Pharmacy Technician

Becoming a pharmacy technician is a great career for someone who is interested in working in healthcare and wants to work professionally in a relatively shorter time frame than a lot of medical professionals. A pharmacy technician is a highly trained and usually licensed expert in sorting and filling prescription medication, labeling pill bottles and providing general customer service. They are involved in the careful process of receiving a prescription from a licensed medical professional, filling this prescription and dispensing it to a customer, all under the supervision of the on-site pharmacist. Anyone interested in the field of pharmacy might be interested in starting out as a technician and then studying for pharmacy school, as some pharmacists have already done.

A pharmacy technician may work in a drugstore or retail environment or even in a hospital. They are trained to carefully count pills, weigh medications and prepare the correct volumes of liquid medications for a customer. In non-retail settings, they could have a little more responsibility and prepare more medications and actually deliver them to a patient, such as in a nursing home, for example. Every employer is different in how they employ pharmacy technicians, but some training and perhaps a license is required and this depends on the state in which they work. Employers are probably more likely to look for pharmacy technicians with significant training, certification credentials and experience.

How To Become A Pharmacy Technician

The path towards any career is going to be different for everyone, but more pharmacies are looking for applicants with education and training relevant to the field. Sometimes it might be possible to start out as a pharmacy aide and advance in responsibility, but the modern pharmacy technician may be interested in pursuing formal education and training. Some states might even require this in the form of a license. Training programs for pharmacy technicians can be anywhere from six months up to a two-year degree. A great starting point for the serious career-minded individual might be contacting the admissions offices of several colleges or technical schools you are interested in attending. They are going to have the best information about how to submit a successful application.

These days, a lot of professionals are returning to school and some people are working while studying, which can be a challenge. An option to consider might be getting an online education where you earn college credits through an online school that transfer to another academic institution or perhaps even earning a degree completely online. Even traditional college students are seeing the benefits and flexibility of online classes. Make sure the online school is accredited and that relevant credits transfer.

Due to natural population increases and the fact that more people are retiring due to the baby boom, job prospects for highly trained and experienced pharmacy technicians are expected to be steady and average to above average. This data comes from a reliable source which is the United States Department of Labor and Bureau of Labor Statistics which compiles massive amounts of current career and employment information. Now is the ideal time to become a pharmacy technician.