Pharmacy Technician
Pharmacy Technician Job Description
Becoming a pharmacy technician is going to require you to have the ability to pay close attention to detail. You will need to have good accuracy and the ability to help clients feel comfortable. These traits are all very important in order to be a pharmacy technician. Those who have these skills and want a good paying career that will allow them to have a flexible schedule will find this career right up their alley. You will have stability that few people enjoy at their jobs, and you will be highly in demand now and in the years to come.
What type of duties can you expect to perform as a pharmacy technician?
- You will be responsible for labeling different prescription medications and filling them the right way.
- You will have to enter prescription information into computers correctly so that the information is easily retrievable and understandable.
- You will be in charge of giving medications to customers, and making sure they receive the proper prescription and medication.
- You will have to deal with doctors when they have certain questions to ask you regarding prescriptions they may prescribe to patients.
- You will be stocking medications, keeping track of inventory at times, and you may have to order more medications when they get too low.
- You may be put in charge of performing certain administrative tasks, such as dealing with insurance companies and other medical organizations.
- You may have to prepare such things as IV mixtures, ointments, and creams for patients.
- You may have to screen calls or make calls to doctors on behalf of your superiors.
Difference between pharmacy technicians and pharmacy assistants
Do not get pharmacy technicians confused with pharmacy assistants. Even though sometimes they may have what appears to be similar duties, the technician plays much more of a pivotal role when it comes to the fulfillment of prescription medications. Pharmacy assistants are usually never involved in the actual fulfilling of the medication process, such as mixing, filling, and verifying important information.
Where do pharmacy technicians work?
Pharmacy technicians can work in local pharmacies usually located in certain stores, they can work in patient care facilities, and just about any environment that deals in patient care. If a pharmacy technician works in a patient care facility they have to know how to read patient information usually written on charts, prepare the medication, verify the information on it, and then make sure it is delivered to the patient on time.
What other duties does a pharmacy technician have?
If you get into the field you will need to know how to maintain patient information and profiles, all of which you will learn while you are in school. You will also need to develop an understanding of the latest medications and their availability so you can keep your knowledge up to date once you are in the field.
As you can see, becoming a pharmacy technician will require a lot out of you. So you need to make sure you are prepared for the responsibility you will have.
How To Become A Pharmacy Technician: Certification Requirements Along With Other Information To Assist You
In order for you to become a pharmacy technician and make yourself marketable to employers, you will need to obtain an associates degree or a certificate from an accredited community college or technical college. These programs do not take that long to complete, usually less than 2 years in most cases.
What you will need to do after you have completed your education in order to practice
Once you have graduated you will need to pass the National Pharmacy Technicians Exam in order to practice. The exam is given to all aspiring pharmacy technicians and you should be well prepared for it before leaving school. Practice tests are usually given while you are still receiving your formal training.
What you can expect after you have passed the exam
You can expect to have many different job options just about anywhere in the country you want to go, because the need for pharmacy technicians is increasing everyday. Big retailers and pharmaceutical companies are in need of trained pharmacy technicians, and you should have no problem obtaining a job.
Where you will be working as a pharmacy technician once you have completed formal training and testing
You can expect to work in retail pharmacies, typically located inside of large stores. You can end up working in hospitals, wholesale online pharmacies, government organizations, and for community organizations. The opportunities are plentiful.
Looking for schools that will be respected by employers
Before you decide to become a pharmacy technician you need to make sure you go to a school that is going to be respected. Even though only a two year degree is required, you will still be competing against people who might have a bachelors degree or higher.
So you will need to make sure the school you go to is a good one. How do you know if it is a good one? You check out the schools reputation online, you find a way to speak with graduates, and you call in and ask questions. Employers are usually looking for someone with impressive credentials and your school of choice might play a large role in that.
If you want to know more about how to become a pharmacy technician, you can get highly detailed information from the training school you are considering entering. In many cases you will be able to get information from multiple schools and do a comparison to see if there are any major differences that might make you go with one over the other.
Salary and Career Information
The amount of money you can expect once you are working as a pharmacy technician
A pharmacy technician can earn a good amount of money based on the level of experience they have. If the aspiring pharmacy technician has gone through the right courses and the right type of training, then they will be able to come in right away making better than average money over someone who does not have enough training.
When you first begin as a pharmacy technician you should not expect to earn an incredible living, but as you gain experience and take on more responsibility your income should increase. Right now the average hourly wage for a pharmacy technician is just under $14.00 an hour. The demand is growing, and the number of qualified technicians is short, which means you should be able to command a better than average salary. You can check out the most up to date salary projections and career info at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos325.htm.
Levels of experience and differences in salary
Pharmacy technicians who have the right amount of experience can expect to earn about $30,000 per year. In some cases they will be able to earn $40,000 per year depending on what state they live in. If a pharmacy technician possesses more than 6 years of experience they will be able to earn well over $40,000 per year.
Where do the job opportunities exists for pharmacy technicians?
You will be able to find job opportunities in hospital pharmacies, retail pharmacies, pharmaceutical organizations, as well as private organizations. These opportunities are available in just about every state, and the need for skilled pharmacy technicians is expected to increase as the demands of the population become larger.
What is the outlook for people who want to become pharmacy technicians?
The future job outlook for pharmacy technicians is very good. You will be able to earn a good income, and it will increase year by year. You will just need to make sure you obtain the most education you can so you are able to come in right away with a higher salary. You will need to make sure you have the appropriate certifications as well, because employers will demand this.
The location you choose to practice as a pharmacy technician
Make sure you research different states across the country to see where pharmacy technicians make the most money. In most cases the west coast and east coast will pay more, but the cost of living in these areas is higher. In the Midwest you will make less, but the cost of living is significantly lower in order to offset this.
Benefits pharmacy technicians can expect to receive
Pharmacy technicians enjoy not only good pay, good career outlooks, and good working environments, but they also get many benefits that make the job very secure. A full time practicing pharmacy technician can get paid vacations, paid sick live, paid holidays, and a multitude of health benefits when they are working. They can also receive retirement plans.
Getting trained as a pharmacy technician is good because it is one of the only professions where growth is looking good, despite the bad state of the economy. If you want a secure career that will offer great growth potential, offer advancement, security, and a good retirement plan, then becoming a pharmacy technician is definitely something you will want to look into.
You will just need to make sure you are prepared for all the intense training you will have to undergo while you are in school and make sure this is something you can see yourself doing long term.
