Positions for Pharmacy Technicians are Increasing
Certification as a Pharmacy Technician is an excellent way to increase earnings and attain a satisfying career as a respected professional in the field of allied health. Pharmacy Technicians work under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist and are employed in a wide range of settings.
These can include hospitals, retail pharmacies, mail-order pharmacies, independent drugstores, nursing homes and other long-term healthcare facilities, the federal government, or medical clinics. The responsibilities of Pharmacy Technicians can entail preparing and packaging prescription medications for patients, delivering medications, working with patients’ insurance programs, and performing administrative duties within the place of employment.
Currently, Pharmacy Technician Certification is required in Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, California Virginia, and Wyoming. Illinois and Florida have passed legislation which will require Pharmacy Technicians to be certified within the next couple of years. Although certification is still not required in every state, most employers are now seeking applicants who have received formal training and Pharmacy Technicians Certification.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the job outlook for certified Pharmacy Technicians is quite strong. This can, in part, be attributed to the fact that demands on pharmacists are already on the rise and, consequently, so is the need for skilled Pharmacy Technicians.
Pharmacists are finding themselves falling into the roles of advisors and consultation specialists when dealing with patients rather than just being dispensers of medicine. It is predicted that formally trained Pharmacy Technicians will be needed to fill those areas left vacant by pharmacists.
Pharmacy Tech Programs in Kern County
When seeking Pharmacy Technician Certification, enrolling in a high-quality program is the key. Pharmacy Technicians are required to not only have extensive knowledge about prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and nutritional supplements, but they also need to be very knowledgeable about medical terminology, pharmaceutical calculations, billing issues, insurance programs and policies, and the governing laws of the profession. In Kern County, there are several accredited pharmacy tech programs: High Desert Medical College offers a 41 week program, while SJVC Bakersfield has two programs(one 7 month program and a 14 month program). The Pharmacy Technician program at UEI Bakersfield can be completed in just under a year.
Finding a quality program that meets all these requirements will place a student on the path to success. Pharmacy Technicians Certification programs can be found online, at community colleges, vocational or technical training schools, through the military, and also as part of employment with a pharmacy.
Passing the Pharmacy Tech Boards
Achieving a Pharmacy Technician Certification means that one has successfully passed the test administered either by the Institute of Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ICPT) or the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) and has proven basic knowledge and skills to begin working as a Pharmacy Technician.
The ICPT exam that is given is called ExCPT, and the exam given by the PTCB is the Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination (PTCE). The PTCB is considered the leader in Pharmacy Technicians Certification and its exam is the only one endorsed by the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), and the American Society for Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).
Regardless of which exam is taken, successfully passing either awards the credentials “CPhT”, or Certified Pharmacy Technician. Those with Pharmacy Technician Certification have the potential for great earnings.
Pharmacy Technician Salary
The entry-level Pharmacy Technician salary ranges from roughly $32,000 to $37,700. Education and experience can increase earnings immensely.
Pharmacy Technician Salary California
As of 2014, California has the highest average salary for new and experienced pharmacy technicians. The average starting Pharmacy Technician salary California now stands at $36,200. Salaries in Orange County Ca are substantially higher than the starting pay in Central California. The San Francisco/Bay Area leads the State in salary and benefits.
For example, a Pharmacy Technician Supervisor with a few years of experience can expect to earn as much as $60,000 annually.
Pharmacy Technician Training
Pharmacy technician training is required of those who assist pharmacists in routine everyday tasks. They are also called certified pharmacy assistants, and they must obtain certification by passing a Pharmacy Technician Certification Board Exam.
Prior to taking this exam however, a future assistant must have at least an associate degree majoring in any related field. These related fields will include biological sciences, natural sciences, health sciences, and physical sciences. Before starting on a course towards the certification exam, the student must ensure that the school he is considering provides pharmacy technicians training, or offer certificates in pharmaceutical specialty for the practicing pharmacists.
This program is generally offered at universities, and technical and vocational schools. The pharmacy technicians training program usually consists of at least two hundred and forty hours of practical and theoretical training. Depending on his experience and education, a pharmacy technician will earn $6 to $15 per hour after passing the certification exam.
The health and lives of customers who patronize a pharmacy, rely on the careful and accurate measurement and preparation of prescription medications. Because of this a thorough understanding of drug interaction and possible side effects must be stressed in an assistant’s training. That training must be complete and exhaustive.
A pharmacy technician training prepares the pharmacist assistant to complete many daily tasks associated with contacting and communicating with Medicaid, Medicare, HMOs and other insurance companies; assisting patients with the submission and picking up of prescriptions; updating the database with prescriptions; filling, labeling and checking the accuracy of prescriptions; other administrative functions; collecting payments for prescriptions and even screening pharmacists’ calls.
What Does A Pharmacy Technician Do?
Other duties of the pharmacy assistant include handling different aspects of prescription medications such as packaging of medications, the compounding of creams, ointments, and oral solutions. They would have been trained in bulk ordering of medicines and the checking of inventory, helping doctors and the pharmacists to dispense medications to the patients.
Training is readily available to prospective pharmacist assistants wanting to join the fast moving medical industry and they can enroll in any of the pharmacy technicians training programs offered in the technical and vocational schools, the colleges and universities. Enrolled students learn pharmaceutical and medical terminology, record keeping, calculations and many pharmaceutical procedures. Students also study ethics and law as they relate to pharmacy practices.
Thorough pharmacy technician training with the caring disposition of a pharmacist assistant is an important contribution to the medical profession since they are needed to assist the pharmacist to provide health care products and medications to patients. So, if you’re asking yourself, “What does a Pharmacy Technician do?“, the answer is, helping to run the pharmacy in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible!