If you like helping people and enjoy the medical field, you are in luck. There are a lot of jobs out there that give you the chance to help people, making a great living for yourself. One job, in particular, that is ideal to have today is a pharmacy technician. These technicians assist pharmacists in dispensing information and also processing prescriptions for people on a daily basis. It’s a very rewarding career, but in order to be a pharmacy technician in the Utah area, you will need to pass the right tests and go through the right courses.
Before you even enroll into a pharmacy school, you will need to have your high school diploma. This is a prerequisite that you have to fulfill before even considering going to school and becoming a pharmacy tech. Then, you can enroll in a pharmacy technician program. A great thing about these programs is that they only last one year, so you don’t have to spend too much time in school before you take the test called PTCB exam. If you don’t want to attend these programs in person, you are in luck. A lot of programs offer these classes online, so in the comfort of your own home, you will be able to get the right credentials to become a pharmacy technician.
Some of the things you’ll learn in these programs are the name of different medication, how to properly dispense medication, and how to make sure you have the correct diagnosis. The last part is crucial for patients getting the right medication for their medical problems. You will also learn some skills in terms of dealing with customers. Since you will be working with customers on a daily basis, it’s vital you know how to act and behave around them. Also, you will learn proper book-keeping skills, which is a requirement for any pharmacy tech.
Before you can get a job as a pharmacy technician, you have to have at least 100 hours of experience in working in a pharmacy. This will give you hands-on experience, and also allow you to get certified. In order to certify, you will have to pass a test called the PTC exam. And, you will have to disclose any criminal actions.
Once you have passed the test, you can start applying for jobs. A lot of times, you will be able to land a job with the pharmacy you are already working for. However, if they don’t have any positions available, you can apply to a licensed pharmacy in a hospital, community pharmacy, and even an outpatient clinic.
In terms of salary, an entry level position will make around $19,000 a year. For those technicians who have a little more experience, they can make around $40,000 a year. Some pharmacies are going to pay more than others, so it’s best to do some research before applying to pharmacies in the Utah area.
After you have found the right pharmacy to work for, you are going to have an exciting, lucrative career. There are a lot of clerk duties that a pharmacy tech has to do on a daily basis, such as filling prescriptions and helping the pharmacist find the fight medicine for a certain patient. You will also work on medical records for patients on the computer, so it’s important you have good computer skills and can type reasonably fast.
Also, you will be asked to fill different bottles with certain pills. It’s important that you know what you are doing and can identify the pills correctly; this prevents there from being any confusion later, which could be hazardous for the patient. As a pharmacy technician, you will also have to label the medication, which is an important job that needs to be done regularly.
It is required by law that a pharmacist oversees all of these duties while you are doing them. This ensures you do them correctly, so no mistakes are made, which could be disastrous for a patient. So if you are looking for a rewarding career that allows you to deal with medications each day, you can consider becoming a pharmacy technician. You get paid great and it’s a very interesting career path.