Becoming a Pharmacy Technician

Because of the current demand, there is a lot of pharmacy technician information for prospective techs. If you are interested in becoming a registered pharmacy tech, you need to know all of the related job duties and the way pharmacies operate. Although not necessary in every state, it is a wise career move to obtain a technician certificate. With this certificate, you will be afforded more job opportunities, a greater amount of career challenges and a higher annual salary.

There are many pharmacy technician positions that give employees training on the job instead of requiring them to have prior education in the field. Those who are trained on the job are considered to be assistant pharmacy technicians. If you want to go to school to become registered and certified, many technical colleges, vocational schools and military programs offer the necessary coursework to get your pharmacy technician certification florida.

Once you become an actual registered pharm tech, you will be able to enjoy a wider range of job responsibilities. Under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist, you can handle prescription medication and maintain inventory. However, only a pharmacist may consult with patients regarding the side effects and inherit risks of any particular medication. In some places of employment, a technician will be permitted to give patients drug-information pamphlets. After you are completely trained, you will be allowed to dispense medication, perform cash register transactions and clarify discrepancies with doctors’ offices and insurance companies.

There are a lot of general skills you must hone to be successful as a pharmacy technician. It is imperative to have exact attention to detail. You will be expected to make sure each patient receives the right medication in the correct dosage. It is also important to develop stress-management techniques; they will come in handy when relating to patients. Management skills are also helpful to have because even though you work under a pharmacist, you may be required to instruct pharm assistants.

There is a wide range of employment options for you when you become a pharmacy technician. Chain and independent pharmacies are two such places. Those with 1-2 pharmacists on duty create a “friendly” atmosphere where you will interact with many regular customers. Hospitals are another option. At a hospital, there will be a few more pharmacists on duty; customer interaction is almost nil.

Military units and grocery store pharmacies are also in need of pharmacy techs. Health care stores, such as pharmacies, employ the highest number of pharm technicians. According to United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), approximately 18.39 percent of 333,500 techs work in health care stores.

In terms of a mid-level career position in the pharmaceutical field, becoming a pharmacy technician is an excellent choice. The annual wages earned by a pharm tech range from $19,840-$40,710. The average hourly rate is approximated by the the BLS to be at $13.65. In the United States, more technicians are employed in the southeast region than any other part of the country. However, BLS pharmacy technician information shows that techs who work on the west coast tend to earn more than their east-coast counterparts.