A Career As A Pharmacy Technician
A pharmacy technician career is among the top ten positions
among all professionals and is home to the fastest growing job market. Pharmacy
technicians receive excellent pay and do not even need to engage in a lot of training.
Most of it, in fact, can be done online.
There are figures available on the popular career in
the realm of a Certified Pharmacy Technician. These pharmacy technician positions
are ranked in the number ten spot for workers ages 16-24. They are also ranked at
number twenty-two among the careers for women. There are also sixty overall in a
recent study (United States Bureau of Labor and Statistics) for the top one hundred
fastest-growing jobs in the nation. This does not come from a fly by night study.
It comes from a variety of analytical sources that have been meticulously researched.
The growth rate of this job market is 28.8% with over 39,000 annual openings.
A pharmacy technician will work under the supervision
of a licensed pharmacist. These professionals partake in various duties that may
be different among specific employment regions.
-
Measuring, keeping
count, mixing items, label production, and recording medication amounts and
doses.
-
taking receipt
of all written prescriptions as well as requests for refills
-
verify all patient
information so as to maintain accuracy
-
storing and securing
important drugs
-
answer a telephone
when needed
-
respond to questions
or requests from patients
-
fill all bottles
with necessary prescription medications
-
prepare the needed
labels for prescription containers
-
assist customer
inquiries
-
refer patients
to a pharmacist for counseling when needed
-
price all prescriptions
-
filing the prescriptions
after the pharmacist has filled them
-
clean the work
area and equipment after use
-
maintain patient
profiles for future reference
-
order needed medication,
supplies, and chemicals
-
stock medicine
and common pharmaceutical products
-
maintain a computer
based inventory
-
prepare sterile
products including total artificial nutrition and chemotherapy treatments
-
prepare medical
insurance claim forms and records for billing
-
mix needed preparations
according to prescriptions
-
operate the cash
register
-
deliver medicine
and needed supplies to patients, additional locations, and nurse stations
-
price, mark, and
stock sale items
-
maintain other
common pharmacy products including supplies and OTC medications
-
other duties as
the pharmacist assigns
The vast majority of state will require that the pharmacy
technicians are to be certified by national boards. The growing number of online
training programs will promote course that lead to a completely credentialed position
as a Certified Pharmacy Technician.
Of course, there are many career paths one could take
to pursue this field. The programs length will determine whether the path yields
a certificate, diploma, or an associate degree. All of these credentials have their
value and will often lead quickly to employment. Students should take this into
consideration prior to deciding whether or not to select a program.
Online training programs not only present pharmacy technician
students with the skills to succeed in this career; the programs provide the student
with the ability to attend classes on their schedule. These vast programs offer
great support through email, discussion boards, message forums and chat rooms. Even
online study groups exist to help the student prepare for the Pharmacy Technician
Certification Exam which is a nationally recognized and standardized test required
to become a Certified Pharmacy Technician.
The pharmacy technician profession is growing rapidly.
New legislation is destined to pass which will require all individuals working behind
the counter in the pharmacy to be certified. The number of these professionals will
grow rapidly in coming years. Training in this field will guarantee that a student
will be able to find long-lasting and fulfilling employment in retail pharmacies,
online and mail-order pharmacies, hospitals, and nursing homes.
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