|
With the great variety of Illinois’s pharmacy technician schools, you could be working in your new and exciting career in less than a year. The outlook for future career growth in the field is good, and in 2007, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the mean annual salary for pharmacy technicians in Illinois was $26,530. A pharmacy technician's main responsibility is to receive and fill patients’ prescriptions, which come from physicians, nurses, or other healthcare professionals. A technicians’ work is usually overseen by a licensed pharmacist and other healthcare team members who work in the pharmacy. Depending on where you live, you may end up working anywhere from a hospital to a pharmacy located in a grocery store or other retail outlet.
Before getting started in a pharmacy technician program in Illinois, you’ll need to choose which degree or certificate program is right for you. Pharmacy technician certificates can generally be completed in as little as nine months, and are designed to offer provide entry-level training as a pharmacy technician in Illinois. Pharmacy technician diploma programs are designed to supplement an existing Associate or Bachelor degree related to the medical field, and usually last about a year. No medical experience is required for either program, but both of these programs help prepare graduates to take the pharmacy technician certification exam.
If you wish, you can also earn a pharmacy technician Associate degree in about 24 months. This more extensive degree provides you with additional skills and a more thorough education, and typically includes an on-the-job externship before you can graduate and receive your certification.
Becoming a pharmacy technician in Illinois has never been a more attainable or desirable goal. Illinois’s capital city is Springfield, and its most populous metropolitan area is Chicago. Illinois is the most populous and diverse state in the Midwest, and the fifth most populous state in the nation, which means there are plenty of economic growth and professional opportunities. The combination and variety of people, cities, natural resources, and its broad economic base make Illinois a great place to live and go to school.
|
