed my black scrubs, my label-maker tape, and a worn-out badge reel… and hit the road. Here’s my honest review, with real stuff that happened, good and bad.
So, what’s the gig?
You take short contracts—most are 8 to 13 weeks—at hospitals or busy retail stores that need help fast. You get hourly pay plus a housing stipend. Sometimes nights pay more. You jump into new places, learn their systems, and keep meds moving safely.
That’s the job, in plain talk.
A day that sold me on it
My first big hospital contract was in Phoenix. Level 1 trauma. I learned their Epic setup in one morning. Their Pyxis machines on each unit looked familiar, but the settings were not. I had a cart fill due by 11 a.m., plus a stat IV run. The clean room used strict USP 797 steps. The lead tech walked me through their hood checks while we joked about coffee. By lunch, I was restocking kits and chasing a missing norepinephrine vial that somehow hid behind a box of flushes. Classic.
You know what? I liked the pace. It felt like solving a puzzle while the clock ticked. It made sense to me.
A small-town curveball
Three months later, I was in a tiny Montana hospital. One pharmacist. Two techs. Snow everywhere. We used Cerner, not Epic. No tube system, so my legs did the work. I drove a state car to the clinic next door with a blue cooler for vaccines. I also learned where the space heater lived, because the IV room was freezing in the morning.
Different world. Same core job.
Retail week from… well, you get it
I took a retail contract during flu season. It was a chain store that ran on PioneerRx. Lines were long. We were scanning scripts, catching interactions, and juggling curbside. I had a nice pharmacist who gave me a 10-minute crash course and then said, “Ready?” I nodded, and we just went. I stocked rapid tests and stuck flu labels until my wrist buzzed. Not a dull minute.
Tools and systems I touched
- Epic and Cerner for hospital records
- Pyxis and Omnicell for med cabinets
- ScriptPro and PioneerRx in retail
- Parata for fills (when it behaved)
- Good old Sharpies, pill counters, and a pocket-size hemostat (for stubborn tape)
Little note: if a Pyxis drawer jams during a code cart restock, breathe, then call the superuser. Don’t fight it. I learned that the hard way at 2 a.m.
The money talk (short and sweet)
I made more than my staff job. Housing stipends helped a lot when I found a fair Airbnb or an extended-stay with a tiny kitchen. Night shifts and weekends added a bit. When I spent less on rent, I kept more cash. When I splurged on a cute downtown studio… yeah, my check felt thinner.
The great parts
- Freedom to pick where and when I work
- Fast learning—new systems, new teams
- Real teamwork on tough days (ICU folks fed me muffins; I’ll never forget them)
- Paid to travel—hello, day hikes on off days
- Short contracts, so if a place wasn’t a fit, I moved on soon
Want more road-tested perspectives? I picked up plenty of tips from another pharmacy tech’s story about what she learned on the road, plus first-person reads from a dialysis tech who took her skills on the road, a phlebotomist sharing what it’s really like, an LPN’s real-deal review of travel jobs, and a medical assistant’s honest take on the same adventure.
The rough parts
- Training can be 2 hours, not 2 weeks. You jump in quick.
- State licenses take time. Arizona was fast for me; California took forever.
- Housing can be tricky. I had one Airbnb with a pet rooster. Cute at sunrise? Not really.
- Loneliness sneaks in. You start over every contract.
- Holidays and weekends are common. Flu season? Expect extra shifts.
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During a four-week float shift just west of Portland, I realized that niche hookup boards can save you from swiping fatigue; the in-depth rundown on AdultLook Hillsboro lays out which profiles are genuine, what red flags to watch, and the best neighborhoods to schedule meets—knowledge that maximizes limited off-hours and keeps the experience both safe and enjoyable.
Before every new contract, I browse the city guides on ValidTravel to pinpoint safe neighborhoods and reasonable month-to-month stays. When I was navigating licensing paperwork, the walkthrough on AlliedRx Training’s travel pharmacy tech jobs blog spelled things out in plain English and saved me a headache.
One shift I still think about
Night shift, cardiac unit, storm outside. The tube system died. Orders kept coming. I ran meds by hand, checked labels twice, and called nurses so they knew I was on the way. We had one near-miss with look-alike vials. I caught it because I read the NDC out loud, like my mentor taught me. We high-fived at 4 a.m. Quiet win. Felt big.
My travel kit (stuff I actually carry)
- Compression socks (trust me)
- A small pouch with Sharpies, highlighter, and alcohol pads
- N95 fit card and a spare badge reel
- Granola bars and ginger chews
- A car phone mount and a flashlight
- Label-maker tape (someone always runs out)
- Apps I used: GasBuddy for fuel, Google Maps for traffic, AllTrails for weekend hikes
Agencies I’ve worked with
I took contracts through RPh on the Go and Aya Healthcare. I’ve also seen plenty of travelers land solid gigs through AMN Healthcare, so that’s another roster worth skimming. The recruiters mattered. The good ones called back fast, explained pay clearly, and warned me when a hospital had a learning curve. The not-so-great ones… went quiet after I signed. I keep notes now and ask blunt questions.
Little lessons that helped
- Ask for the med room map on day one. Saves miles of wandering.
- Learn the barcode scanner quirks right away.
- Write down unit phone numbers.
- Keep a “first week” checklist: login, badge access, Pyxis rights, time clock, parking rules.
- Bring a sweater. Hospitals run cold.
Ratings (my personal take)
- Pay and benefits: 4/5
- Learning and growth: 5/5
- Work-life balance: 3/5 (better if you plan days off)
- Fun factor: 4/5
- Stress level: 3.5/5 (spikes in flu season)
Would I do it again?
Yes. I liked the change. I liked the people. I liked handing a nurse the right med at the right time and seeing the relief on her face. Some days were long. Some nights too. But I felt useful, and I learned a ton.
If you crave steady routine, this might bug you. If you like puzzles, travel, and fast starts, it’s a good fit. Pack light, ask questions, and keep snacks handy. And if a rooster greets you at 5 a.m.? Earplugs. Absolute must.
— Kayla Sox