How To Become A Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy technicians are professionals who help pharmacists by performing day to day task that help with dispensing prescription medications to patients. A majority of pharmacy technicians are employed by hospitals and retail pharmacies. The job outlook for pharmacy technicians is better than the outlook for many other professions. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts a 32 percent job growth in the sector from 2010 to 2020. In 2010, there were more than 300,000 technicians in the country and their numbers are expected to grow at a faster rate than other occupations. A pharmacy technician with only a high school diploma and no prior related work experience earned almost $30,000 annually in 2010.

What Do Pharmacy Technicians Do?
A pharmacy technician will perform the following duties:

• Package and label prescriptions
• Mix medications
• Measure out amounts of medication and count tablets for prescriptions
• Fill prescriptions based on information received from customers or healthcare professionals
• Answering phone calls from customers and perform other daily tasks at the pharmacy
• Process insurance claims and accept payment for prescriptions

Pharmacy technicians do not work independently, they work under the supervision of pharmacists who must review all prescriptions before they are given to patients. They are not qualified to answer specific health or medicine related questions, but they may help to arrange a pharmacist-patient meeting.

How To Become A Pharmacy Technician?
The position is not as tightly regulated as it is to become a pharmacist; the minimum requirement to become a pharmacy technician is to have at least a high school diploma or GED. In addition, they must pass the following before allowed to practice:

• Formal training program offered by a hospital, technical school, or community college
• Criminal background check
• Continuing education  offered by a hospital, technical school, or community college
• Exam(s) needed to be certified or licensed if required by your employer or state

If you are interested in becoming a pharmacy technician, then you should also check with your state's Board of Pharmacy. Some states and employers may demand a certificate in pharmacy before hiring. All in all, pharmacy technicians learn on-the-job.

Skills A Successful Pharmacy Technician Should Have
If you are still wondering whether the profession is for you then the following are some of the personal attributes and qualities found in successful pharmacy technicians:

• Organizational skills
• Detail oriented
• Customer service skills

Online Pharmacy Technician Courses
As mentioned earlier, pharmacy technicians may need to complete certain academic qualifications to practice. Online programs may take a few months to complete and may offer the following courses:

• Introduction to pharmacy
• Prescriptions
• Medical terminology
• How drugs work
• Pharmacy arithmetic
• Dosage forms and routes of administration
• Label preparation
• Drug information sources

Online pharmacy courses are great options those who are looking for a career change and those who do not want to attend an on-campus pharmacy program. Older students may also benefit from online education, since lectures and course materials will be accessed online from the comfort of one's own home. Pharmacists cannot perform their professional duties without the help and assistance of pharmacy technicians. Both work as a team to help patients.