Become A Pharmacy Technician And Serve An Important Role

Health Care Careers

In any area of health care careers the support staff for a given health care profession plays a significant role. More and more everyday, doctors, radiologists, pharmacists and health care professionals continue to add support staff and this creates opportunities for persons wanting to enter the health care profession. An area that continues to explode in opportunity is pharmacy technicians.

Pharmacy technicians help licensed Pharmacists provide medication and other health care products to patients. Pharmacy technicians who work in retail pharmacies typically have a wide range of responsibilities, depending on individual state laws and regulations. Pharmacy technicians may receive written prescriptions from patients or from a doctor’s office fax. They are charged with the responsibility of making sure information is accurate in every detail.

Depending on the individual pharmacists may request that technicians, count pour , fill or mix a medication. Once the prescription is filled the pharmacist then verifies and checks before it is given to the patient. Pharmacy technicians may also serve in the role of a administrative assistant, cashier or just about anything else. In hospital or nursing home setting, the role of the pharmacy technician may be expanded to include delivery of medications after being checked by the pharmacist .Work schedules can be very flexible , but often mirror that of the pharmacist

Training

A number of pharmacy technicians receive on the job training, however as is the case with most health care careers and professions, prospective employers will favor those applicants with formal training and certification. A background in interpersonal skilles and customer service will strengthen the candidate’s position for hiring.

Formal training for pharmacy technicians includes classroom and laboratory work in a diverse number of areas, including medical and pharmaceutical terminology, pharmaceutical calculations, pharmacy record keeping, pharmaceutical techniques, and pharmacy law and ethics. Technicians also are required to learn medication names, actions, uses, and doses.

Presently certification may not be necessary in most states, however as stated most pharmacists prefer candidates to be certified. Often pharmacists will hire and train with the condition that the certification be obtained over a prescribed amount of time. Pharmacy technicians are have the opportunity to advance and some become pharmacists themselves.

Job Opportunities

Excellent opportunities are expected for full-time and part-time work as a Pharmacy Technician, especially for technicians with formal training or previous experience. Job openings for pharmacy technicians will result from the aforementioned need for support staff and the expanding pharmaceutical industry . Salary ranges are dependent on location, certification and experience.