Becoming a pharmacy technician can be a great career choice for someone looking for a stable job with good benefits and who has a good head for the organizational skills and basic medical knowledge required. Although a pharmacy technician certificate is not required to work in a pharmacy, it will assist you in obtaining a more stable position in the field. Fortunately, obtaining a pharmacy technician certificate is not difficult and is an excellent mid- to long-term investment.
A pharmacy technician is not the same as a pharmacist; instead, they work as a close assistant to a licensed pharmacist. Part of their responsibilities are administrative, such as answering phones, working the register, and stocking, and part of their responsibilities are assistive, such as counting out dosages, labeling canisters, and assisting with the preparation of prescriptions. They never deal directly with pharmaceutical issues, but the pharmacist does deal with patients who have questions about their prescriptions or their overall health.
In addition to working in pharmacies, pharmacy technicians may also work in live-in facilities such as nursing homes or assisted-living centers, or in hospitals. In this role, the technician may be asked to not only assist in the preparation of dosages, but also to read patient charts and administer dosages after the amount has been verified by a supervising pharmacist. A pharmacy technician may work with a pharmacy aide who handles more administrative tasks such as answering phones and taking payments in some areas, but in others, the pharmacy technician may be required to fill both roles.
Many states do not require a pharmacy technician certificate to work as a technician, and many technicians receive their training on the job as a pharmacy aide. A certificate, on the other hand, can show a potential employer right away that the applicant understands the roles they’ll be performing and is well-versed in the medical terminology they’ll be using. A pharmacy technician certificate is becoming increasingly valuable in the application process as the job market becomes more competitive.
A pharmacy technician certificate can be obtained from either the Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians or the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. A candidate must have no felony convictions in the previous five years, no drug-related felony convictions on record, and a high school diploma or equivalent to take the exam. There are programs available to assist potential applicants in studying for either exam, and many people take the exam after working as a pharmacy aide for a period of time. Some pharmacies will also hire an applicant on a temporary basis if they agree to receive a pharmacy technician certificate within a certain time frame.
The certificate must be renewed every two years through the board that initially issued it. Within a two-year period, recertification requires twenty hours of continuing education, with at least one hour devoted to the study of pharmacy law. On-the-job training, certified by a pharmacist, can cover half of the total commitment. The other half can be obtained through a college program, a training program, or a pharmacy association.