Pharmacy Technician School

What Is A Pharmacy Technician

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:54:08 +0000

If you have had thoughts about working in the healthcare field, you have probably heard about pharmacy technicians, and you may wonder, what is a pharmacy technician? This is a very good question, because becoming a pharmacy tech is a very good job and something you might very well want to look into as a career, once you understand what they do.

There is more to a pharmacy technician than just preparing and distributing medication, though that is part of it. Pharmacy techs work in different types of pharmacies, so let’s look at exactly what is a pharmacy technician.

Retail Pharmacies
This is the pharmacy where you go to get your prescription from the doctor filled, and where most pharmacy technicians work. So what is a pharmacy technician in a retail pharmacy? Tasks performed by retail pharmacy techs include collecting information from the patient, including personal data and insurance information, entering prescriptions into the system, filling prescriptions, checking patients out with their prescriptions, requesting refills from physicians’ offices, compounding medications, ordering prescription medications, managing inventory and restocking pharmacy shelves, and handling administrative duties in the pharmacy.
Hospital Pharmacies
What is a pharmacy tech in a hospital pharmacy? There are many roles and duties of pharmacy techs in a hospital. A few of the most common duties include filling new prescriptions, preparing medications for delivery, delivering medications, taking medication histories and checking IV drips, handling missing dose calls, dispensing and keeping track of all controlled substances throughout the hospital, maintaining the pharmacy database, and more.
Long-Term Care Pharmacies
Nursing homes, assisted living facilities and psychiatric facilities typically need a large number of pharmacy techs. What is a pharmacy technician in a long-term care pharmacy? Filling new and refill orders, processing new and refill prescription orders by fax, entering prescription orders and printing labels for fill techs, sterile compounding of medications, billing medications to facilities, dispensing and documentation of controlled circumstances, ordering supplies and medications for the pharmacy, and restocking returned medications that are still suitable for use.
HMO Pharmacy Departments
This is much different working environment than the others mentioned above. Duties include answering telephone calls from patients and guiding them through the pharmacy benefit, reviewing authorization requests regarding pharmacy claims, providing technical support to pharmaceutical companies and doctors requesting information, and supporting the pharmacists in the department as needed.
There is no one answer to the question what is a pharmacy technician. It is a varied career and so your duties will depend upon where you choose to work.

Tips To Finding a Pharmacy Technician Training Program

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:52:31 +0000

If you are considering becoming a pharmacy technician, you will need to train for your new career, and that brings up a consideration. Where will you train? How can you find the best pharmacy technician training program? What should you look for and how will you know when you’ve found the best program?
The following tips will help you locate the right program for you.
Tip # 1: Search online for a pharmacy technician training program. If you search Google or your favorite search engine, you can find a number of training programs. Yes, it can get tiring to search through all the results, but you need to find the best program for you and looking at the search engines is one of the best ways to locate a lot of programs so you can sort through them and find a program that will best match your needs and requirements.

Tip #2: You should call local colleges, universities and vocational schools and ask them if they offer pharmacy technician training. Although some schools may not offer a pharmacy technician training program they may know of another school in the area or online that offers the training you need and can help you get into that program. So it is very useful to talk to local schools.
Tip #3: Talk to local pharmacies. Just stop in and talk with the techs; ask them where they go their training and what they thought of it. You may be able to follow their footsteps and become trained the same way they did, which could save you time searching for pharmacy technician training programs.
Tip #4: Pay attention to ads on television for various vocational schools. Some of these schools may offer exactly the training programs you need. While these ads can seem a little over the top, the schools are legitimate and you can get quality training. Check out the schools and see if any of them have the training you need.
Changing careers is always a big step, and it can be a little scary to think about finding a pharmacy technician training program that will prepare you for a career as a pharmacy tech. But if you look around and find a number of schools to talk to and investigate, you will find the right school. The main thing is having more than a couple of schools to choose from so you can make the right choice.

Requirements For Pharmacy Technicians

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:51:48 +0000

As you’re considering whether to become a pharmacy tech, you may be curious about pharmacy technician requirements. While there is a certain amount of on the job training, there is also a need for formal pharmacy tech training, and you will find that there are other pharmacy technician requirements.
These pharmacy technician requirements include the ability to focus on details, a clear criminal history in relation to drug-related offenses, strong math and reading skills, a clear felony conviction record over the last five years, and a high school diploma or equivalent.
You will need to complete a pharmacy technician training program as one of your pharmacy technician requirements. Programs are accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and their website lists a directory of all the accredited pharmacy technician training programs, which are located in these 37 states: Alabama and Arkansas, Maryland and Michigan, California and Colorado,
Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and North Dakota, Illinois, Nebraska, Montana, Massachusetts, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, , Minnesota, Kentucky, Nevada, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, , Oregon South Carolina, Tennessee, South Dakota, Utah, Texas, West Virginia, Washington, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Training programs that meet pharmacy technician requirements are mainly located in technical colleges, community colleges and vocational schools but some universities and colleges offer pharmacy technician training programs as well. These programs teach the skills and knowledge that meet the pharmacy technician requirements, including information on medications, calculations, law and ethical considerations, pharmaceutical techniques and terminology, and record keeping.
In most states you are not required to be certified to work as a pharmacy technician, but employers prefer a certification even though it is not one of the pharmacy technician requirements. To become certified you must take the certification examination proctored by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board or the Institution for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians. This certification is not a requirement, but does make you more marketable.
Other certified pharmacy technician requirements include completing 20 hours of continuing education every two years to keep your certification current. You must have a high school diploma, no drug convictions, no felony convictions in the past five years, and have passed the certification exam.

What To Expect From Online Pharmacy Tech Schools

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:50:58 +0000

Considering a career in the pharmacy field? Not near a pharmacy tech program, or working a full-time job and not able to fit in pharmacy tech school while you’re working? Or maybe you just prefer an online pharmacy tech program. No matter what your reason, you have options in pharmacy technician programs online.
As you may already know, a pharmacy tech’s primary duties include preparing medications according to physicians’ instructions. Pharmacy technicians also assist pharmacists and do administrative and clerical work, and communicate in person and by phone with patients and physicians. All of the skills and knowledge needed for a pharmacy tech career can be acquired through pharmacy technician programs online.
When looking at pharmacy technician programs online, keep in mind that your coursework will be very similar to the standard classroom training, and the online courses will discuss the same topics as face-to-face courses, including preparing and distributing medications, interpreting prescriptions and physicians’ orders, pharmaceutical terms and how they relate to anatomy and physiology, and a basic knowledge of illnesses and their relation to pharmaceuticals.

Also in your pharmacy technician programs online you will take mathematics and chemistry so that you can perform the basic calculations needed for the preparation of medicines.
Pharmacy technician programs online will also cover laws governing the field of pharmacy, both state and federal, including the administration of drugs, and federal HIPAA compliance.
Another aspect of your online pharmacy technician training will include effective communication with patients and other health professionals.
Pharmacy technician programs online will prepare you to take the national certification exam. Many pharmacies now require their pharmacy techs to be certified, so this exam will be to your advantage to take.
Enrolling in an online pharmacy tech program will give you the same advantages in becoming a pharmacy tech as a face-to-face program, and will allow you to learn the same material. You may miss the group interaction, if you need that to learn, but if you are an individual learner you will enjoy the one-on-one interaction with the professor and you will find that an online program can be very useful.
Online programs are a great choice for anyone with limited time, limited access to a classroom program or a real desire to learn in an online situation. You will get the same education without the need to attend classroom courses, and you will be able to do it on your own schedule and your own time.

Information About Pharmacy Technician

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:50:10 +0000

Before making a decision as to whether to become a pharmacy technician, you may be looking for more pharmacy technician information. In this article you will learn all about the basic information of pharmacy techs.
First, who are pharmacy technicians? Getting all of the necessary pharmacy technician information is helpful in knowing whether you want to become a pharmacy tech. The answer is, pharmacy techs are professionals trained in the skills of assisting pharmacists in pharmacy settings. They have a pharmacy tech education and often a certification and work under the supervision of the pharmacist(s) in to provide service to patients and help pharmacists prepare and distribute medications.
Another piece of pharmacy technician information you may be looking for is, what are the job duties of a pharmacy tech? The main duty pharmacy technicians carry out is preparing prescriptions and providing service to patients. Pharmacy techs also label bottles and measure and mix medications in the proper proportions as required by physician orders and prescriptions.
Another set of job duties of pharmacy technicians is the administrative function. This is pharmacy technician information you should know, because if you are not interested in or have a problem with doing administrative assistant type work you might have a problem being a pharmacy tech.
Pharmacy techs also occasionally talk with patients about their prescriptions, including the proper use and the potential for misuse, and the possible interactions and side effects. They may also caution patients about the necessary precautions when taking certain medications. This is interesting pharmacy technician information.
Pharmacy technicians also must know the applicable state and federal laws applying to pharmacies and pharmacists.
Another piece of pharmacy technician information regarding education and certification is that pharmacy techs must have a diploma and sometimes even certification within the field. There is also a pharmacy technician certification exam which is highly recommended; certified pharmacy techs are more marketable and make a higher wage, as well as having a better command of the job.
How much do pharmacy techs make? This depends on where the tech lives, how long they have been working, the hours they work (weekends, etc), training and the specific pharmacy they work in, but the average annual salary is $25,000 to $40,000, and hourly wages range from $9 to $17.
The career outlook is good as more pharmacies open around the country and competition increases. The path of a pharmacy technician is a good one.

Continuing your Pharmacy Tech Education

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:49:20 +0000

If you are a pharmacy technician then continuing education may be part of your life from here on out. This depends in part on where you live and in part on whether you are, or intend to become, certified.
You see, currently only a few states require pharmacy technician continuing education, but that is rapidly changing as more states are starting to require CE credits for pharmacy technicians. And this is only for pharmacy technicians who are not certified.
Any certified pharmacy technician (certified by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board, or PTCB), must complete at least 20 hours of pharmacy technician continuing education every two years to maintain certified status.
Fortunately, there are several ways for pharmacy techs to complete their pharmacy technician continuing education and maintain their certification status or remain eligible to work as a pharmacy tech in their state.

The National Pharmacy Technician Association (NPTA) provides accredited pharmacy technician continuing education programs in several formats, including online, print, in-person and recorded. All of NPTA’s continuing education programs have been accredited by the Accreditation Council on Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and are applicable toward recertification.
The way NPTA’s pharmacy technician continuing education programs work is that you read, watch or listen to the course material, and return to the website to take the test for the course. You must score at least 70% to pass, and if you pass you will receive a certificate showing that you have completed that pharmacy technician continuing education course. If you do not pass the course the first time you may review your materials and try the test a second time at no additional charge.
Another option for pharmacy technician continuing education is the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). ASHP also offers courses online, in print, and through podcasts, and like NPTA, you review the material and take a test online and must get a passing score to get a passing score.
Many other organizations offer pharmacy technician continuing education courses; you can find these organizations by doing an Internet search. Simply make sure that the organization you choose is accredited by your certifying body or your state, as you do not want to spend money or time getting CE credits only to find out that they don’t count toward recertification or toward continuing to work in your state.
Continuing education can sound like a big deal, but it really doesn’t have to be; it’s really quite simple.

National Pharmacy Technician Certification

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:48:24 +0000

While pharmacy tech training will qualify you to work as a pharmacy tech anywhere, you will have much better job prospects if you hold a certificate, and that means national pharmacy technician certification. This certification program ensures that you have the knowledge and skills to be a pharmacy technician. Not only does it make you more marketable, but studying for the exam makes you a better pharmacy technician and insures that you are very capable at your job.
National pharmacy technician certification is overseen by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). You must have a high school diploma or equivalent to sit for the pharmacy tech certification exam. The certification exams are held frequently around the country. The PTCB’s certification exam is known as the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination.
Pharmacists prefer to hire certified pharmacy techs (CPhT) because they have proven their ability, knowledge, skill and commitment.

While the exam itself is important because it confirms knowledge and skills, there is more than that involved. Candidates for the national pharmacy technician certification exam learn their job duties more thoroughly, but the fact that they become certified and that they have dedicated the time and effort to certification shows that they have the dedication and concern for their career and the people they serve to follow through with certification. This makes them better pharmacy technicians.
This is one reason that certified pharmacy technicians who have completed the national pharmacy technician certification examination are preferred employees and find better jobs, more easily, at higher pay grades. They are seen as being more dedicated and more skilled at their jobs.
Pharmacy techs who have become certified through the national pharmacy technician certification process should renew their certification every two years. To do that they must complete 20 hours of CEU credits every two years. This is important to make sure that the technicians are up to date on the latest information and skills in the industry.
To take the national pharmacy technician certification exam, you do not have to have formal training as a pharmacist technician, but you must have either formal training or on-the-job training and know the basic knowledge and skills in the field. You should consider getting your certification if you intend to work in the field, not just because you will be paid more, but because it will improve your ability to serve your pharmacist and your patients.

Considering Pharmacy Technician Certification Online?

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:47:14 +0000

Thinking about becoming a certified pharmacy technician? In the past, you might have been held back by the fact that you were already working full-time or there was no pharmacy technician school in your area. Now, however, you may want to consider pharmacy technician certification online. This is a very good way to enter a new career, or to get your certification if you are a pharmacy tech but have not become certified.
If you have a busy schedule, you will find that pharmacy technician certification online is perfect for you because you can learn on your own schedule. If you have a laptop you can carry your “school” with you and study when you have a few minutes. And you can study pharmacy technician certification online at your own pace, whether that is fast or slow, so you will really move ahead when you have mastered the material.

You will also find the convenience of pharmacy technician certification online great, because you won’t have to spend money on gas or time traveling to class. You can study on your couch or in your office during your lunch break.
Pharmacy technician certiciation online covers the same material as classroom-based certification programs. Make sure you enroll in an accredited program, and you will take exactly the same coursework as at any major college or university. You will get the same training as in a face-to-face setting, but with the convenience of taking your training anywhere you have a computer and Internet access.
Pharmacy technician certification online prepares you to take the certification exam and gives you the full education that you need to complete your certification and start a career as a certified pharmacy technician. You should not worry about the differences between online and offline certification, because online certification is accredited and meets the same standards as the offline certification training programs.
The best things about pharmacy certification online are that you can do it at your own pace, that you can do it anywhere you are, and that it is accredited so that you can get the same education online without having to go to a brick-and-mortar school.
All that said, if you are worried that you might not have the self-discipline to follow through with your studies, or if you really need the interaction with the group, you might prefer an offline program.

What You Need To Know About Becoming A Pharmacy Tech

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:45:15 +0000

If you love working in a field where you can help people, where you can make a difference, where you can do something that matters, then you may want to consider becoming a pharmacy technician. This is a position where there is a strong demand and the career outlook is good; as more and more pharmacies open, there are available positions for pharmacy technicians all over the country and you will always be able to find a job anywhere in the country.
When you consider becoming a pharmacy technician, you may wonder what pharmacy techs do. Their primary function is preparing medications under the supervision of a pharmacist and providing medications and other products to patients at the pharmacy counter. Pharmacy techs work in hospitals, clinics and consumer pharmacies. They work under the supervision of pharmacists and follow physician’s orders as they prepare prescriptions and sometimes compound or prepare medications.
When you consider becoming a pharmacy technician, also keep in mind that you will do other tasks to assist the pharmacists and physicians you work with, including administrative assistant tasks, making calls, maintaining inventory of prescriptions, and helping out with administrative tasks.

Pharmacy techs do not counsel patients on medications, but you may talk with patients and help them solve other problems, so you will need excellent customer service skills when becoming a pharmacy technician.
The requirements for becoming a pharmacy technician are very straightforward. You will need to have a high school diploma or equivalent, and complete a pharmacy technician training program. You may also need to have a pharmacy tech certification or license for the state where you want to work.
Most importantly, you will need to be able to perform various tasks, such as filling out appropriate forms for patients and pharmacy customers, knowing pharmaceutical terms and abbreviations, knowing appropriate computer skills, and knowing and being able to perform the necessary skills relating to preparing, dispensing and distributing medications under your pharmacist’s supervision. You should also, as mentioned, have good customer service skills when becoming a pharmacy technician.
You should be aware that you might have a regular schedule or you may have a rotating schedule, depending on your employer, and while you might have a monthly salary, you may also be paid by the hour, particularly if you work part-time. You may also get good benefits including paid days off, medical insurance, access to a pension plan, and paid holidays, among other perks.

5 Reasons You Should Choose ONline Pharmacy Technical Schools

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:44:10 +0000

Okay, you’ve decided that you want to become a pharmacy technician; it appeals to you as a career, you like the idea of helping people, you are interested in the duties of a pharmacy tech, and you’re ready to choose a school. So why should you choose pharmacy technician schools online?
Here are five reasons:
Same Coursework and Quality of Education as Tradition Classroom Situation
Accredited pharmacy technician schools online offer the same education as traditional classroom-based schools. Make sure the school you choose is accredited by an organization that is in turn recognized by the US Dept. of Education, and your school will provide the same education as a traditional bricks-and-mortar program.
Flexible Learning Schedule

The most important benefit of pharmacy technician schools online is that you can learn on your own schedule and work around your life and work schedule.
Learn in Your Own Setting
Another important benefit is that you can learn where you are—at home, at work, in the local coffee shop. You can take your laptop and your learning wherever you want to go and study when you have time. In a word, pharmacy technician schools online offer convenience that traditional schools just don’t offer.
Learn at Your Own Pace
The importance of learning at your own pace cannot be overstated. At some point you may need extra time to figure out something in the lecture or the book, while at other times, you may be ready to move ahead faster. Because you set the pace of your studies, you can truly move at your own pace. You move ahead when you are ready.
Life/Study Balance
If your life includes work, family and other obligations that make going to school difficult, pharmacy technician schools online are the perfect choice because they allow you to study on your own schedule and manage your career preparation around everything else.
There are few career training options that allow you to prepare for your new life the way that pharmacy technician schools online do; they’re simply the best way to build a new career and a new future without uprooting your life and going through a difficult transition. You don’t have to change your schedule, you don’t have to relocate, and you don’t have to juggle work, family and live classes. You simply fit your career training into your existing life. It doesn’t get any better than that when it comes to building skills for a new career.