Becoming a certified pharmacy technician isn’t as hard as you might think. Unlike other allied health specialties, such as nursing, pharmacy technicians do not require extensive training. Just a few months of vocational school will adequately prepare you for the job.

Let’s take a look at what is required to become a pharmacy technician, and how you can get your pharmacy tech certification.

What a Pharmacy Tech Does

First, it’s helpful to know what you will be required to do as a pharmacy technician. This depends on a number of factors such as whether you work in a retail pharmacy or a hospital, and how large the pharmacy department is. Typically, larger pharmacies (or hospital pharmacies) have more employees so the workload is spread out more. But the smaller the pharmacy, the more work you will be required to do.

Regardless of where you work, you will always be supervised by a licensed pharmacist. Their main job is quality control, making sure you assign the correct medication to the right patient and verifying the dosage. They are also the only ones within the pharmacy qualified to offer specific medical advice. So if a patient has a question about their medication that requires some explanation, make sure to refer them to the pharmacist for a consultation.

Other job duties of a pharmacy tech may include managing the cash register, answering phones, refilling prescriptions, and inventory control.

A short informational video about pharmacist career:

Pharmacy Tech Training

Now that you know what the typical job duties of a pharmacy tech are, let’s take a look at how you would go about getting trained for this profession.

There are a ton of programs out there that offer pharmacy tech training. They can be found at community colleges, vocational schools, trade schools, technical colleges, career colleges and even online. Most quality programs will take about one year to complete, after which you will receive a certificate or diploma. Some pharmacy tech schools offer an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science with a focus on pharmacy technology — this type of program takes about two years to finish, but the benefit is that you will have earned a degree.

Pharmacy Tech Certification

An important thing to keep in mind is that earning a certificate, diploma or degree is not the same thing as becoming certified. In order to become a certified pharmacy technician you need to pass a national examination. The most popular of these exams is issued by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). After paying a small fee, scheduling a test date and passing the exam you will be issued an official certification.

The final step is to register with your state as a licensed pharmacy tech. Regulations vary by state, but most states require that you are certified or have at least received some formal training in your profession.

Job and Salary Expectations

There is currently a very high demand for qualified pharmacy technicians, so you can expect to receive a well-paying job in a short amount of time. The average pharmacy technician salary is about $35,000 per year. This is excellent when you factor in the minimal amount of effort it takes to qualify for this field in comparison to other jobs

Whether you are just out of high school, or looking for a career change, training for your pharmacy tech certification is an excellent way to advance your career in the health care field.

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