How to Become a Pharmacy Technician

Are you interested in becoming a pharmacy technician? You’re in luck if you are, because this short guide will walk you through what you need to know to become a pharmacy technician, and introduce you to the nature of pharmacy tech jobs.

A Certified Pharmacy Technician or CPhT, which is the desirable position to be attained by pharmacy technicians, is someone who, in general:

receives written prescriptions from patients, as well as prescriptions sent from doctors’ offices via email or other electronic meansprocesses physicians’ orders by phone (as allowed by the laws of the various States)retrieves, counts, pours, weighs, measures, and may even mix medications under the guidance of a pharmacistmanages a patient databaseattends to insurance claim forms and manages inventory

The following steps point out how to become a pharmacy technician.  Some of them have to do with education, some have to do with experience, and some have to do with credentials.  Each one of these steps are ideally to be regarded as a whole because while it is possible to omit certain steps and still get a pharmacy technician job, it is only in going through all the steps that a person can increase the possibilities of getting higher wages and a clear career path.

1. Basic Requirements

You must at least have a high school diploma. If you are aiming for more than simply dispensing pharmaceuticals, then it would naturally be better to acquire a college degree that is relevant to the chosen occupation. If you are going to take a certification test later on, make sure that:

-You should have never been convicted of a felony.

-You should be free of drug convictions, including misdemeanors related to pharmaceuticals.

-You should be free of any restriction or revocation of license given by any State Board of Pharmacy in the US. You should also have no record of any violation of regulation of the US State Board of Pharmacy.

2. Education

As mentioned earlier, it’s great if you could manage to pursue a college degree relevant to the job of a pharmacy technician. Remember that short term courses are not the same as having undergone a structured education and training. Also, simply studying from a manual that you will download from the Internet may give basic information, but it is not the same as having actual training.

3. Experience and Certification

Do your best to get an internship.  Volunteer work at any institutions or company with a pharmaceutical facility (examples: private companies, hospitals, military bases).

After you get your degree and have some amount of internship or volunteer work experience, do your best to get certified. Getting a certification can improve your chances in the job market, but it is not a magic key that will open all doors for you. It just makes you a preferable option above other applicants.

4. Finding a Job

Network and keep in touch with your schoolmates, trainers, instructors. Scour job ads online. There are many online sites from which you can get leads.

You can substitute your own preferred state in place of Nebraska, and the month and year, as necessary. You can also search the Craig’s List health care job postings for recent and up to date listings of positions available for pharmacy technicians