The Life of a Pharmacist Technician
For those who are aspiring to be a pharmacy technician, you would be glad to know that there is no national training standard to become one. But due to recent improvements in the field of medicines and drugs, employers tend to hire applicants that have a previous work experience and finished a formal training program. Those that bear a certification have an edge to landing the job as well. It’s really easy for you to get all of these. After all, there are no prerequisites for enrolling in a pharmacy tech training program. All you need to have is your high school diploma or its equivalent.
Some states still make it a practice to hire people who do not have any formal training. What they do is they give an informal on-the-job training for these employees. This informal training usually lasts around three to twelve months. A formal education, on the other hand, may last for six to twenty four months. You can get this from the community college or vocational school in your area. Some hospitals and even the military provide this kind of program too. In getting a formal education, you will learn many different things about pharmaceutical terminology, pharmaceutical calculations, medical techniques and the law and ethics of a pharmacy. This will hone you to be excellent in remembering names, uses and doses of almost all the drugs and medicines. Training programs are also made up of hands-on experience which allows you to get an actual feel of the work before you even graduate. And once you have completed everything, you will be granted a diploma, a certificate or an associate’s degree.
Since pharmacy technicians are also assigned to do some administrative and clerical duties, it will be truly helpful if you are proficient in computers and can work smoothly with a cash register. If you’re good in building rapport with other people, then you will also have an advantage in performing this job. Some of the areas in the United States require their pharmacy technicians to be registered within their board of pharmacy. The eligibility requirements for this registration may differ from state to state. But normally they will be asking for your high school diploma and an application fee. Employers highly consider the ones that have a certificate with them. You can get a voluntary certification from various private groups such as The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board and Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians.
The average salary of a technical career will vary based on the amount, as well as the type of education a tech receives. It is important to realize that one should not pursue a career solely based on salary alone. Pharmacy technician salary ranges are determined by ones location and place of employment. Larger companies and hospitals along with government jobs will typically pay a higher annual income.
Again, a certification is not a requirement for this job. However, it will enhance your application and make you more eligible for the job. In order to keep your certification updated, you must complete at least twenty hours of continuing education within the two-year window. You can get these hours from any community college or vocational school as well. Some pharmacy associations and hospitals offer this opportunity too. You are more than free to inquire with them if they have this program. Some other things that you should be good at in pursuing this career are mathematics and spelling. You should be able to interpret prescription medications with ease and verify drug doses accurately. In other words, you should be precise and detailed with the drugs and medicines that you handle.