How to Become a Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy technicians work closely with pharmacists to deliver accurately identified and properly dosed medications to patients. Performing their duties well requires extreme precision, excellent people skills, and knowledge of strict compliance laws governing prescription drugs. Many training programs can be completed in less than a year, making this an attractive option for those seeking to enter the workforce quickly or change careers without undergoing extensive retraining.

On a typical day, a pharmacy technician may perform any or all of these duties:

• Receiving prescriptions or refill requests from patients and doctors' offices
• Verifying that prescription information is complete and accurate
• Retrieving, counting, pouring, weighing, measuring and sometimes mixing medications
• Preparing and affixing prescription labels to appropriate containers
• Filing completed prescriptions

Other duties include the following:

• Establishing and maintaining patient profiles
• Preparing insurance claim forms
• Stocking and taking inventory of medications

Pharmacy technicians working in hospitals, nursing homes and assisted-living facilities have added responsibilities, such as reading patients' charts and delivering medications. Technicians must refer questions about medications or other health matters to a pharmacist. Pharmacists must also check prescriptions before they are given to the patient.

Pharmacy technician training programs are offered by vocational schools as well as by some hospitals and the military. These programs typically take less than a year to complete and lead to a certificate or diploma. Some schools offer a two-year associate's degree. Programs include the following studies:

Many training programs offer internships, and job candidates with practical experience have an advantage. Experience can also be gained by working as an aide in a community pharmacy or volunteering in a hospital.

The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board administers the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination. This exam is currently voluntary in most states, but the number of states requiring certification is increasing. To receive certification, candidates must have a high school diploma or equivalent and no felony convictions. Those who pass earn the title of Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).

CPhTs must be recertified every two years by undertaking 20 hours of continuing education through pharmacy associations, colleges or training programs. Up to 10 of these hours can be earned while the technician receives instruction from a pharmacist, and one hour must be in pharmacy law.