Is pharmacy technician a good job? Is it good 2 go 2 a university or community college first?

Question

I think i want 2 be a pharmacy technician and im confused if i should attend a university or start off at a community college. It seems like a very interesting job and was wondering 4 people feedback

Answer 1

I am a pharmacy tech myself. Although I am certified, I did not go to any college to get my certification and honestly I think it is a waste of time and money to do so. Try to get a job at a pharmacy; I started at Walgreen's and after few months they sent me to a 2 months, every weekend class and they not only paid for the class and the final certification test, they also paid me for the time I was in class.
As for the jib itself, well, most of retail pharmacies don't pay much more than minimum wage. The clinic pharmacies pay much better (I work in a pharmacy in a HMO clinic). But be aware that this is not an easy job. You have to have a very good customer service skills and be willing to put up with a lot of crap both from patients, doctors, nurses and insurance companies. You have to be able to multi-task and make good judgments and fast decisions.

I hope this helps.

Answer 2

I'm am not 100% about my answer, but I got my answer from listening to the speakers in the PrePharmacy Association at my university. If you want to be a pharmacy technician, the fastest way to become one is to just take the class in a community college. This class will help you learn the necessary materials to pass the test that gives you the license to become a technician. If you are confident that you can learn the stuff yourself by buying books and doing individual study, you can do that and not pay to take any classes. HOWEVER, if you go to university, you still need to take that pharmacy technician test. Therefore, some people would still take the community college class because that class is more specific to the test. Then, if you pass the test, you'd be eligible to be a pharmacy technician AND you're studying in university. When you graduate university with a degree in a science, then you'd more likely get a better paid position in a pharmacy than someone who didn't go to university. Nowhere near the wages of an actual pharmacist though! Sorry so long...but my advice to you is that if you want to go to university, then go. You can take the pharmacy technician test no matter what school you go to.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

Either way- go to college. Be careful with community college credits because some may not transfer to colleges in a different state. You should also check out the board of pharmacy for your state. Having Pharmacy experience is part of getting a liscense, so you will have to apply to be a tech in training to log experience hours. Once you have logged enough hours in experience in a certain time frame, you have to take a certification exam to become technician. Often you will end up doing a lot of the work at a pharmacy. Olus if you check out the board of Pharmacy for your location, you wil be able to know what you will be able to do at the job. I included a link that has listings for the US, Canada and some other countries.

Answer 5

The college myth. Yes, go to college and come out, up to your eyeballs in student-loan debt, with a career that earns the same bracket as a tech-grad. The idea is that you land a career to pay off those college loans but that's never the reality. College is joke these days. Everyone has a bachelors; it's just not prestigious anymore. Unless you come from a wealthy background with connections in your field, the average middle-class joe gets nothing out of a degree and will only dream of climbing the ladder. The truth is, even if you're more qualified on paper, who do you think is going to get that big raise and promotion: you with the fancy degree or the supervisors' nephew who picks his nose all day, never lifts a finger, and is under-qualified? It's WHO you know; not WHAT you know.
....there is nothing wrong with tech-school; it's a trade. Don't let a bunch of brainwashed morons who buy into the college-myth look down on you for choosing another path in life.

Answer 6

Currently, the average salary for a regular pharm tech is about 28k and for a lead tech about 33k a year. It is not worth going for formal classes when most of the pharmacies will pay for you to take the certification exam. Within a couple of months, you should just through experience, be able to pass it.
There is a lot of turn over in the position, and a lot of frustration. The retail chains don't pay that well. Hospitals tend to pay more. It is rare to find a tech with more than 5 years experience. You will never make a lot of money in this position.

Answer 7

Which pharmacy does your family use? Do you know the pharmacist ? Why not ask him or her what the field of pharmacy entails. They might give you some clues. If you have a guidance counselor for your high school class, why not consult with him? Go to the library and you might find a list of colleges which have degrees in pharmacy studies.

Answer 8

Upgrade yourself into a nuclear technologist. Its a very good job to earn fast.

Answer 9

start at a community college then transfer over

Answer 10

if your looking for money try something else. if not you can do it online also like university of Phoenix