Should I Become A Pharmacy Technician
August 26th, 2011
Should I become a Certified Pharmacy Technician
Many students often start out their year wondering what to do, and are indecisive on what type of degree or certifications they would like. It is not uncommon for students to go through their whole freshman year without knowing what type of degree they would like. Many students are in nursing, and it is an extremely popular field these days. However, some students take a slightly different approach in the medical field, and go and work as a certified pharmacy technician.
A pharmacy technician can make anywhere from $12.00-$21.00 an hour, depending on your state and many technicians are employed by hospitals. Other technicians are employed by local stores like Fred Meyers, Albertsons, Safeway that sell prescription medications, while others may be employed by specific drug stores and additional employees can even get a job with an internet service that provides prescription medication.
Although many people say that becoming a nurse’s aid is a good idea, I think that becoming a pharmacy technician is way better in every way. Pharmacy technicians will be needed long into the future, as medications are becoming more and more complex and people are living much longer lifespans. There are other reasons for the field growing as well, and talking to a certified pharmacy technician may be able to reveal some of the great advantages that are in the current field.
There are many different skills that are required for a pharmacy technician. One of them is accuracy. Mixing up medications could be the result of life or death, so it’s extremely important to be able to be very detail oriented. Many people need specific pills and cannot have their pills mixed up with any other medication. These pills must also be counted out with absolute accuracy. If someone is even a pill or two short, it could hinder their ability to function for a day.
Another skill that is required is the ability to be a people person and work as part of a team. You will be working with pharmacists other technicians, doctors, nurses, insurance company’s as well as customers. Being able to work as part of the team is essential to surviving as a pharmacy technician.
How can you tell if you would like to be a pharmacy technician? It is indeed a bit of a challenge to determine what you would like to do in life. If you have the opportunity, one way to find out whether or not you’d like to become a pharmacy technician is to gain an internship at a local pharmacy, attend a pharmacy class or talk to some local pharmacists about the job. Doing additional research into what it takes to be a pharmacy technician is also a great way to determine whether or not the job is right for you.