Becoming a certified pharmacy technician has it benefits. As a pharmacy tech, you are able to help others while earning a competitive income. This position allows you to gain employment and financial future in the ever growing medical industry.
A brief job description of this career is, a pharmaceutical technician’s role is to aid pharmacists with dispensing medications. They are usually responsible for preparing prescription medications, providing quality customer care, and performing data entry and other administrative work. Now let’s take a more detailed look at this career.
As a pharmacy tech you handle tasks such as counting the number of pills dispensed, labeling prescription bottles, and collecting and initiating the filling of prescription requests. They often mix medications, pour, and measure and weigh the medication being given. They also verify the accuracy of the information received for the purpose of creating and applying the correct prescription labels to each bottle.
Once the medication is prepared, the pharmacist must check it before it is given to the patient. Technicians complete insurance forms and maintain patient files by adding all prescriptions and other pertinent information. Cross checking medications and their side effects prior to filling prescriptions is also good practice for professional technicians. Most of what pharmacy technicians do is directly related to working with the public; making an outgoing personality necessary and extremely advantageous for both the candidate and the customers they deal with.
Each state has different rules and guidelines that pharmacies must follow. A good tech works hard to become familiar and remain abreast of these rules. Most pharmacies are clean and well-organized with a comfortable environment since it is important that medications be kept at certain temperatures, making work less cumbersome and more manageable. There are situations where night and weekend hours are necessary to meet customer demand; however, a good number of employees are able to work only part-time. Most of the time working is spend standing and walking. Pharmacies can be fast paced and require constant moving from one station to another.
A Typical Day In This Profession
Job Opportunities
Job opportunities are plentiful, as new pharmacies are built or expanded daily. Technicians having certification, training, and prior experience are sure to be considered for available employment before those without any pharmaceutical education. This advanced education may also entitle them to a higher income. About 2/3 of the available jobs are in retail facilities, like Rite-Aid, CVS and Wal-mart. Analysts often predict that the medical field will experience major growth over the next five to ten years. As a result, pharmacies and their employees will also expand at alarming numbers.
Salary
Each year, over 30,000 new jobs in pharmacies are created throughout the nation. A starting pharmacy technician salary is higher than other medical positions, starting at around $25,000 annually and topping out at $40,000, depending on the position held and the type of organization. Since the educational requirement is never more than two years, no matter which program you choose, the wages are high compared to other positions requiring only two years of schooling. Many similar paying medical professions, take a minimum of 4 years of schooling
Just like most professions, you will start in a more entry level position and earn a entry level salary. As you gain experience or explore new job opportunities, your salary will also rise.
Certification
There are currently 30 states in America that require you to get your pharmacy technician certification to become fully licensed. In these cases, they are mandated to receive a certain number of hours of classroom instruction. Coursework usually lasts anywhere from 2 to 6 months, depending on the program. Through internships, students are given the ability to perform hands-on training in a real pharmacy. Licensed and certified pharmacy technicians are registered with their respective state’s board of pharmacy and must pay an annual fee to remain on the registry.
Training Programs And Schools
A national certification examination, given at various times throughout the year by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), must be passed after completion of formal education programs before a license can be issued. To be eligible to register for the exam, students must have a high school diploma or GED and never have been convicted of a felony of any nature.
Every two years after the date of issue of the original license, candidates must complete twenty hours of continuing education to remain licensed. Continuing education classes are available at many medical institutions, training programs, and colleges. Ten of those hours can be a result of working directly with a licensed pharmacist for supervision and instruction.
Because of its specialized nature, there is limited potential for growth within the actual pharmacy. The next available advancement within the pharmacy would be a pharmacist. A pharmacist is required to complete a full degree of study before being eligible for the exam to become licensed. However, a thorough pharmacy tech has the ability to become a supervisor of other technicians in larger organizations.
Continuing your education to becoming a pharmacist after a few years working as a tech is a great long term goal. You will be exposed to much of what they do anyway and getting trained and credentialed, should be a lot easier than having done it with no experience in the field.
Long Term Career Growth
While most that complete their training are happy in pharmacy technician jobs, branching out into other related fields is also possible with the proper training, knowledge, and experience. Some move on to pharmaceutical sales positions or specialized prescription technicians. Smart employees will continue attending school while working as a pharmaceutical technician, so that if higher rank positions become available, they are considered first.
Pharmacist technicians play a very important role in the health care field and this is why so many people are drawn to this career path. The competition is on the rise, but with more people entering the job market, it also provides more competitive salaries. The health of the patients technicians service is dependent on the level of quality they receive, making the job of a pharmacy technician and their work invaluable.
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