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If you are seeking a career with the potential of growth and advancement; where you can help people meet their needs while working in a fast-paced environment, pharmacy technology could be a good option for you. Certified pharmacy technicians work in various environments, but the end result is making sure customers get the prescriptions they need in a timely manner while working under the management of a licensed pharmacist. The amount of education and experience needed to earn a license varies by state, but if you’re interested in learning about becoming a pharmacy technician, we’ve included information on how to get started below.
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What is a Pharmacy Technician?
A pharmacy technician assists pharmacists with various tasks, such as filling prescriptions, labeling bottles, and communicating with customers, insurance companies, and doctor's offices. While duties may vary depending on the work environment and education level, pharmacy technicians always work closely with pharmacists to ensure customers receive the medications they need.
Where Do They Work?
Certified pharmacy technicians (CPhTs) work in hospitals, grocery stores, drugstores, mail-order drug companies, and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Lead technicians assist pharmacists with filling orders, tracking inventory, answering customer questions, and handling insurance claims. Those in manufacturing or mail-order pharmacies may also handle customer service calls from customers, other pharmacies, and insurance companies. They are familiar with the daily operations of healthcare pharmacies and may take on additional duties depending on the setting.
What’s the Difference Between a Pharmacy Technician and a Pharmacist?
Pharmacy technicians perform tasks similar to pharmacists, but under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist. They fill orders, print labels, communicate with customers and doctors, handle insurance claims, and perform office duties. While pharmacists also do these tasks, they work closely with doctors to select medications and dosages and supervise pharmacy technicians to ensure quality care. Pharmacy techs typically need less education, requiring only a high school diploma, associate's degree, or pharmacy technician training, while pharmacists must attend pharmacy school.
Education Needed to Become a Pharmacy Technician
In some states, a high school diploma is sufficient to become a pharmacy technician, but most states require registration with a state agency and passing a certification exam. To prepare for this, pharmacy technician programs are available through workplaces or community colleges, lasting from several months to a few years. These programs result in a certificate or two-year degree and prepare you for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE). As of 2020, certification by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) is required for all aspiring pharmacy technicians, meaning formal job training is necessary in most locations.
Necessary Skills
Pharmacy technicians work closely with pharmacists, assisting in tasks like reviewing prescriptions, though the pharmacist makes most dosage decisions. Technicians should have specific skills, some learned through on-the-job training, but an associate's degree in healthcare or formal pharmacy technician training will be very helpful.
Counting and math skills:
Being able to determine which meds will fill the request that the physician made can sometimes require math. You also have to be very accurate with the number of pills provided to the customer. Providing less or more than needed could make a huge difference in a patient’s life.Comprehension skills:
Understanding what is being requested is also important. There is a shorthand that accompanies the pharmacy industry, and you’ll need to learn it and understand it to work in the field.Attention to detail:
The directions on the label, the name of the drug, and other directives must be accurately understood and acted on.Physical stamina:
The job requires a lot of standing, reaching, and stooping, so being physically able to handle the job is a must.Customer service skills:
knowing how to interact with the public, physicians, and other organizations in a polite and professional manner is a definite requirement.
Certification Options for Pharmacy Technicians
Pharmacy technicians can earn certification by passing either the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) or the Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ExCPT). Since 2020, both exams require completion of a recognized pharmacy technician program from either the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) for ExCPT or the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) for PTCE. PTCB also allows technicians with 500 working hours to qualify for the exam if they don't meet educational requirements.
The PTCE exam focuses on the mathematics and business operations that pharmacy technicians might deal with, while the ExCPT exam is more daily operations based. Both exams are computerized and consist of 90 to 100 questions. The PTCE exam costs $129 and the ExCPT exam costs $115.
The PTCE exam is recognized in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, while the ExCPT is not recognized in Washington, North Dakota, or Louisiana. Pharmacy technicians must complete continuing education throughout their career, typically 100 hours every three years, along with renewing their certification every three years. Renewal and education requirements may vary by state.
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Is this Certification Worth it?
Attaining a certification in pharmacy technology is beneficial in several ways, including:
- Proof of Scholarship:
You might have been doing your job for 20 years but being certified is solid proof of your expertise and experience in your field. - Advancement Opportunities:
With the requirements changing and all pharmacy technicians needing to have completed an approved program, the competition for jobs could get tight. Having certification can give you an edge over other techs who haven’t taken that step. - Hone Different Skills:
the exam will force you to hone your math skills in a variety of areas. - Grow Your Pharmaceutical Knowledge Base:
You’ll learn about many different types of medications how they are used, why they are prescribed, and how and why certain medicines should not be combined. This information can help you prevent accidents when prescriptions are being filled and either the doctor or pharmacist didn’t catch a conflict.
Specializations
You might think that pharmacy technicians just stand around in a pharmacy and fill prescriptions but that’s just part of what some pharmacy technicians do. A certified pharmacy technician may specialize in certain fields or certain types of drugs and work in a variety of different locations.
Some of these specializations include the following:
- Chemotherapy:
These techs keep up to date on the latest chemotherapy treatments and help patients determine which med might be the best for them. - Compounding:
When a specialized med is required, a tech certified in compounding can mix the medication when needed. - Experience in particular technologies, such as automated medication dispensing systems:
A tech-savvy pharmacy tech can operate machinery and systems that make dispensing medications faster and more efficient. - HIV treatment or prevention agents:
Similar to chemotherapy, pharmacy technicians will stay abreast of the latest treatments for HIV and help educate the patient about their options. - Procurement (such as budget, inventory, and drug selection/recall management):
Business savvy pharmacy technicians can help a pharmacy with its budget, determine which drugs are the more profitable ones to have on hand, and know which drugs have been problematic. - Sterile products (i.e., IV)
- Vaccines and Immunization
Pharmacy Tech Annual Salary and Job Outlook
The annual salary for pharmacy technicians starts at around $32,000 at the low end of the scale, but with experience and certifications, it can rise to $57,000 or more. The average salary is $43,330, though it varies based on certifications, specializations, and the size of the organization. Pharmacy technicians employed by major labs or pharmaceutical companies may earn more and have greater advancement opportunities compared to those working at local drugstores.
As for the job outlook, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), job growth for pharmacy techs is expected to be around 7%, which is a little higher than average. Between 2023 and 2033, it's anticipated that over 33,300 more techs will be needed. The need is fueled by an increase of people needing meds and attrition of current pharmacy techs due to technicians deciding to become pharmacists or moving into other fields. If becoming a pharmacy technician seems like a good idea, then now is the perfect time to get the training and experience you need to help meet the growing demand.
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Similar Careers
So maybe becoming a pharmacy tech isn’t for you, but you are still interested in working in or around the healthcare field and you still want to help people. There are many occupations that will allow you to achieve those goals.
Here are a few options for you to consider:
Dental Assistant:
In this position, you’ll provide assistance to dentists and hygienists by setting up trays, keeping exam rooms neat and stocked, and entering patient information into the system.Medical Assistant:
Here you’ll keep the exam rooms in doctor’s offices and clinics stocked and ready for the next patient. You’ll also provide patients with the required paperwork and input this information into the system and set up appointments for patients who call the office.Medical Transcriptionists:
Transcribers write down a doctor’s notes and enter them into the patient’s files. If you’re also familiar with medical coding, you can make sure patient files are coded correctly for healthcare and insurance purposes.Medical Records:
A medical records technician will maintain and update records for patients at hospitals, doctor’s offices, and medical clinics.Pharmacist:
many people who start out as pharmacy techs go on to become pharmacists.
A pharmacy technician career is just one of several careers you could choose in the medical field that helps patients. There’s also nothing that says you can’t combine two or more areas. For example, you could be a medical or dental assistant and a pharmacy tech, or you could work in medical records as a medical transcriptionist or medical coder.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the career outlook for pharmacy technicians?
According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, pharmacy technician jobs are expected to grow by 4% by 2030.
What is the pharmacy technician career path?
The path for a pharmacy technician is diverse and full of opportunities. There are a number of certificates and continued education opportunities for a pharmacy technician to move up to a higher position or to a leadership role.
What does job outlook for pharmacy technicians look like?
The outlook for pharmacy technician jobs is good. Through 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics expects pharmacy technician jobs to grow by more than 12%.
What is the pharmacy technician career path?
There are a large number of specialty certificates and continued education opportunities for pharmacy technicians. With continued education, pharmacy technicians can move up the career ladder and qualify for higher paying jobs.
How long does it take to become a pharmacy technician?
You can work as a pharmacy technician with just a high school diploma in some states. Most states require you to pass a certification exam to work as a pharmacy technician. To help pass the certification exam, some states have set up programs that last anywhere from a few months to a few years, all depending on the states requirements.