Becoming a pharmacy technician is a great career opportunity. As a student you will need to follow the same path that an individual looking to become a pharmacist travels but only stopping short of completing your PharmD degree. A pharmacy technician serves both patients and the pharmacist. A pharmacy technician has duties that are both challenging and rewarding too.
Median hourly earnings for pharmacy technicians vary by geographical location as well as by the level of individual experience. The variance is anywhere from eight dollars hourly to sixteen dollars and fifty cents an hour.
The job outlook for pharmacy technicians is phenomenal. Any pharmaceutically based occupation will certainly be important now and also in the future. With people living longer and medicines becoming more sophisticated and numerous there is no way to go wrong with a career in medicine. Pharmacist and pharmacy technicians will always be in demand. Pharmacy technicians are more in demand due to the fact there can be as many as four technicians aiding one single pharmacist.
Pharmacy technicians have several options for workplace settings. The overall duties will not vary greatly in the field of pharmacist technicians. The variations in workplace choices add just enough spice to the career opportunities to make becoming a technician greatly appealing. Seven of the ten jobs occupied by pharmacist technicians are in retail pharmacy positions. Retail pharmacy encompasses both independently owned or chain store pharmacy settings.
Nearly two of ten pharmacy technician jobs are in hospitals. There are also miniscule proportions that belong to the obscure aspects of the pharmaceutical trade such as mail order, clinic and wholesalers.
It takes grand people skills to participate as a pharmacist technician. Technicians that are successful are alert, organized, dedicated and efficient in their work. A technician should have an eye for detail and not be easily distracted. An independent reliable nature encourages the pharmacist for which you work under to be confident you can handle all types of situations. Your work is directly related to life and death in more ways than one.
As a technician you will have to interact daily with patients, pharmacists, and various healthcare professionals. Teamwork is an important part of the successful career of any pharmacy technician as you will be working closely with pharmacy aids and pharmacists too.
As a pharmacy technician your duties will vary greatly from those of any other health care professional but will relate directly to the duties of a pharmacist. Your responsibilities are receiving prescriptions sent electronically for your patients where by, you as a technician; have to verify the information is accurate and complete. Then the prescription must be prepared.
These tasks take special attention to details. Prescriptions must be measured, counted, and weighed in some cases in order to for them to equal the dose requested by the physician for the patient involved. Technicians will label and price the prescriptions. Then the information has to be filed in an accurate and timely manner. There is no room for error in this type of career.
The appeal to become a technician is probably not based on such things as workplace environment but it is an opportunity to breathe easy knowing pharmacy technician's work in clean, well ventilated work areas. All in all the desire to become a technician has to match the things we now know as vital and important to becoming a very dedicated and highly sought after technician of pharmacy.
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About the Author
Scott Knutson is an entrepreneur and writer. For more of his articles visit: Pharmacy Technician | Pharmacy Schools | Pharmacy Tech
Showing posts with label Pharmacy Technician. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pharmacy Technician. Show all posts
January 28, 2008
December 27, 2007
Training for a Career in Pharmacy
Career opportunities in the medical field are growing faster than any other field. There are many available opportunities working in a pharmacy setting. Training programs are widely available for both pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Training programs vary in length and cost, but provide the pathway to a rewarding career.
Career opportunities in the medical field are growing faster than any other field. There are many available opportunities working in a pharmacy setting. Training programs are widely available for both pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Training programs vary in length and cost, but provide the pathway to a rewarding career.
Pharmacy Technician. Training for pharmacy-technician.asp"> pharmacy technicians involves a comprehensive diploma program that takes about one year to complete. Training programs require a high school diploma or equivalent, and are offered at community colleges and hospitals. Students take course work in pharmacy laws, billing, and calculations, as well as medical terminology and computer science. Training programs also consist of an intensive internship program to prepare students for work in a pharmacy. Upon completion of a training program, students are eligible for the title of Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT), provided they successfully pass examination administered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board.
In a given work day, CHPT perform a variety of duties to assist the pharmacists and the daily operations of the pharmacy. CHPT prepare medical prescriptions by measuring, counting, and labeling prescriptions. They also perform administrative duties including managing medical and insurance records and delivering medications and healthcare products to patients, under the direct supervision of a pharmacist. Pharmacy technicians work in variety of healthcare facilities. Training and certification is not always required, but is preferred by most employers, and makes the employee more competitive for jobs and wages.
Pharmacist:
Training for a pharmacist takes considerably longer than that for a technician, but it is a much more complex position. Pharmacists must complete the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) advanced level degree program. Entrance into a PharmD program requires college education in a science related field and an acceptable score on the PCAT-Pharmacy College Admissions Test. A PharmD program prepares a pharmacist with advanced training in extensive medical knowledge, including pharmaceutical practice, patient care, and drug therapy. To become certified, Pharmacists must complete a one year internship and successfully pass the NAPLEX-North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination. Pharmacists may also complete residencies to become further specialized in the field of pharmacy. Some specialties include nuclear pharmacy, pharmacotherapy, and psychiatric pharmacy.
Pharmacists perform a variety of duties and have direct healthcare responsibilities to patients. Pharmacists assist patients with healthcare questions and problems, develop medication schedules, and monitor and evaluate treatments. A pharmacist's extensive knowledge of pharmacy and patient care helps them to serve as liaison between physicians and patients.
Job opportunities in pharmacy positions are very abundant, and there are several advantages to a career in the field. Earnings for pharmacy professionals are very competitive. Training for tech positions is relatively short, while PharmD training provides the professional development for a challenging career.
Articles Source - Free Articles
About the Author
Angela Oliver is a contributing writer for Healthcare-TrainingCenter.com, a site offering free information for healthcare training and job opportunities. Please visit the site for more information about training for a career in a pharmacy.
Career opportunities in the medical field are growing faster than any other field. There are many available opportunities working in a pharmacy setting. Training programs are widely available for both pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Training programs vary in length and cost, but provide the pathway to a rewarding career.
Pharmacy Technician. Training for pharmacy-technician.asp"> pharmacy technicians involves a comprehensive diploma program that takes about one year to complete. Training programs require a high school diploma or equivalent, and are offered at community colleges and hospitals. Students take course work in pharmacy laws, billing, and calculations, as well as medical terminology and computer science. Training programs also consist of an intensive internship program to prepare students for work in a pharmacy. Upon completion of a training program, students are eligible for the title of Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT), provided they successfully pass examination administered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board.
In a given work day, CHPT perform a variety of duties to assist the pharmacists and the daily operations of the pharmacy. CHPT prepare medical prescriptions by measuring, counting, and labeling prescriptions. They also perform administrative duties including managing medical and insurance records and delivering medications and healthcare products to patients, under the direct supervision of a pharmacist. Pharmacy technicians work in variety of healthcare facilities. Training and certification is not always required, but is preferred by most employers, and makes the employee more competitive for jobs and wages.
Pharmacist:
Training for a pharmacist takes considerably longer than that for a technician, but it is a much more complex position. Pharmacists must complete the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) advanced level degree program. Entrance into a PharmD program requires college education in a science related field and an acceptable score on the PCAT-Pharmacy College Admissions Test. A PharmD program prepares a pharmacist with advanced training in extensive medical knowledge, including pharmaceutical practice, patient care, and drug therapy. To become certified, Pharmacists must complete a one year internship and successfully pass the NAPLEX-North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination. Pharmacists may also complete residencies to become further specialized in the field of pharmacy. Some specialties include nuclear pharmacy, pharmacotherapy, and psychiatric pharmacy.
Pharmacists perform a variety of duties and have direct healthcare responsibilities to patients. Pharmacists assist patients with healthcare questions and problems, develop medication schedules, and monitor and evaluate treatments. A pharmacist's extensive knowledge of pharmacy and patient care helps them to serve as liaison between physicians and patients.
Job opportunities in pharmacy positions are very abundant, and there are several advantages to a career in the field. Earnings for pharmacy professionals are very competitive. Training for tech positions is relatively short, while PharmD training provides the professional development for a challenging career.
Articles Source - Free Articles
About the Author
Angela Oliver is a contributing writer for Healthcare-TrainingCenter.com, a site offering free information for healthcare training and job opportunities. Please visit the site for more information about training for a career in a pharmacy.
December 21, 2007
Career as Analyst and Technician
Any drug or dosage form for human use has to be of excellent quality and purity, free from any impurities. The permissible limits of impurities, which either occurs through the manufacturing process, equipment, raw materials, handling or storage, are very stringent. Therefore, Quality control (QC) and Quality Assurance (QA) are the most integral areas of the drug & pharmaceutical industry. Highly specialized and trained staff is required to handle sensitive analytical procedures & sophisticated equipment. MPharm & PhDs in Pharm Analysis /Q.A. are highly preferred for this job.
December 3, 2007
Pharmacy Technician Careers
Author: Tony Jacowski
Pharmacy Technician- a Career Option
Becoming a pharmacy technician can be a rewarding career choice. This field has good career prospects, monetary benefits and rewards. Pharmacy technicians assist licensed pharmacists in providing health care products and medications to patients. They routinely prepare prescribed medicines for the patients; for example, counting the tablets and fixing labels to bottles. The pharmacy technician refers questions regarding drug information, prescriptions or health matters to the pharmacist.
Certification
A National Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination, conducted by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board, which is held at various examination centers at a national level, has to be passed in order to become a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT). Candidates are required have a high school diploma/GED, and must not have any record of felony. Once qualified, pharmacy technicians need to be recertified every two years.
The eligibility criteria for recertification is to have completed twenty contact hours of pharmacy related topics, within the two-year certification period. Attending lectures, college course work and on-the-job training are all considered for awarding contact hours. It is mandatory to have a minimum of one contact hour in pharmacy law. Flexibility allows contact hours to be earned from different sources. Up to ten contact hours can be earned by working under the direct supervision of a pharmacist.
Other sources are attending pharmacy colleges, belonging to pharmacy associations, and pharmacy technician training programs. However, presently, there is no federal requirement for formal training and certification of a pharmacy technician, although there may be some states that do have such a requirement. Many employers provide on-the-job training to people and recruit them as pharmacy technicians.
As reliance on pharmacy technicians continues to grow, more states and employers require pharmacy technicians to be formally educated and certified. Many employers offer to reimburse the cost of the examination as an incentive. Formal education programs are offered by the military and some hospitals. Proprietary schools, community colleges and vocational or technical colleges also offer education programs.
Place and Nature of Work
Pharmacy technicians generally work in hospitals, general medical and surgical stores, health and personal care stores, and retail or mail order pharmacies. Their job responsibilities differ accordingly, and are dependent on applicable laws and other regulatory mandates of the state. They receive prescriptions in writing and requests from patients for prescription refills. A doctor's office may also send a prescription electronically.
The pharmacy technician has to verify the information in the prescription, for completeness and accuracy. The preparation of the prescription requires the pharmacy technician to retrieve, count, pour, measure, weigh and occasionally mix the required medication. They have to select the type of prescription container, and create and fix the labels on it. After it is filled, they price the prescription and file it. The pharmacist then checks this before it is given to the patient. Pharmacy technicians may be required to prepare insurance claim forms, maintain patient profiles, and take an inventory of over-the-counter prescription medications.
They must be aware of the latest medicines and their availability. At times, they also need to advise the patient about diet and health requirements. According to available records for 2004, pharmacy technicians earned median hourly wages of $11.37. The highest figure was $16.61 and the lowest was $7.96.
A career as a pharmacy technician can be pursued even without formal certification in most states, and allows working in clean, organized work areas. It offers a reasonably good salary and benefit package.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/pharmacy-technician-careers-78819.html
About the Author:
Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.
Pharmacy Technician- a Career Option
Becoming a pharmacy technician can be a rewarding career choice. This field has good career prospects, monetary benefits and rewards. Pharmacy technicians assist licensed pharmacists in providing health care products and medications to patients. They routinely prepare prescribed medicines for the patients; for example, counting the tablets and fixing labels to bottles. The pharmacy technician refers questions regarding drug information, prescriptions or health matters to the pharmacist.
Certification
A National Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination, conducted by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board, which is held at various examination centers at a national level, has to be passed in order to become a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT). Candidates are required have a high school diploma/GED, and must not have any record of felony. Once qualified, pharmacy technicians need to be recertified every two years.
The eligibility criteria for recertification is to have completed twenty contact hours of pharmacy related topics, within the two-year certification period. Attending lectures, college course work and on-the-job training are all considered for awarding contact hours. It is mandatory to have a minimum of one contact hour in pharmacy law. Flexibility allows contact hours to be earned from different sources. Up to ten contact hours can be earned by working under the direct supervision of a pharmacist.
Other sources are attending pharmacy colleges, belonging to pharmacy associations, and pharmacy technician training programs. However, presently, there is no federal requirement for formal training and certification of a pharmacy technician, although there may be some states that do have such a requirement. Many employers provide on-the-job training to people and recruit them as pharmacy technicians.
As reliance on pharmacy technicians continues to grow, more states and employers require pharmacy technicians to be formally educated and certified. Many employers offer to reimburse the cost of the examination as an incentive. Formal education programs are offered by the military and some hospitals. Proprietary schools, community colleges and vocational or technical colleges also offer education programs.
Place and Nature of Work
Pharmacy technicians generally work in hospitals, general medical and surgical stores, health and personal care stores, and retail or mail order pharmacies. Their job responsibilities differ accordingly, and are dependent on applicable laws and other regulatory mandates of the state. They receive prescriptions in writing and requests from patients for prescription refills. A doctor's office may also send a prescription electronically.
The pharmacy technician has to verify the information in the prescription, for completeness and accuracy. The preparation of the prescription requires the pharmacy technician to retrieve, count, pour, measure, weigh and occasionally mix the required medication. They have to select the type of prescription container, and create and fix the labels on it. After it is filled, they price the prescription and file it. The pharmacist then checks this before it is given to the patient. Pharmacy technicians may be required to prepare insurance claim forms, maintain patient profiles, and take an inventory of over-the-counter prescription medications.
They must be aware of the latest medicines and their availability. At times, they also need to advise the patient about diet and health requirements. According to available records for 2004, pharmacy technicians earned median hourly wages of $11.37. The highest figure was $16.61 and the lowest was $7.96.
A career as a pharmacy technician can be pursued even without formal certification in most states, and allows working in clean, organized work areas. It offers a reasonably good salary and benefit package.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/pharmacy-technician-careers-78819.html
About the Author:
Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.
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