Any pharmacy techs out there? How exactly do you become a pharmacy tech?

Question

what exactly do you do as pharm tech? How much does it cost for the training/certification? Do most pharmacies hire people who are not certified pharm techs and are they willing to train?

Answer 1

I work in a hospital pharmacy. I'm the Pyxis administrator for my hospital (and I'm only 21!). A pyxis machine holds all the medications (tablets, oral suspensions, IV fluid, etc). I also make IV fluid, compound oral medication, compound ointments, dispense medication and controlled medication and maintain the machines (just to name a few).

If you are looking to become a pharmacy technician I would HIGHLY suggest you work in a hospital if you can. I worked as a pharmacy technician (non certified) when I was 17 at Safeway and they paid me $8.00 an hour (retail sucks!). When I turned 18 I took the test and got certified. I now make almost $17.00 an hour working at the hospital I work at. Places will hire you even if you are not certified (they prefer certified techs though). You are considered a pharmacy technician trainee when you are not certified or licensed.

You don't even need to go to school for it! A lot of people assume you have to go to school to be a pharmacy technician but you don't. It's just a waste of time and money.

When I graduated high school I purchased two pharmacy technician books. One was a math book and the other was general pharmacy technician book (pharmacy law, helping the pharmacist, etc.) You can find both of these books online; there are several to chose from. I studied these books over the summer and then I took the soonest test and passed.

Make you you study though because when I took the test 4 years ago it was about $120 and it took like 4 hours! So you definitely want to pass it and not have to take it over again!

Answer 2

I work as a shift supervisor at CVS/Pharmacy.

A Pharmacy Technician is a very low level job. You really get hired as a PT and then trained on the job. You basically just ring out customers by retrieving their prescriptions and having them sign for them and answering basic questions. The Pharmacist is always on duty to answer the real questions.

There are many certifications you get along the way and you eventually can start filling prescriptions yourself. It's just learning on the job and getting trained and certified on the Pharmacy's schedule.

Answer 3

Depends on what state your in. Some state's require you to already be certified. I work for Safeway in Denver Colorado and they don't require it. They trained me in the pharmacy and when I took my certification test In 2003 which cost $120 the paid me back when I past. I do everything the pharmacist do except coincel patients. I prepare the meds, ring patients out, put them in the computer. Anything that needs to be done I've done it. I've also done training of other techs. Hope that answers your questions.

Answer 4

Prepares students for an entry-level position in a retail or hospital pharmacy setting. Students will learn pharmaceutical terminology and abbreviations, routes of medication administration, basic biopharmaceutics, aseptic techniques, prescription and order processing. They will also be trained to assist pharmacists in various activities such as maintaining patient records, setting up packaging and labelling medication doses and filling and dispensing routine orders for stock supplies.Upon program completion, students may apply to take the national certification exam given by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB).

Answer 5

i used to be a pharmacy tech at right aid. i walked in off the street and asked for the job. they sent me to training classes to learn what i needed to know to help the pharmasist (and they told me that some states require certification, some dont) training for me was free, and paid.