Although most pharmacy technicians receive informal on-the-job training, employers are likely to favor those who have completed formal training and are certified. Formal pharmacy technician education programs require some classroom and laboratory work in a variety of areas, including medical and pharmaceutical terminology, pharmaceutical calculations, pharmaceutical record keeping, pharmacy techniques, and the law and pharmaceutical ethics. Technicians are also required to learn the names, actions, uses, and dosages of medications. Many training programs include internships, in which students gain hands-on experience in actual pharmacies.
How to be a good Pharmacy Technician? What kind of criteria are needed to be a good pharmacy technician?
1. Prospective Pharmacy Technicians gain their work experience as an assistant in a community pharmacy or as a volunteer in a hospital prior to actual employment. Applicants with massive experience in drug inventory management, tablet counting, dosage measurement and use of computers as well as skilled in most administrative work are definitely an added bonus.
2. To learn and grasp the Pharmacy Technician knowledge quickly, it may be beneficial to have a background in Chemistry, English, Biology, Chemistry, and Health Education of any kind.
3. Obtain certification and other qualifications. Both the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board and the Institute for Pharmacy Technician Certification administer national certification exams. To be eligible for either test, candidates must have a high school diploma or GED, no felony convictions of any kind within 3-5 years of applying, and no prior conviction history for felony drug or pharmacy related offenses. Employers, often pharmacists, know that people who pass the exam have a standardized set of knowledge and skills.
4. One must recertify every 2 years with 20 hours of continuing education within the 2 year certification period and at least 1 hour must be in pharmacy law. Continuing education hours can be obtained from a number of different sources, including universities, pharmacy associations, and pharmacy technician training programs.
5. Strong customer service and teamwork skills are needed because pharmacy technicians interact with patients, coworkers, and healthcare professionals 98% of their time.
6. Good skills and a strong background in math, spelling, and reading are necessary prerequisites to being a good pharmacy technician. Successful pharmacy technicians are alert, observant, organized, dedicated, and responsible. They must be willing and able to follow instructions, but be able to work independently without constant supervision or instructions.
7. Someone who is familiar with medical terminology and well aware of all medications, pills, injection fluids found in the pharmacy in their scientific terms as well as simpler names.
8. Good interpersonal skills to deal with a wide variety of people in a team. Must be a team player and blend in well with the rest of the teammates.
9. It has to be someone who is suited to multitasking. You need to be able to handle all kinds of instructions given by pharmacists at any time. You also need to be computer savvy to use the best of the computer to complete your tasks accurately and in the shortest amount of time.
10. A pharmacy technician must be precise when handling medications and the necessary doses for different patients, which will cure or kill the person who consumes them; therefore, the details are sometimes a matter of life and death. For this reason, the responsibility of pharmacy technicians is very important in dealing with medicines.
11. Candidates interested in becoming Pharmacy Technicians cannot have a history of drug or substance abuse.
12. A good pharmacy technician deserves a good professional promotion. In large pharmacies and health systems or even public hospitals, pharmacy technicians with significant training, experience, and certification may be promoted to supervisory positions, mentoring and training less experienced pharmacy technicians. Some may even advance to specialized positions, such as chemotherapy technician and nuclear pharmacy technician.