The Walgreens interview process for store and pharmacy jobs is an online application, a phone call to schedule, and one in-person interview of about 15-30 minutes with the store manager, the pharmacy manager or a pharmacist, sometimes with a second person taking notes. Questions focus on availability (especially evenings, closing and weekends), customer service, a mistake you made and fixed, and difficult customers or coworkers, often asked in STAR format. Pharmacy technician candidates also get patient scenarios and questions about interest in healthcare.
Glassdoor rates the Walgreens pharmacy technician interview 2.1 out of 5 across 605 reports, with 11 days to hire. Walgreens does not require prior certification on the technician posting reviewed; new technicians earn PTCB certification through its apprenticeship.
Walgreens interview process
- Online applicationApply on jobs.walgreens.com; postings list the store, pay and schedule needs
- Phone callStore or pharmacy calls to set a time, sometimes the next day
- In-store interview15-30 minutes, one-on-one in an office or break room, or with two people
- Second meeting (some technicians)Pharmacy operations manager (RXOM) after the store manager
- OfferOften at the interview or within days
- Pre-employmentDrug test and background check
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| Online application | Apply on jobs.walgreens.com; postings list the store, pay and schedule needs |
| Phone call | Store or pharmacy calls to set a time, sometimes the next day |
| In-store interview | 15-30 minutes, one-on-one in an office or break room, or with two people |
| Second meeting (some technicians) | Pharmacy operations manager (RXOM) after the store manager |
| Offer | Often at the interview or within days |
| Pre-employment | Drug test and background check |
Glassdoor’s stage breakdown for Walgreens pharmacy technicians, from 599 reports: one-on-one interview 23%, drug test 20%, skills test 18%, background check 14%, personality test 6% and phone interview 4%.
Walgreens interview questions by role
| Role | Reported questions and format |
|---|---|
| Pharmacy technician | Upset patient, problem solving, helping someone, interest in healthcare, availability; pharmacist or pharmacy manager interviews |
| Customer service associate | Tell me about yourself, conflict, a past mistake, availability, commute |
| Business analyst (corporate) | Two team members, then two senior leaders, with 2-3 weeks between rounds |
Walgreens hiring process, step by step
1. Apply online
Walgreens store and pharmacy jobs are posted at jobs.walgreens.com by location. A 2026 pharmacy technician posting in Los Angeles listed the basics:
- Fluent reading, writing and speaking in English (except in Puerto Rico)
- Willing to work a flexible schedule, including evenings and weekends
- Preferred: six months of retail experience, prior Walgreens experience, good math, computer and inventory skills, and PTCB certification
2. The scheduling call
Most candidates get a phone call to come in. A Rolla, Missouri technician was called after applying online; a Kirkwood, Missouri technician was called and asked when they were available, and the process took about two weeks. A customer service associate said their call came months after applying, with the interview the next day.
3. Skills or personality test
Walgreens does not describe a pre-hire test on the pages reviewed, but Glassdoor lists skills tests in 18% of pharmacy technician reports and 20% of customer service associate reports. Expect a short online questionnaire in some applications and answer it consistently.
4. The interview
Interviews are short and conversational. A Kirkwood technician had a half-hour interview with the pharmacy manager, who spent time explaining training since the candidate had no experience. A Wheeling, Illinois technician was interviewed by the pharmacist while the store manager took notes. A Hampton, Virginia technician met the store manager, then the pharmacy operations manager (RXOM) to go over pharmacy operations.
5. Offer, drug test and background check
A Hampton technician completed the drug test and background check after the interviews. Glassdoor lists drug tests in 20% of technician reports.
Walgreens pharmacy tech interview questions and sample answers
These were reported by Walgreens pharmacy technician candidates on Glassdoor in 2023-2026.
How would you describe yourself? How would you respond to an upset patient? Reported in Kirkwood, Missouri (June 2026). “I am steady and careful. With an upset patient I listen first, repeat the problem back, then tell them what I can do now and what the pharmacist needs to decide. I do not argue or guess.”
How do you solve problems? Tell me about one you faced. Reported in Hampton, Virginia. “At my last job a regular’s online order kept failing at pickup. I checked the order history, found the payment card had expired, called her and walked her through updating it. After that I checked payment status before calling customers to say orders were ready.”
Tell me about a time you helped someone, and how did they feel? Reported in Wheeling, Illinois (June 2026). Use one specific person and say what changed for them. “An older customer could not read the label on her new inhaler. I asked the pharmacist to go over it with her and printed the large-type instructions. She said she had been afraid to use it before.”
Take me through a day at your previous job. Reported in Warren, New Jersey (May 2026). Pick parts that match pharmacy work: counting, checking, answering phones, handling a line. Keep it to a minute.
Why are you interested in healthcare and in working in a pharmacy? Reported in Warren, NJ and Wheeling, IL. “I want a job that leads to a credential. Walgreens’ apprenticeship gets technicians to PTCB certification while they work, and I would like to keep going in healthcare after that.”
Which shifts can you work? A Wesley Chapel, Florida candidate said the manager mostly wanted to know which shifts they could cover, including closing and evenings. Be exact and include weekends.
Tell me about a mistake you made and what you did. Reported in an October 2026 interview along with weaknesses. “I once rang up a return to the wrong card. I told my supervisor right away, we reversed it, and since then I read the last four digits back to the customer before I finish a return.”
Interview questions for Walgreens store roles
Glassdoor rates the customer service associate interview 2.0 out of 5 across 433 reports, with 10 days to hire. Reported questions:
- Tell me about yourself. Why do you want this position?
- How do you resolve conflict?
- Tell me about one mistake you made at a prior job and how you addressed it.
- What is your availability, and how long is your commute?
- Why do you want to work for the company?
- (High school applicants) How will you balance school and work hours?
One customer service associate counted about six questions in a short office interview; another had a 15-minute interview with two people.
How to answer the Walgreens availability question
Glassdoor’s summary of Walgreens reviews says candidates are repeatedly pressed on their schedule, including weekends, closing and nights. A Wesley Chapel, Florida technician said availability was essentially the whole interview. Answer with a grid, not a feeling:
- Weekdays: the exact hours you can start and must leave
- Weekends: whether you can work both days, and how often
- Closes and evenings: yes or no, and any limit per week
- School or second job: when it changes, such as a new semester
“I can work any evening shift Monday to Friday and both weekend days. I can close up to four nights a week. My class schedule is fixed until May.” is the level of detail managers act on.
Walgreens corporate and technology interviews
Walgreens’ corporate support center and technology roles run separate loops. A Walgreens business analyst who declined an offer in 2026 had a first interview with two team members and a second with two senior leaders, with two to three weeks between rounds. Glassdoor lists Contractor and IT Engineer II as the hardest Walgreens interviews by candidate rating. Public reports for corporate roles were thin compared with store and pharmacy roles.
Who does well in Walgreens interviews
Good fit: You can cover evenings, closes and weekends, you have a patient or customer story with a clear result, and you want a healthcare credential. No prior pharmacy experience is needed for many technician openings.
Harder path: Narrow availability. Several reports describe interviews that were mostly about which shifts the candidate could take.
What to wear and how to prepare
- Clothes: Walgreens publishes no interview dress code. Business casual is safe when meeting a pharmacist or store manager.
- Use STAR answers: An October 2026 technician advised using STAR format, especially for difficult customers and coworkers.
- Know your schedule: Availability came up in nearly every report.
- Read about the apprenticeship: It is a good answer to “why Walgreens” for new technicians.
- Prepare a mistake story: A past mistake and how you fixed it came up for both technicians and customer service associates.
- Expect two people: A Wheeling, Illinois technician was interviewed by the pharmacist while the store manager took notes.
- Keep your phone on: One customer service associate was called months after applying and interviewed the next day.
Walgreens pharmacy technician apprenticeship and pay
Walgreens runs an earn-while-you-learn Pharmacy Technician Apprenticeship recognized by ASHP and the US Department of Labor. Its careers site says apprentices are guided toward PTCB or NHA certification and reports an 81% pass rate on the PTCB exam, 11 points above the national average. Technicians can later move into pharmacy operations manager roles, which coach technicians and cover shift scheduling.
A 2026 pharmacy technician posting in Los Angeles listed $19.50-$23.00 per hour. Pay depends on location, so check the range on your posting.
Frequently asked questions about Walgreens interviews
What is the Walgreens interview process?
For store and pharmacy jobs you apply online at jobs.walgreens.com, get a call to schedule, then have one in-person interview, usually 15-30 minutes, with the store manager, the pharmacy manager or a pharmacist. Some pharmacy technician candidates meet both the store manager and the pharmacy operations manager. A drug test and background check follow the offer. Glassdoor averages 11 days to hire for pharmacy technicians.
What are common interview questions for Walgreens?
Reported questions include tell me about yourself, why do you want to work here, why should we choose you, your availability for closing, evening and weekend shifts, how you resolve conflict, a mistake you made at a past job and how you fixed it, and how long your commute is.
What are Walgreens pharmacy tech interview questions?
Reported questions include how you would respond to an upset patient, how you solve problems, a time you helped someone and how they felt, how you describe yourself, your interest in healthcare, how comfortable you are learning new skills, and a walkthrough of a day at your last job. Interviewers often ask for STAR answers about difficult customers or coworkers.
Do you need a certification to be a Walgreens pharmacy technician?
Not to apply in the posting reviewed. A 2026 Los Angeles posting listed PTCB certification as preferred and said the technician earns and maintains PTCB certification after hire. Walgreens runs an earn-while-you-learn Pharmacy Technician Apprenticeship recognized by ASHP and the Department of Labor.
How much does Walgreens pay pharmacy technicians?
A 2026 Walgreens pharmacy technician posting in Los Angeles listed $19.50-$23.00 an hour.
How long does Walgreens take to hire?
Glassdoor averages 11 days for pharmacy technicians, 10 days for customer service associates and 14 days across Walgreens. Reports range from about one week to a few weeks, and one customer service associate was called months after applying.
Sources
- Walgreens: Pharmacy Technician posting, Los Angeles, CA (pay and qualifications)
- Walgreens careers: pharmacy (technician apprenticeship)
- Walgreens careers: life at Walgreens
- Glassdoor: Walgreens interview reviews
- Glassdoor: Walgreens pharmacy technician interviews
- Glassdoor: Walgreens customer service associate interviews