Pharmacy Technician Career
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Careers with the healthcare industry and all related industries are really booming right now.The demand for care continues to rise and will continue to rise far into the future.
There are many different careers with the healthcare field and related to the healthcare field. A pharmacy technician career is one great example.
A pharmacy technician helps the pharmacist fill prescriptions in the pharmacy. |
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Many people believe these workers don’t do very much but pharmacy technicians actually perform quite a few tasks. Some of the tasks completed by a pharmacy technician include receiving and processing prescriptions, acting as a liaison between pharmacists and patients, counting pills, labeling medicine bottles, stacking shelves with medicine, and operating cash registers. In hospitals and other care facilities pharmacy technicians often read patient’s charts and prepare medication for the patients.
There is no set amount of education or training that’s currently required for pharmacy technicians. Some states require a small amount of training and/or education but most don’t. There are absolutely no federal requirements. Sometimes pharmacy technicians are trained on the job but most pharmacies do prefer to hire certified pharmacy technicians.
A person becomes a certified pharmacy technician by completing a training program and then passing the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam. Once the test is passed then the person is a certified pharmacy technician. The certification then has to be renewed every two years. A small amount of training hours must be completed in order for the pharmacy technician to be eligible for recertification.
The pay for a pharmacy technician is not as high as some people might think but it’s not terribly low either. Most pharmacy technicians make between $20,000 and $35,000 a year. Obviously the amount of pay is based on a number of factors including experience, the area and the state, and the specific pharmacy where the job is held.
The future for pharmacy technicians looks bright. The demand for healthcare is expanding faster then the supply can handle. Therefore this career will be in demand for years. In fact, it should be in more and more demand as time passes. This should result in better pay for pharmacy technicians, though the rate of pay probably won’t rise dramatically.
Over time a pharmacy technician career may require a state or federal license. At the very least there may be federal and/or state guidelines set forth. This would be good news for pharmacy technicians since it would probably result in a better rate of pay. However, it may also mean that more education and training is needed in order for someone to begin a career as a pharmacy technician.
A pharmacy technician career is a pretty decent way for a person to make a living. Being a pharmacy technician is a career that will be in demand for some time to come. Right now there are very little state regulations and no federal regulations for becoming a pharmacy technician. However, there are programs that help future pharmacy technicians to become certified. Certified pharmacy technicians are usually preferred by pharmacies since they have been educated and trained for performing all the tasks that are required for a pharmacy technician.
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