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.