How Much Education Do You Need to Become a Pharmacy Technician?

The need for pharmacy technicians is currently rising and demand continuing to trend upward according to a leading job site, indeed.com. While a lot of people are interested in getting into this profession, a majority of them do not know what education is needed and that’s what we’ll talk about here in this post.

The first educational requirement that most pharmacy boards require is a high school diploma or a G.E.D. certificate. This is the most basic academic requirement that you will need when applying for a job, even without a certificate or license. If you see yourself becoming a pharmacy technician as early as high school, do yourself a favour and take science and math courses and study hard to get good grades. This goes a long way in getting a job.

Second educational requirement you will need is a certificate from an accredited pharmacy training program. This may be from a school program or an employment program offered by a number of companies. Program length may vary, some as short as 6 months to as long as 2 years. Cost of training will vary, typically between two and four thousand dollars and plus a few hundred more on books. There are also online courses available for those who don’t want to travel but be careful when choosing an online program as there are a lot of fly by night schools out there. Some pharmaceutical companies like rite-aid and even hospitals offer training programs as well so you may want to look into that as well.

The third one isn’t a requirement but rather a supplementary one to further acquire knowledge. These are supplementary courses that they can take to broaden their knowledge in this field. You can take these courses from the National Pharmacy Technician Association and it is free to their members.

The fourth requirement is on the job training. Not all programs will have this as part of their curriculum especially online programs, but this is essential in your success as a pharm tech. If you weren’t able to get this type of training in school, you may apply for internship programs or apply as a part time technician. This is not a strict requirement but an important training process. While there may be successful technicians who didn’t go through this type of training, it would be beneficial for new pharmacy techs to get on the job training whenever they can.

Finally, if you want more information on pharmacy technician training, visit Benjamin Clifford’s site that has tons of information about getting a pharmacy tech certification.

What Is The Difference Between a Certified and Registered Pharmacy Technician?

The role of a pharmacy technician is to help pharmacists run a pharmacy, performing various tasks from answering phone calls to processing payments to dispensing medication to patients. Their job description is directly tied to their role within the pharmacy and what the pharmacists asks them to do.

So what’s the main difference between a certified and a registered or licensed pharm tech?

There isn’t much of a difference in terms of the eligibility requirements for both which includes having a high school diploma and passing a criminal investigation check. The main difference is that to get certified, you need to pass an exam. Let’s examine briefly the processes of each.

To become certified you need to pass a board exam issued by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board and certification while not required is valid on all 50 states. Application can be done online and the fee is currently $129.00 for the pharmacy technician test.

To become licensed or registered, you have to apply to the board of pharmacy in a state you wish to practice in, submit all the documentary requirements needed and pass a background investigation. A number of states do not have online application, and forms will need to be sent it by snail mail. Fees vary depending on the state you wish to apply in. License or registration however, isn’t valid in all states unlike certification which is valid in all states. Take note however that certification isn't a requirement in all jurisdictions.

Suppose you want to transfer to a different state and practice, you will need to notify the board of the state that you are leaving. Failure to do so would result in penalties which can be very stiff. These are the main differences of certification and registration. Again, certification is valid across all 50 states while registration is only valid in the state you applied with.

What are the advantages of being certified?

The main advantage of having certification is that it adds cred to your resume. It gives you the advantage of having additional knowledge and practical information as a pharmacy technician that can land you better paying jobs, the difference isn’t too big though, maybe around one to three dollars more per hour but opportunities will abound in the future to certified technicians who can maintain their certification through continuing education every two years. You will also have the opportunity in going into more lucrative jobs like becoming a nuclear pharmacy technician or as a researcher for a pharmaceutical company.

Take note that in several states having pharmacy technician certification is a requirement, so it will be best to check with your local pharmacy board for this requirement in your state.

On a final note, visit Benjamin Clifford’s site that discusses about the various topics on how to become pharmacy technician.

What are the Requirements to Become a Pharmacy Technician?

Based on states from 2011, there are over three hundred forty thousand pharm techs across the United States. That number will continue to rise as the population increases as well as the number of new medications that enter the market and the growing number of illnesses related to the unhealthy lifestyle of Americans nationwide. So your chances of getting in this profession are excellent. But what does it take to make it as a pharmacy technician? What are the age requirements? What are the training requirements?

These are the questions that we will answer in this article to help you become a pharmacy technician in no time.

What does it take to become a pharmacy technician?

Before considering this career, you need to ask yourself these questions. (1) Are you detail oriented? (2) Are you willing to stand the whole day during your shift? (3) Do you have good people skills? And (4) are you well organized? If your answer to all four questions is a yes, then you’re off to a good start.

What are the training requirements?

That would depend on where you live and the regulations of the board of pharmacy in that area. You see it really varies, in some areas the requirement would be getting an accredited education from one of the major accreditation bodies like the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists or the Accreditation Council of Pharmacy Education. In other jurisdictions, it will be less demanding, and training with a pharmacist in charge is often enough to become employed. Remember that a majority of states in the US will require technicians to be either registered or licensed with the board of Pharmacy.

What are the age requirements?

You have to be at least 18 years of age in order to be qualified. Not all states list though list a minimum age requirement but they will require you to be at least a high school graduate or have completed a G.E.D. program.

What are the other requirements?

Well you will need to pass a criminal background check, which is a vital part of any employment process. This ensures that you are mentally fit to perform your duties and you will have the trust of your employer that you will be free from any criminal liability from the government. You must disclose any criminal conviction you may have in the past no matter how minor it is. Failure to do so may cause problems for you in your application down the road. Investigators will eventually dig up these records when they perform the background investigation and you may be disqualified from becoming hired in the process.

Finally, you can find more information pharmacy technician requirements by visiting Benjamin Clifford’s site that talks about the pharmacy tech job description in detail.