What Kind of Training Do I Need to Become a Pharmacy Technician?
The training necessary to become a pharmacy technician varies from location to location, since different states have different standards and requirements. Moreover, different pharmacies have different requirements, too. For example, some pharmacies require that their pharmacy technicians take courses and complete a certification program, while others only require that their pharmacy technicians receive on-the-job training. Increasingly, however, pharmacies are requiring some degree of formal education, and there are several things that you can expect before enrolling in a pharmacy technician certification program.
Once you decide to pursue a pharmacy technician certification program, you can expect to take courses in pharmacology. Pharmacology is a field of study that explores how different drugs affect living organisms, as well as how drugs interact with each other.
In pharmacology, you’ll learn the chemical composition of different prescription drugs and you’ll also delve into toxicology, which is a related subset of pharmacology that explores how drugs negatively affect the biological systems of living organisms. Toxicology thus enables you to determine how and why people may be poisoned by prescription drugs. Pharmacology is different from pharmacy studies in that pharmacology deals only with the study of drugs themselves, whereas pharmacy investigates the safe and effective use of drugs.
What is involved in a standard pharmacy technician certification program?
In a typical pharmacy technician certification program, you’ll also learn some basic medical terminology, similar to introductory courses you would probably take in medical school. Since pharmacy technicians also deal with the customer service aspect of pharmacies, you’ll likely learn some basic computer and communication skills that will be necessary while on the job. Another aspect central to pharmacy technician training is studying the application of health insurance policies. You’ll probably take a course which closely examines the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The HIPAA was introduced in 1996 in order to insure that those who are between jobs still receive health insurance coverage from their previous provider. Knowing about the HIPAA is central to training in becoming a pharmacy technician, as you will probably be processing insurance claims as you perform other necessary duties like dispensing medicine.
What do I do after completing a Pharmacy Technician Certification Program?
In order to receive a pharmacy technician certification, you’ll need to take and pass either the Pharmacy Technician Certification Program Board’s or the Institute of Certification of Pharmacy Technician’s national exams. These exams are multiple choice and they test basic skills that are necessary in successfully managing a pharmacy technician’s duties. Many different programs—both online pharmacy technician prep classes, in community colleges, through the military, and even within pharmacies themselves—offer preparation for either of these exams. Local private colleges, such as the UEI Bakersfield campus, also offer exam prep courses. Be advised, however, that some states, like Virginia, require pharmacy technicians to pass a state test, regardless of how well you do on the national exam. For more information about both certification exams, as well as additional resources, visit the PTCB and ICPT websites.