While you could pretty much do that by becoming a Pharmacy Technician, it would be in your best interest to hold fire and get a Pharmacy Technician Certification first.

Why? Because you’ll be more likely to get a job afterwards and you’ll command a much higher salary, too.

If you want to be taken seriously in your job application, there is no better way than to show them that you have taken the initiative and got yourself a certification first. Because pharmacists are busy people, they are much more likely to hire someone who already has the skills and training needed.

So How Do You Get a Pharmacy Technician Certification?

The best way to get Pharmacy Technician certified is to take the assessment exam through a private testing organization. The best two of which are the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) or the National Committee for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).

These exams will cover everything you need to know and be able to demonstrate as a Pharmacy Technician — whether you want to work in a retail pharmacy or a hospital one. The exam will include questions on topics like:

• Technical duties
• Protocol for controlled substances
• Pharmacy laws and regulations
• Dosage calculations
• Prescription information
• And much more…

Exam fees can vary by board so it’s a good idea to shop around if you want to get the best price possible.

Pharmacy Technician Certification Prep

To prepare for the certification, most people choose to take a Pharmacy Technician course. Whether you do it online or in a classroom is up to, but going through this training first gives you a much better chance of passing the certification. It’s not required, so if you already have above average knowledge of the subject, you can try to pass the assessment online right away without graduating from any Pharmacy Tech school.

Once you complete the Pharmacy Technician Certification you will be given the earned title of Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT). You’ll need to complete recertification once every two years to maintain your title.

This recertification requires a minimum of 20 hours of continued education over the two years.

If you are interested in becoming a certified Pharmacy Tech (and if you’re serious, you will be) then you can get practice and example questions directly from the Certification Boards. Be warned though that these alone will not be enough to enable you to pass the test. The knowledge needed to pass will require home learning of some kind or a classroom setting.

You can find a local testing facility for the Pharmacy Technician Certification by visiting the PTCB website for more information.

Luckily, the internet makes this possible with a number of Pharmacy Technician online schools available. The problem is that the internet can be a scammy place and you need to choose only high quality courses.

The internet is a great place to complete your Pharmacy Tech certification because it can be done online in the comfort of your own home during the hours that you have available. For busy adults, this is the best way to turn your dream job into a reality.

How to Choose the Best Pharmacy Technician Online Schools

To avoid internet scams and handing over your credit details to untrustworthy people, you need to know how to choose the best schools to complete your certification with. Here are some great tips to get you started.

• Check the reputation of the school. Before you apply to do your Pharmacy Technician Certification online, always do a little bit of research on the school first to make sure they have the credentials you need. Check out their website, call them on the phone and even visit them in person if at all possible. Not only will you then know how legit they are, you’ll also have all the information such as tuition fees, quality of instructors and how big your online class size might be.
• Find people who have completed the course. While testimonials on online schools can be made up, finding real people who have gone through the training will give you a good idea of the best Pharmacy Tech schools online. Go to your local pharmacy, or visit your hospital and talk to the Tech’s working there. Did they use any of the Pharmacy Technician online schools? If so, which ones and why?
• See who the Certification boards recommend. There are two primary Pharmacy Technician Certification Boards, and both of them will know exactly which online schools are the best. Check out their websites and see who they are linking to and recommend. PTCB allow you to search for the best schools and apply online, so it would be a great place to start.

Why Is Using an Online Pharmacy Technician School a Good Idea?

I often get asked why I used an online school for my studies instead of going to a class to become a certified Pharmacy Tech. While my answer might be different to yours, there are a number of reasons why completing your training online is a good idea:

1. It saves time. There is no travelling to and from class, or time waiting for other students to turn up. You simply log in to your online classroom and the lesson begins exactly when it should do.
2. It is often cheaper. Because there is no need for physical location, the costs of an online school are lower and this means the price itself is lower too.
3. You get certified quicker. Because you can go through the work in your own time as well, you can work extra hard to get your certification quicker and start a fantastic new career right away.

Of course, for some people, an online course might not be right. If you learn better in a face to face environment with other people to help you, then an online setting won’t be the right choice for you.

In the end, the Pharmacy Technician Online schools are one option of many ways to start you new career path. Which one you choose is entirely up to you and depends on your situation.

Whatever you choose, I’m sure you’ll find becoming a Pharmacy Technician as rewarding and enjoyable as I have.

Typically, a high-quality Pharmacy Technician training course will last from 6 months to 2 years and will include full instruction on a variety of duties required by the Tech. From medical knowledge and pharmaceuticals to good customer service — Pharmacy Tech training covers everything you’ll need.

Classes can also cover other aspects of the job, including drugs and treatment, medical law, and up-to-date Pharmacy practices.

Some of the most common Pharmacy Technician training courses are:

• Chemistry
• Pharmacology
• Pharmaceutical and Medical termanologies
• Calculating doses
• Common drug reactions
• Keeping Pharmacy records
• Understanding prescriptions
• Pharmacy laws
• Using dosage forms
• How to prepare drugs

It’s pretty common in Pharmacy Technician training course to study in the classroom part of the time, and in a real work environment for the other part to gain real world experience. This is known as a Pharmacy Technician Externship.

Working under the supervision of a Pharmacist or senior Pharmacy Tech, you will learn how to work in a Pharmacy and your supervisor will report back to the class instructor to help them evaluate your grade.

Often, the Pharmacy Tech’s who do well in the externship will be offered a job by the pharmacy, hospital or drug store after they have graduated.

Certification is an optional extra after graduation which isn’t required, but is highly recommended to improve your chances of securing a highly paid Pharmacy Technician job. You’ll need to check your state requirements to see whether you need to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) or the Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ICPT) certification.

Once you have graduated and become a certified Tech, most people then go into a real work Pharmacy Technician job full time. This experience can be used as a stepping stone to later return to school and continue your training to become a fully-qualified pharmacist.

Becoming a pharmacist will explode your earning potential and the first-hand knowledge you gain by become a Pharmacy Technician first will be invaluable. Skills like handling medicine, dealing with patients, understanding the prescriptions are essential to become a good pharmacist and Pharmacy Technician training makes it a breeze for most people.

One of the best places to start your quest to become a Pharmacy Technician is by visiting Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. You can find a local test centre and apply for your certification online.

Before you find out how to become one though, you need to know exactly why most people struggle to get a job as a Pharmacy Tech so that you can avoid the same fate!

Why Most People Don’t Get a Good Pharmacy Technician Job

Training and certifications for becoming a Pharmacy Technician is unstructured at best and many Tech’s don’t have to go through any formal training to do the job. Instead of going through Pharmacy Technician courses, they get trained on the job instead, learning directly with the Pharmacist.

So why do most people fail to get a well paid Pharmacy Tech job? Well, first of all, most Pharmacists do not have the time to train their Tech’s on the job. This means that if you haven’t undergone any formal training before applying, you are much less likely to get a good job, if any job at all.

Instead, the job goes to the person who has been through a proper Pharmacy Technician course. This shows the Pharmacist that you have already experienced the job and they have to spend less time training you.

If you haven’t gone through any courses (and you really should if you are serious) then you may still get a job, but your pay will be substantially lower because you have to learn as you go. Training you takes time and money and this is why many Tech’s without a Pharmacy education get paid a lot less.

How to Become a Pharmacy Technician — The Right Way

The very best way to become a Pharmacy Technician is — you guessed it — to take a course at a college or school. There are two types of Pharmacy Technician Certifications: The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board and the Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians. You’ll also need a GED diploma to apply.

Certifications are not required, but if you want to earn the best Pharmacy Technician salary possible, then I strongly advise you to spend a little time and money on your Pharmacy Tech education.

The certification requires a number of education hours and a final exam that will put you right to the top of the list of potential new employees.

Think about it. If you were recruiting and you had a candidate with no training or experience (which is most people) and a candidate who already knows how to do the job and has a fancy certificate to prove it: which one would you choose?

Finding the Right Pharmacy Technician School

It all depends on your individual circumstances which school is right for you and your learning. In the end, it comes down to three main factors:

1. Your schedule. You need to pick a class which fits into your daily life.
2. Your budget. Different schools have different costs that you need to be aware of.
3. Quality of the course. Not all Pharmacy Tech courses are made equal – so choose wisely.

One of the best places to start your quest to become a Pharmacy Technician is by visiting Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. You can find a local test centre and apply for your certification online.

So, now you know how to become a Pharmacy Technician, the only thing left to do is get out there and do it.