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What Does a Pharmacy Technician Do?
Pharmacy technicians do much more than just help fill prescriptions; they're often the link between people and their much-needed and sometimes life-saving medications. These skilled workers assist pharmacists in the preparation of prescription medication, handle confidential patient information and help distribute medications. They also often serve administrative and customer service functions, serving as the liaison between pharmacist and physician as well as pharmacist and patient.
Pharmacy Technician Education Requirements
While there are many paths to take for employment as a pharmacy technician, many employers prefer to hire candidates with formal education, certification or previous pharmacy experience. According to information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), education programs are available through a variety of organizations, including:
These kinds of training programs help job candidates reach pharmacy technician requirements by focusing on coursework involving both classroom and laboratory training, covering a variety of subjects, such as:
You can complete many pharmacy technician training programs in as little as six months or as long as two years, depending on the coursework and involvement of the program. Prerequisites for many pharmacy technician training programs require a high school diploma or equivalent. The College Board suggests that students who wish to pursue pharmacy technician training study mathematics, communications and language, and sciences to prepare for later coursework.
Pharmacy Technician Education Requirements: Certification
Most states require that pharmacy technicians be registered with an official board of pharmacy. Often, the minimum pharmacy technician requirements for licensure and certification are a high school diploma, payment of a small fee and a clear background check. Certification is offered through professional organizations such as the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) and the Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ICPT). Pharmacy technicians who pass exams offered by these groups have demonstrated that they have the proper skill set to help dispense life-saving medications and provide customers with essential medical information.
Certification from these professional groups often comes with continuing education requirements. Certified pharmacy technician requirements include re-certification every two years. To be eligible for recertification, pharmacy technicians must complete 20 hours of continuing education. Up to ten hours of continuing education training can be earned by working directly with a licensed pharmacist, while other continuing education pharmacy technician requirements include college courses, pharmacy associations and other formal pharmacy technician programs.
Pharmacy Technician Career Outlook
According to the BLS, employment in this field is projected to increase 31 percent in between 2008 and 2018. This rate of growth is much higher than projections in other sectors and can be attributed to expansion of the pharmacy technician role. Job prospects should be good, particularly for those with experience and who have completed pharmacy technician requirements for formal training and certification.
For the most part, certified technicians earn more than their non-certified counterparts. According to information from Salary.com, the median annual income for intermediate-level pharmacy technicians is $37,201, with the 10th percentile earning a median annual salary of $29,173 and the 90th percentile earning a median annual salary of $45,195.
Resources for Pharmacy Technicians:
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