In the majority of states across the country you do not need a license to be a pharmacy technician. However, it is important that you check the laws pertaining to your state in order to verify what may be required if you wish to become a practicing pharmacy technician. Some states may require some type of certification to verify that you are qualified for the job while other states may just leave that to the discretion of the employers.

Even so, if your state does not require licensing or certification becoming a pharmacy technician may still be in your best interest. Many employers prefer that their employers are certified pharmacy technicians as that insures that the technicians that they hire are qualified with the knowledge and expertise that they want. This can go a long way towards reducing employee costs such as training and turnover. It is also beneficial for the employer to reduce their malpractice insurance costs.

Certified Pharmacy Technician Training

The demand for certified pharmacy technician positions is growing as the medical industry as a whole is constantly expanding. The population of the country is also getting progressively older as the baby boomers are all past the age of 50 by now. It is well-known that older people typically use more pharmaceuticals that their younger counterparts. This in turn leads to a greater demand in healthcare jobs and pharmacies and the need for qualified pharmacists and certified pharmacy technicians.

Completing your training to become a certified pharmacy technician can be a solid career move at this time. By the year 2016 it has been estimated that the demand for pharmacy technicians will increase as much as 32%, which is a rather significant gain in this time of economic uncertainties.

Certified Pharmacy Technician Exam

It is possible to become a certified pharmacy technician in as little as 6 to 12 months. After you have completed your training and passed the test to become a certified pharmacy technician you are eligible for entry-level positions in this exciting healthcare field and the best thing is you can also qualify for a decent salary with room for increases and advancement. Salaries are contingent upon the type of pharmacy you work in, the number of certified pharmacy technician positions available in that pharmacy and the part of the country that you live and work in. Working in a small compounding pharmacy can allow you to gain some very important skills and expertise in the pharmacy field that may not be available in other types of pharmacies even though that may not pay as well as a pharmacy located in a large hospital. However, the experience as a pharmacy technician in a small compounding pharmacy may be very beneficial for your future career plans.

In order to become a certified pharmacy technician you will need to complete the training and then pass a certification exam. In order to keep your certification up to date you will also be required to take a certain amount of continuing education every 2 years or so. Most often this is about 20 hours every 2 years. However, this is beneficial to you as a working certified pharmacy technician because you will be able to keep up with the many changes in the industry and this is important for you, your employers and most of all your customers.

Pharmaceutical technicians or a pharmacy technicians as they are more commonly called, are health care professionals who perform pharmacy related functions. Pharmacy technicians typically work under the direction of a licensed pharmacist or other licensed health professional. These technicians perform vital functions and they usually work in retail or community pharmacies, hospital pharmacies and occasionally long-term health care facilities, pharmaceutical manufacturers and third party insurance companies.

The job description of a pharmacy technician generally includes filling and dispensing prescriptions for drugs or medical devices. They may also instruct patients on the proper use of the prescription. They may also be responsible for administrative duties within the pharmaceutical practice, such as working with insurance companies to make sure that proper payment is received and revenue is collected or reviewing prescription requests with doctor’s offices to make sure that the patient is receiving the correct medicine. Techs may also consult with patients to ensure that they understand the proper use of the medications and the risks and dangers of potential drug interactions along with the importance of taking certain medications at specific time frames.

In recent years the job duties and responsibilities along with the demand for qualified individuals to fill these important positions has expanded. This may be partially due to the aging population and the fact that more technicians are needed to fill the healthcare needs of the public or it may also be attributed to the fact that there are not as many licensed pharmacists as needed and the training and qualifications for a pharmacy technician are significantly less that that of a licensed pharmacist.

While they complete a variety of tasks associated with preparing and dispensing prescribed medications for patients, such as counting out pills or mixing up liquid medicines, they may also have the responsibility of assisting the pharmacist in compounding medications. For some of the simpler preparations of compounded medicines, the pharmacy technician may have the complete responsibility of preparing the medication.

They may also provide advice on non-prescription medications. They may be responsible for inventory and the tracking of medication and supply orders along with other administrative tasks that are related to the pharmacy business. They may counsel existing patients on the proper use of medications and on any contraindications that may affect their medicine and their health.

The professional qualifications and requirements to become a pharmacy technician generally include knowledge and skills in the pharmaceutical industry. This knowledge is typically gained through formal training, however, in some cases and depending upon the employer, it may be possible to get into an apprenticeship type program that includes on-the-job training.

In order to qualify to take the training a high school diploma or its equivalent is required. It is not necessary to have a university degree or any previous college training. A background in science, math or health-related subjects is helpful. The training is typically offered by technical or community colleges. There are also courses offered by the military, some hospitals or healthcare organizations, proprietary schools and even through online courses.

The areas of study will include the pharmacy and healthcare ethics, retail and hospital pharmacy practice including customer care and service, medical terminology, human physiology and diseases, pharmacotherapeutics, retail and hospital software systems, inventory management, infection control and relevant laws. An internship period in a working pharmacy where a student can gain hand-on experience is generally required.

The majority of employers prefer their technicians to be certified with a national or locl pharmacy board. In order to achieve this certification, a potential pharmacy technician will need to be able to pass a standardized test that tests their knowledge and expertise. In the United States there are various boards and private organizations that offer certification. Typically the student will pay a fee to take the test and they will need to be able to pass the test at a certain level of proficiency. In some other countries throughout the world, techs are required to be registered with a national regulatory council.

In the United States according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 75% of all pharmacy technicians work in a retail setting, such as a mass retailer chain pharmacy like Walmart or Walgreens, or an independently owned small pharmacy including specialized compounding pharmacies. Technicians can also find work in a mail-order or online pharmacy. Other possible job opportunities for pharmacy technicians include hospitals and hospital pharmacies, nursing homes, pharmaceutical wholesalers or the Federal Government.

A certified pharmacy technician is also referred to by the abbreviation C Ph T. A certified pharmacy technician works directly under and assists the Registered Pharmacist (R Ph). The training to become a registered pharmacist is significantly greater than to become a pharmacy technician. A registered pharmacist requires licensure and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, which can take up to 6 years to complete.

After completing the educational and technical requirements to become a pharmacy technician, the technician may take the certification exam in order to become certified. This is important when it comes time to look for employment as most employers will want to hire only certified people.

A potential pharmacy technician may take the certification exam from two different certifying boards. The first is the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam or PTCE, this is offered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board or PTCB. The second board that offers a certifying exam is the Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians or ICPT, which offers the Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians of ExCPT. Upon the successful completion and passing of the exam the candidate is granted certification for a certain period of time. You must take a certain predetermined amount of continuing education every few years in order to maintain this certification.

There are many opportunities within the workplace for a qualified and certified technician. In retail pharmacies the certified pharmacy technician will work under the direct supervision of a pharmacist who dispenses prescription medications. They will often assist or dispense the prescriptions, whether they are tablets, capsules, gels, ointments, suspensions, creams, injections or inhalation medication. The pharmacy technician must be familiar with the duties of the over-the-counter business as well as any third party insurance billing processes.

In order to become a licensed pharmacy technician you must be able to pass the certification exam. While not every state requires a license to be a pharmacy technician, it is still a good idea to complete an educational program and become certified because it will significantly increase your job opportunities, regardless of what state you live in. The most reputable employers of pharmacy technicians generally prefer technicians with certification.

If you make the commitment to complete an educational course for being a pharmacy technician and you take and pass the exam you will be preparing yourself for the best jobs available for pharmacy technicians, plus you will gain the knowledge and expertise to do your job well.

Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam

In order to prepare yourself for the test you need to study and learn the information from your training courses. It is typically easier to learn and retain the information if you learn it over a period of time. This means that you will be better off for the test and in the long run if you study throughout your courses and then take the test rather than cramming for the test at the last minute.

It may also be very helpful to take a practice exam before the actual test. In fact, you may find it helpful to take a few practice exams so that you can be sure that you have mastered all of the information. The pharmacy technician test typically consists of about 140 multiple choice questions with 4 possible answers. Many of these answers are designed to be quite similar so as to trip up the people who don’t know the information well. That is one reason why it is so important to study and know all of the information. It is also another reason to take a few practice exams before sitting for the important exam.

If you know all of the information well you should not have to guess at the answers. However, if you do have to guess make sure that you do so, reading very carefully and excluding any answers that you think may be incorrect. The point is that there is no penalty for guessing but there is a penalty for leaving an answer blank so make sure that you answer every question, even if you have to guess. You will have a much better chance of getting the answer correct than if you leave it blank.

Pharmacy Technician Exam

There are three different sections to the exam, part one is assisting pharmacists in serving patients, part two would be maintaining medication and inventory control systems and part three is participating in the administration and management of a pharmacy practice. The first section counts the most towards your final score, however, it is important to do well on the entire test.

The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board or PTCB sets the dates for the test at various times throughout the year. If you fail the exam on the first try you must wait until the next test is offered, which is usually not for 90 days. If you fail the first time it is important to use the next 90 days to review and study the material so you can pass the test the next time around.

As with most tests, you should have a pretty good idea if you passed or not. If you were knowledgeable on the material you should have been able to answer all the questions with confidence however, if you felt doubt about many of the answers you will have to wait for your exam results, which should be provided in just a few days after taking the test.

Depending upon the state you live in, you may or may not need a license to be a pharmacy technician. In order to work as a pharmacy technician you should check the laws of your own individual state in which you wish to practice. Some may require a license, some may require a certification and some may not have any requirements. Also check with the pharmacy technician certification board to see what information they have about your state.

However, even if the state you live in does not have a certification requirement it may still be smart to get a certification. The truth is that many employers prefer pharmacy technicians with certification and you may also be able to qualify for a higher pay level. Certified pharmacy technicians have the knowledge that they need so certification for pharmacy technicians can reduce training costs. It can also benefit the employer on their malpractice insurance.

Pharmacy technician jobs are in demand. Pharmacies can be busy places and right now the medical industry is seeing an upsurge throughout. This is largely because of our population, which is growing older as the baby boomers are now all over age 50. This has created a greater demand for healthcare and health care jobs including pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.

It has been predicted that by the year 2016 pharmacy technician jobs will increase by as much as 32%. With the current economic downturn and the depressed job market, getting your training and certification in the growing industry of pharmacy technicians may be an advantageous decision.

You can complete your pharmacy technician training in as little as 6 to 12 months. And after you have completed your courses and passed the certification testing you can qualify for an entry-level position in this ever-expanding health care field and you can also qualify for a decent salary. Salaries for pharmacy technicians depend upon the part of the country that you reside in and also with the type of pharmacy that you choose to work in.

A hospital pharmacy can typically offer a higher pay scale than a small town pharmacy, however, if you wish to advance a compounding pharmacy may offer you the chance to learn new and important skills. If you live in a part of the country that enjoys higher pay scales you will also be able to get higher pay, however, the cost of living there will also be higher.

After you complete your certification program you will be required to complete continuing education to keep your certification up to date. This is usually 20 hours of education every 2 years. It is important to complete this continuing education as it forces you to keep your knowledge and skills up to date, which is important for your employer, your customers and yourself.

If You care to advance your career further being a pharmacy technician is great experience for becoming a fully licensed pharmacist. Being a fully-licensed pharmacist requires significantly more education but you will be qualified for significantly higher income also. Pharmacists command excellent salaries and the field in growing. Being a pharmacy technician can be an excellent experience if you want to advance in your career.