(CPhT) Pharmacy Technician Certification
A Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) or pharmacy assistant is an invaluable asset to support the licensed pharmacist. The Pharmacy technician duties will include checking drug allergies, filling prescriptions, reviewing orders for drugs and screening for drug interactions and incompatibilities. Taking on these task in a pharmacy is a huge responsibility and should be taken seriously as the patients lives are in your hands if mistakes are made.
As a pharmacy technician you will have the responsibility of contacting or calling the doctors office for prescription refills. You may also be required to clean and sterilize equipment. The outlook for who complete their Pharmacy technician certification is excellent as these jobs are expected to grow according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Wages for a certified pharmacy technician are good for those working in the established pharmacy chains or in a hospital with the higher end of the scale being certified pharmacy technicians who have years of experience and who chose to work in a hospital environment.
The grocery store pharmacy and pharmacy chains will pay at the medium to lower end and will experience more turnover.
Certified Pharmacy Technicians who gain experience usually leave to seek higher wages and/or continued education. For this reason the store and chain pharmacies always have a fresh pool of applicants to draw from.
This should present an excellent opertunity for your first job after Parmacy Technician Certification.
Pharmacy Technician Certification (CPhT) Training & Education
List of pharmacy schools are available elsewhere on this site online or through your local vocational school or technical collage. Pharmacy Certification programs will usually span 6 months to one year in length depending on the work load and school or collage chosen. This should be figured in your criteria when choosing a collage or school to attend. Ask before signing up.
Collage curriculum will include medical terminology, pharmaceutical terminology, calculation of drug ingredients using weight and volume. Pharmacy law and ethics will also be covered. Better Pharmacy Tech Certification programs will include an internship or clinical on the job training option. Certification and immediate employment will be your goal.
The National Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination is administered by The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. Although Pharmacy Technician Certification is voluntary most employers will look for this when screening applications for consideration.
(CPhT) or Certified Pharmacy Technician status will assure you are in the top consideration for any job applied for while those who have not become certified will often not be called back for an interview and not told why.
The Pharmacy Technician Certification exam is offered in every state with many location available.
Pharmacy Technician Certification Career & Salary Outlook
Average wage outlook for Certified Pharmacy Technicians is $12.32 an hr. The top 10% earned $17.75 per hr plus and $8.44 was earned at the low end of the scale or bottom 10%. Wages very by employer catagory such as grocery store pharmacy, Pharmacy chain or Hospital Pharmacy.
Hospital or Medical Center employment provides the highest average – $13.96 per hr.
Grocery store Pharmacy techs earned slightly more ($12.98 average) then those employed at pharmacy chains ($11.59 average) – a surprise! it seems the pharmacy chains focus on higher profit and this means lower wages for the Certified Pharmacy Technician.
As expected gaining your Pharmacy Technician Certification does increase your earnings potential significantly.
Why a (CPhT) Degree and where Will it Take You
It should be noted that you can become a Pharmacy Technician without a degree or a certification as some employers offer on the job training. It should also be noted that these are the lowest paying job in the field of Pharmacy Technician and are not easy to get.
Imagine walking in off the street and asking for a job then explaining you have not bothered to gain any education in preparation for the position being applied for and being asked to explain this.
You could explain not having any previous experience or training by offering career change or needing to change jobs. With the competition for jobs today why not become a Certified Pharmacy Technician and claim the advantage this will give you in being taken seriously and higher salary the certification will bring you.
(CPhT) or Certified Pharmacy Technician status will take you to almost any city you wish to live in and allow you to move through the Pharmacy Tech field advancing much faster in status and wages then some one who has not become certified. Always remember if your present employer does not offer higher wages and advancement for your experience and certified status then the next employer will.
All you have to do is keep your ears open as new jobs open up on a regular basis in this field. Certified Pharmacy Technician employment is often a gateway to the medical fields and with further education will allow advancement in employment status and much higher wages.
Characteristics of Successful Pharmacy Techs
- Strong math skills, spelling and reading is needed.
- Chemistry, English and health fields should be considered important
- Previous experience caring for patients in a clinical setting.
- Work as a Hospital aide or volunteer with references could be a tremendous asset.
- Customer service in the retail industry with references is valuable to show an employer you can work with the public – a not so easy skill for some.
- Long hours, nights and/or weekends including holidays are some times required with better employment offering better terms covering these conditions.
- Being able to handle long hours on your feet and being very well organized are invaluable assets.