The present economic crisis has left many people looking for jobs, and some have decided to start a new career as a pharmacy technician. The medical field is one area that has continued to grow despite the latest economic downturn. As a result, it is possible to find a job as a pharmacy technician.
A new job as a pharmacy technician will require some training. Every state has their own requirements for becoming a pharmacy technician, and the first step you should take to find out what the requirements are in your state.
The second step in order to make yourself as attractive to an employer as possible is to gain a national certification as a certified pharmacy technician. Certification is available from two sources. Both require passing an exam. The first is the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board, and the second is Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians.
You can find a job as a pharmacy technician by looking in your local newspaper or by searching employment sites online.
Certification For Becoming A Pharmacy Technician
In the US, all 50 states require certification for becoming a pharmacy technician. A pharmacy technician performs a critical function in a pharmacy. It is their job to ensure that medications are properly supplied to patients as per their prescriptions. The only way to ensure that pharmacy technicians are competent to perform these tasks and the administrative duties which they are also expected to be able to do is to have some sort of uniform certification. And that’s where the CPhT or certified pharmacy technician certification comes in.
The certified pharmacy technician certification or CPhT can be obtained from either one of two sources.
The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) offers an exam called the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE). The Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ICPT) offers a similar exam which is called the Certification of Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT). Upon passing either of these exams a new pharmacy technician will be given their CPhT certificate, with which they can gain a job anywhere in the country.
Pharmacy Tech Job Outlook
Between 2008 and 2018 employment of pharmacy techs is expected to experience an increase of 25%. This is much faster increase than is expected for all occupations.
As the population boom following World War II ages, the number of middle-aged and elderly people is rising quickly causing a commensurate rise in the need for prescription drugs.
As pharmacists who come a larger part of patient care, due to insurance companies trying to control costs, pharmacy techs are going to continue to be in demand.
There is currently a trend in pharmacies to have pharmacy techs perform functions such as answering phones and stocking shelves in addition to their normal duties. This has led to a decrease in employment pharmacy aides, however the greater job duties has led to an increase in job opportunities for pharmacy techs.
The pharmacy tech job outlook continues to be rosy.
CPT codes that are used everyday in the medical billing and coding jobs, can be looked up in either online dictionaries, or billing and coding books, that have been updated every year. Due to the nature of working in the medical field, physicians are using new codes that have replaced the older codes. The new codes have been reviewed and either modified or deleted. An astute
When one is choosing careers in the medical field, often one that is very much needed is overlooked, as in the career as a