Pharmacy Technician

Become A Pharmacy Technician

Would you like to work in health care, but don't want to commit to a lengthy education program? If you have excellent people and organizational skills and are interested in helping people get the medicines they need, consider a career as a pharmacy technician.

Pharmacy Technician in a Nutshell

A pharmacy technician's primary duty is to aid licensed pharmacists as they distribute medications, answer patient questions and provide other pharmaceutical care. Technicians typically measure medications, count pills, apply labels to bottles and track insurance information. They refer patients to the pharmacist for questions about prescriptions and drug information.

Education Requirements for Pharmacy Technicians

While many pharmacy technicians receive on-the-job training, employers prefer candidates who have completed a formal training program and received their certification; in fact, more employers are requiring certification as the profession grows. However, there are no state or federal requirements for the formal training or certification of pharmacy technicians.

Prospective technicians may also gain experience by volunteering at a community pharmacy or hospital. Employers prefer candidates with strong communication skills and familiarity with counting tablets, measuring dosages and managing inventories.

In addition, some technicians are hired without formal training on the condition that they obtain their certification within a specified period of time in order to retain their position. To become certified, applicants must have a high school diploma or GED, have no felony convictions and pass the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination, proctored by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. This test is administered several times per year at various national locations.

To remain certified, technicians must complete 20 hours of continuing education every 2 years. Education can include on-the-job training under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist, as well as attending lectures, college coursework or involvement with pharmacy associations.

Day in the Life of a Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy technicians spend their workdays on their feet in clean and well-lit places, lifting and sorting boxes of prescriptions or carrying out the instructions of a supervising pharmacist. They must be professional people with good communication skills, as technicians are often engaging with clients, pharmacists and other health care professionals.

Technicians are required to work the same schedules that pharmacists work, which can include nights, weekends and holidays in hospitals, nursing homes, retail pharmacies and mail order pharmacies, as these businesses are often open 24 hours a day.

Job Growth for Pharmacy Technicians

As the population grows and ages, demand for pharmaceuticals and retail pharmacies will expand, so job opportunities for pharmacy technicians are expected to grow much faster than the national average for all occupations through the year 2014.

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