Get Your Pharmacy Technician Certification, In as Little as 12 Months!

An Open Field
You can enroll today and start earning your degree as a pharmacy technician from one of many top quality schools. A pharmacy technician works under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist and performs many pharmacist functions including pharmacy administration, drug distribution and management, and patient service. continued below »

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The educational requirements of a 21st century pharmacist involve a 6 year degree, an internship, and the ability to coordinate the activities of pharmaceutical companies with the needs of doctors and patients. With new medications being created every year and new insurance programs developing to manage those drugs, the demands on the licensed pharmacist are increasing almost beyond imagination. The old corner drug store with the soda fountain and the independent owner who could give you nearly any prescription cure available no longer exists. Today every medicine must be cross referenced, both to make sure it doesn't react with any medication you may already be taking and to verify that the prescription has not been filled at multiple locations, not to mention processing the order through your insurance and retrieving your correct copayment. One person cannot do it, but usually a drug store will only have one or two licensed pharmacists. The remaining individuals behind the counter are pharmacy technicians.

Your Responsibility as Pharmacy Technician
As a pharmacy technician, you will perform many of the same duties that were once performed only by the pharmacist. You will simply do so under his or her supervision. Your duties will include interacting with customers, interviewing patients about their medications, evaluating prescriptions to make sure the doctor gave all the necessary information, entering data into the computer, billing the insurance companies, maintaining accurate in-store records, filling prescriptions, generating and filling refill orders, monitoring the stock for outdated or poor quality merchandise, and dispensing medication to the correct customers.

The Education for Becoming a Certified Pharmacy Technician
Unlike getting a degree to become a licensed pharmacist, becoming a Nationally Certified Pharmacy Technician requires only about 225 hours—depending on the program—and may be completed entirely online in about 12 months. Once you have completed and passed all the courses, you have to take the Pharmacy Technician Certified Board exam before getting your certificate. You do not need prior college degrees or experience, but you do need either a high school diploma or GED and a passing grade on a math test. Tuition varies with some schools charging per course and others giving you a composite price for all of the education required by the certificate. In any case, your costs will be thousands of dollars less than actually attending a traditional college classroom.

Salary You Can Expect
The median salary for a pharmacy technician is about $26,000 per year. However that can be dramatically affected by factors such as the size of the business, the geographic area, your level of experience, and your credentials and recommendations. For example, if you have a high school diploma, you will probably be paid more than if you just had a GED, even though your certificate would just as valid in either case. Benefits such as health insurance and vacations also make a big difference. A family health insurance benefit along with a retirement option make can it worth while to accept a couple thousand less in take home pay.

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