Why to Become a Pharmacy Technician
Great Salary, Good Job Prospects, Good Work Environment, Low Entry-Level Education, No Related Working Experience.
To become a Pharmacy Technician you must pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification exam.You can go to Pharmacy Technician Training Schools and Complete the Pharmacy Technician course,or you can self-study Pharmacy Technician Course. We provide full online Pharmacy Technician Course Resource and online Pharmacy Technician Certification Practice Tests to help you pass Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam.
| 2012 Median Pharmacy Technician Salary | $29,320 per year $14.10 per hour |
| Entry-Level Education | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation | None |
| On-the-job Training | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
| Number of Jobs, 2012 | 355,300 |
| Job Outlook, 2012-2022 | 20% (Faster than average) |
Source from: BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Spotlight Pharmacy Technician Jobs
* Retail Pharmacy Technician
Median salary: $30,000
* Hospital Pharmacy Technician
Median salary: $32,000
* Rehabilitation Center Pharmacy Technician
Median salary: $37,000
* Community Pharmacy Technician
Median salary: $36,000
* Central Pharmacy Operations Technician
Median salary: $42,000
How to Become a Pharmacy Technician
Becoming a pharmacy technician usually requires earning a high school diploma or the equivalent. Pharmacy technicians typically learn through on-the-job training, or they may complete a postsecondary education program. Most states regulate pharmacy technicians, which is a process that may require passing an exam or completing a formal education or training program.
Education and Training
Many pharmacy technicians learn how to perform their duties through on-the-job training. These programs vary in length and subject matter according to the employer’s requirements.
Other pharmacy technicians enter the occupation after completing postsecondary education programs in pharmacy technology. These programs are usually offered by vocational schools or community colleges. Most programs award a certificate after 1 year or less, although some programs last longer and lead to an associate’s degree. They cover a variety of subjects, such as arithmetic used in pharmacies, recordkeeping, ways of dispensing medications, and pharmacy law and ethics. Technicians also learn the names, uses, and doses of medications. Most programs also include clinical experience opportunities, in which students gain hands-on experience in a pharmacy.
Regulations for Pharmacy Technicians that specify registration, licensure, and/or certification requirements vary from state to state. Learn more about the regulations for Pharmacy Technicians in your state Click Here: Pharmacy Technicians Requirements In States
Steps to Becoming a Pharmacy Technician
Step 1: Entire a postsecondary education and learning software (Optional)
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) may be the accrediting system for pharmacy technician systems. ASHP-certified packages are offered at several community colleges and vocational educational institutions. Most certification plans can be accomplished within a yr or considerably less, while associate diploma applications normally get two decades to accomplish. Coursework addresses complex and simple coaching within the next spots:
* Pharmacy law
* Pharmacology
* Pharmacy ethics
* Anatomy
* Healthcare systems
* Physiology
* Medical terminology
* Pharmaceutical calculations
Step 2: Entire on-the-job education
Most packages allow for pupils to realize medical working experience during their teaching. According to point out guidelines, pupils can also choose to achieve on-the-job education without having enrolling in the postsecondary education and learning plan. Medical working experience may perhaps take the form of a structured instruction program in a retail drugstore which includes partnered with the college. Another option should be to finish hands-on education at an authorised pharmacy or health-related heart.
Step 3: Become Certified
Some states require pharmacy technicians to be qualified. Even in states exactly where certification will not be expected, most businesses will only retain the services of pharmacy techs who are licensed with the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) or the Nationwide Healthcareer Affiliation (NHA).
The PTCB calls for candidates to pass an examination, though the NHA necessitates pupils to accomplish a instruction system or have at the least a single calendar year of knowledge working as a technician. Both of those organizations involve candidates to obtain a high school diploma.
Step 4: Become specialised
Some pharmacy technicians choose to work completely for a retail drugstore chain and can entire specialized education to serve for a common pharmacy technician, local community pharmacy technician or central pharmacy operations technician, or inside of a related function.
Step 5: Maintain certification
Pharmacy techs ought to move a recertification test every two a long time. They need to full at the least 20 several hours of continuing training just before sitting for that recertification test.
Factors of a Thriving Pharmacy Technician:
Abilities, Qualifications, Instruments and Engineering
What Abilities Are Needed?
Pharmacy techs should have solid interest to element, as the majority in their day by day responsibilities entail measuring, dosing and dispensing prescription medication based on pretty specific orders. They need to even have superior published and verbal communication capabilities to speak efficiently with the pharmacists they get the job done with, sufferers, and medical specialists or healthcare representatives they appear into contact with.
Pharmacy experts have to acquire the lead in educating on their own on drug info and any important changes developing inside the market. They might be expected to read about drug scientific studies, evaluate pharmaceutical literature or produce reviews about diverse prescription remedies and dispensing things to do. Given that quite a few perform in fast paced retail drugstores or unexpected emergency rooms, they need to also have strong organizational techniques and be ready to work within a fast-paced surroundings devoid of making issues.
Credentials
Furthermore to becoming an authorized Pharmacy Technician (CPhT), pharmacy techs can obtain other certifications that allow them to investigate interesting occupation options. Options include:
* Sterile Goods (IV) Certification
* Qualified Pharmaceutical Market Specialist
* Chemotherapy Certification
* Compounding Certification
* Nuclear Pharmacy Technician (NPT) Coaching
Equipment and Systems
Pharmacy specialists are usually properly trained in all clinical software package programs used by the pharmacy so that they will fill prescription orders precisely, control patient billing facts and coordinate client communications inside a timely manner. Most come to be proficient in the following forms of program courses:
* Accounting software program for medical billing and reimbursement
* Database program to examine for drug compatibility
* Inventory management software package, like Cardinal Wellbeing Pyxis CII Harmless
* Label-making software package
* Health care software program masking many different parts, such as affected individual documents and prescription processing
What Does a Pharmacy Technician Do
Pharmacy technicians help licensed pharmacists prepare prescription medications, provide customer service, and perform administrative duties within a variety of practice settings, including community, health-system, and federal pharmacy. They are generally responsible for receiving prescription requests, counting tablets, labeling bottles, maintaining patient profiles, preparing insurance claim forms, and performing administrative functions such as answering phones, stocking shelves, and operating cash registers.
Pharmacy technicians typically do the following:
* Take the information needed to fill a prescription from customers or health professionals
* Measure amounts of medication for prescriptions
* Package and label prescriptions
* Organize inventory and alert pharmacists to any shortages of medications or supplies
* Accept payment for prescriptions and process insurance claims
* Enter customer or patient information, including any prescriptions taken, into a computer system
* Answer phone calls from customers
* Arrange for customers to speak with pharmacists if customers have questions about medications or health matters
Pharmacy technicians work under the supervision of pharmacists, who must review prescriptions before they are given to patients. In most states, technicians can compound or mix some medications and call physicians for prescription refill authorizations. Technicians also may need to operate automated dispensing equipment when filling prescription orders.
Pharmacy technicians working in hospitals and other medical facilities prepare a greater variety of medications, such as intravenous medications. They may make rounds in the hospital, giving medications to patients.
Pharmacy Technician Jobs Outlook
Employment of pharmacy technicians is projected to grow 20 percent from 2012 to 2022, faster than the average for all occupations. Several factors will lead to increased demand for prescription medications.
The population is aging, and older people typically use more prescription medicines than younger people. Higher rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes among all age groups also will lead to increased demand for prescription medications. Advances in pharmaceutical research will allow for more prescription medications to be used to fight diseases.
The number of individuals who have health insurance will increase due to federal health insurance reform legislation. As more people have access to insurance coverage, more pharmacy technicians will be needed to handle their prescriptions.
In addition, pharmacy technicians may be needed to take on a greater role in pharmacy operations because pharmacists are increasingly performing more patient care activities such as giving flu shots. Technicians will need to perform tasks such as collecting patient information, preparing more types of medications, and verifying the work of other technicians, tasks formerly done by pharmacists.
To see the Latest Pharmacy Technician Jobs in your state Click Here: Pharmacy technician Jobs
Hot Jobs in Pharmacy Technician
Pharmacy technicians are in demand. In reality, several pharmacies all over the place are expanding shopper providers to incorporate choices this kind of as flu photographs, health and fitness screenings and complimentary prescription drugs for certified patients. These products and services demand pharmacy techs to take on added duties and enhance their talent established.
Pharmacy technicians are usually not the only real healthcare industry experts in need. Other very hot employment in the pharmaceutical sector include:
* Medical billing and quality technician
* Certified pharmacy technician
* Compounding technician
* Lead pharmacy technician
* Medication inventory specialist
* Pharmacist
* Pharmaceutical sales representative
* Health technologist
* Pharmacy aide
Spotlight Pharmacy Technician Jobs
Retail Pharmacy Technician
Median salary: $30,000
These pharmacy techs do the job in a very retail pharmacy where they function along with the common general public on a each day foundation. Retail pharmacy technicians are to blame for greeting buyers and subsequent the store?ˉs customer care protocol. They could be responsible for publishing prescription claims to insurance policies providers, resolving customer concerns, taking care of transactions and retrieving affected individual facts.
Hospital Pharmacy Technician
Median salary: $32,000
Working inside of a healthcare facility pharmacy demands substantial coaching and expertise dealing with parenteral medicines and, in a few conditions, perhaps dangerous medications. Medical center pharmacy techs are responsible for filling medication orders for physicians, not merely prescriptions for individuals or pharmacists. They might be associated with prepackaging remedies for client use, conducting drug evaluations and counseling sufferers if the client is discharged within the hospital.
Rehabilitation Center Pharmacy Technician
Median salary: $37,000
Some rehabilitation facilities possess a personal pharmacy onsite to take care of patient medicines and prescriptions. Pharmacy technicians doing the job inside a rehabilitation heart should be relaxed working with sufferers with mental well being challenges or material abuse problems. They’re ordinarily responsible for making ready and dispensing medication for your nurse or rehabilitation expert.
Community Pharmacy Technician
Median salary: $36,000
Working inside a group pharmacy indicates the pharmacy technician might be to blame for aiding neighborhood pharmacists with prescription orders and serving to sufferers within the cellphone or from behind the counter. The tech may additionally be to blame for stocking cabinets, running stock and having care of day-to-day administrative tasks.
Central Pharmacy Operations Technician
Median salary: $42,000
These pharmacy techs are accountable for refilling and replenishing prescription requests in a very central fill heart or central pharmacy locale. This position requires somewhat more responsibility when compared to the standard pharmacy technician position mainly because it necessitates a deep idea of pharmacy functions and distribution things to do to distinctive pharmacies. Central pharmacy functions techs can also be accountable for taking care of stock, labeling cabinets and arranging pharmaceutical items.
Pharmacy Technician Salary
The median annual wage for pharmacy technicians was $29,320 in May 2012. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $20,580, and the top 10 percent earned more than $42,400.
In May 2012, the median annual wages for pharmacy technicians in the top five industries in which these technicians worked were as follows:
| Ambulatory health care services | $35,470 |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | $33,550 |
| Grocery stores | $28,760 |
| Pharmacies and drug stores | $28,030 |
| General merchandise stores | $27,450 |
Most pharmacy technicians work full time. Pharmacies may be open at all hours. Therefore, pharmacy technicians may have to work nights or weekends.
Becoming a pharmacy technician is often a gateway to your career like a pharmacist, nursing assistant or other medical skilled. Demand for pharmacy experts is predicted to remain higher for that upcoming 10 years, building this job path probably gratifying for people who want to work within a pharmacy location.
The median annual wage for pharmacy specialists in 2014 was $29,810, despite the fact that this differs by point out. Pharmacy technicians in Washington, Alaska, California, Hawaii and Oregon are the greatest earners, on ordinary. The Bureau of Labor Stats reviews that the highest-paying positions can be obtained with federal, condition and local authorities agencies, outpatient care centers, and scientific research and enhancement organizations. Pharmacy techs that perform in office suppliers and overall health and private care stores commonly make decreased yearly wages.
The Pharmacy technician Salary varies in different U.S. States. Checking Pharmacy technician Salary in your state Click Here: Pharmacy technician Salary