The ever expanding world of pharmacy technician is one of the fastest growing fields and predicted to be on the growth track by an increase of about 25% through the year 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Qualified pharmacy technicians are in demand and will be for the foreseeable future.
There are a number of schools that offer pharmacy technician programs for those ready to enter a field with a bright and secure future.
The programs available are associate degree, diploma and certificate of completion programs. Not all schools offer all programs.
The Internet has made it so easy to find just the right school. A simple web search for pharmacy technician schools or programs will reveal the schools in your area or the area you wish to attend school.
A link to the school will be provided in the web search reveal. The schools web page will contain the information you need to make a decision about where to apply and where to attend if accepted.
Selecting A Program
Before choosing a school, it is important to give some long-range thought to your education and employment goals. Where you want to be in 20 years, may have an impact on the school or type of completion award you receive.
If your goal is to someday be in a supervisory capacity or even teach, an associate degree program will serve you better than a diploma program.
It is possible to take a program that gives you enough of the basics to get a job and return to a degree program in the future, but that seems like duplicating effort somewhere along the line.
Preparing
Preparation for a career as a pharmacy technician really begins in high school. It is recommended to take math and science in high school as those two subjects are the basis for most pharmaceuticals.
The math involved is more than knowing how to push buttons on a calculator or calling up a program online to do the number crunching for you. Chemistry and biology are critical when preparing medications according to a prescription and there will be a heavy emphasis in those areas as your education progresses.
The program you decide to attend should be an accredited program. If you are to further your education, classes may or not be eligible for transferable credit, depending on the accreditation status of the program where the classes were taken.
If you decide to become certified, if your state has voluntary certification, only accredited programs are accepted by the certification board to qualify to take the exam.
One of the goals of the program is to prepare the student not only to find employment as a pharmacy technician, but to help prepare the student for the certification exam.
The exam is 100 multiple choice questions and is pass/fail. A good program will give the student the necessary tools and know how to study for the exam and pass it.
Even if the state you work in does not require certification, it is recommended to become certified.
Pharmacy Technician Job Description
A pharmacy technician is one who works under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist. His or her role is to perform many pharmacy related tasks.
The technician often handles the routine tasks in the pharmacy including preparation of prescribed medications, which will be checked by the licensed pharmacist before giving it to the patient, selecting the proper prescription container, creating prescription labels, medication compounding, expense and medication orders, take verbal prescriptions and calls from doctor’s, handle returns and expired credits and non licensed pharmacy management.
Job Description
The technicians also handle other pharmacy tasks including the preparation of insurance claim forms, maintenance of patient profiles, answering the telephone, taking inventory of over the counter medications, recommending over the counter medications to customers, completion of cash register transactions and being aware of the latest medications and their availability, as well as their side effects.
The pharmacy technician also advises the customer on health and diet issues, the proper foods and liquids to take with their medication and how to offset side effects of the medication. The pharmacy technicians will also advise customers on non medication, but medical related items such as the proper height a cane should be, or the best ace bandage to purchase.
Pharmacy technicians work mostly in retail pharmacy’s independently owned or part of a chain, while others work in hospitals, mail order or internet pharmacy’s or pharmaceutical wholesalers, nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Pharmacy technicians often work evening and weekends as well as a day time shift, including holidays.
What does a pharmacy technician do?
Just as a medical assistant is a doctor’s helper, so is a pharmacy technician the assistant to a licensed pharmacist. A pharmacy tech is hired to keep a pharmacy running smoothly and without issues. Roles and duties include:
Filling up prescription drug orders for customers. A pharmacy technician has to be accurate, efficient and conscientious while confirming prescription details and dosage. Failure to do so may result in unwanted legal action.
Be an attentive multi-tasker who is required to focus on many tasks at hand. Some of them include attending to customers queries while working the cash register.
Be patient while exuding good interpersonal skills. Being a good communicator will help bright pharmacy techs excel at their work and advance their career easily.
Be well-versed in insurance information and terminology. Part of the job of a pharmacy technician includes handling insurance claims and issues.
Pharmacy technicians’ workplace
7 out of 10 pharmacy technicians work in retail environment where you can find them applying for jobs at neighborhood pharmacies and grocery stores.
They have been known to be hired in hospitals and clinics while some opt to start employment in nursing homes if they do not prefer to work in a retail setting.
Pharmacy techs who are tech savvy may want to consider working at mail-order pharmacies and telepharmacies where they can use their skills and passion to an advantage.
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