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| *Ostroff, Fair and Company>>>Health Care |
How do I become a pharmacy tech? |
I'm planning on becoming a pharmacist eventually, and right now I'm an 18 year old college freshman. I've read a lot of different things and it seems the more I read the more confused I get. I live in Denver, Colorado. Would I need training beforehand? Do I need to be certified? Most employers will hire you without initially having a pharmacy technician certification. You would be considered a "tech in training" and they will usually give you a year from your hire date to become certified. You become a certified pharmacy technician by passing a test administered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board - http://www.ptcb.org . The best way to prepare for this test is either through self-study or by taking classes. Many employers offer classes free of charge to prepare you for the exam. There are also trade schools that you can go to, although I don't believe it is worth it to spend thousands of dollars to prepare you to be a Pharmacy Technician which doesn't pay that well. However, being a pharmacy technician will definitely give you good job experience, and will help you decide whether being a Pharmacist is worth investing years of going to college, and will tell you whether a career in pharmacy is something you would enjoy doing. Good luck to you! In most states you now need to take a certification test given by the state board of pharmacy. Many community colleges offer courses and have a two year degree in the field. I would suggest going to your local Walmart or Walgreens and talk to the pharmacy techs who work there and ask them what they recommend. I worked as a pharmacy tech when I was in college and went on to become a pharmaceutical salesman. My wife is a hospital pharmacist. Kent in SD There are vocational schools that has pharmacy tech programs. It's about 5 months course but it's costly (approx 2 grand). But it's a good investment for your future goal. Being a tech gives you an insight of pharmacist work. You could decide if it's the path you like or not. If you decided to go for it, then it looks good on your pharmacy school application. better chance of getting accepted. |
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