Are there any past pharmacy techs that are pharmacists now ?

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penguinlove

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Hello! I am currently enrolled in a one year certification Pharm Tech program. I want to become a pharmacist but I am not sure how I can apply for Pharmacy school as a pharmacy tech. The program I am enrolled in does externships at local retail/institutional/community Pharmacy's where we will later be placed in a job. I want to start working as a pharm tech but continue education towards a doctorates in pharmacy. I don't have any former math or science college credits. All I have is English comp 1,2,3; Sociology, Into to psychology, and Spanish 1,2,3. Where do I start ?????????attachFull186001attachFull186002

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So... This is a tough thing to manage. I was only able to do it because of financial support from my family. You might be able to do it with a hefty loan instead. Even though I was a a very strong candidate academically, I did not qualify for any scholarships or grants from my over-priced private school because I was not entering the program from high school ("First-year Transfer" = "You're Screwed").

Basically, you need to decide to which school(s) you want to apply (I recommend in-state public schools). Then find out which courses they require you to have completed before your first professional year (a.k.a. P1 or year 3 of a 6 year program). If you try to transfer into the pre-professional years, it will probably be harder to do. Check with the admissions people at the school(s) to see if that is the case, and find out if they have any preference in terms of at which schools you should take the prerequisites. Also, keep in mind that you'll need to take The Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT) standardized test to get into the P1 year, so plan on prepping for that.

In essence, you need to talk to the admissions people at the school you want to attend, because every school will be different. Ideally, you will go to a cheap community college for 1.5-2 years and then transfer to a public school and pay in-state tuition.
 
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There is a wealth of information on the Pre-Pharm forum addressing how to get into pharmacy school, pre-reqs, etc. But here is some VERY general information.

The pre-requisite courses for pharmacy school vary depending on which college you are wanting to apply to. However, the vast majority require 2 semesters of: Gen Bio, Gen Chem, Organic Chem, physics, plus maths up through calculus. Most schools have other requirements as well but these are the big ones. Check with the individual colleges of Pharmacy that you want to apply to for a more comprehensive list. The prerequisites usually take about 2 years to complete if you go full-time. I would reccomend doing these at either a community college or a public in-state university. Keep a GPA >3.5.

Once you have taken those classes, you take the PCAT. This is a standardized test that is used by pharmacy schools in evaluating candidates. It is a very important part of your application. Take this after you have taken the bulk of your pre-pharm classes.

A strong GPA(>3.5) and a solid PCAT (>80th percentile) plus pharmacy experience as a tech will make you a competitive candidate for most programs.

Not trying to dissuade you, but it is a very long (at least 6 years) and expensive (expect to be >100k in debt) process, so be very sure that pharmacy is what you want to do with your life before you start.

Good luck.
 
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There is a wealth of information on the Pre-Pharm forum addressing how to get into pharmacy school, pre-reqs, etc. But here is some VERY general information.

The pre-requisite courses for pharmacy school vary depending on which college you are wanting to apply to. However, the vast majority require 2 semesters of: Gen Bio, Gen Chem, Organic Chem, physics, plus maths up through calculus. Most schools have other requirements as well but these are the big ones. Check with the individual colleges of Pharmacy that you want to apply to for a more comprehensive list. The prerequisites usually take about 2 years to complete if you go full-time. I would reccomend doing these at either a community college or a public in-state university. Keep a GPA >3.5.

Once you have taken those classes, you take the PCAT. This is a standardized test that is used by pharmacy schools in evaluating candidates. It is a very important part of your application. Take this after you have taken the bulk of your pre-pharm classes.

A strong GPA(>3.5) and a solid PCAT (>80th percentile) plus pharmacy experience as a tech will make you a competitive candidate for most programs.

Not trying to dissuade you, but it is a very long (at least 6 years) and expensive (expect to be >100k in debt) process, so be very sure that pharmacy is what you want to do with your life before you start.

Good luck.
Thanks so much ! I love this career field and I have already accepted that I will be in over 100k of debt. Which is even more encouragement to complete this goal of mine.
 
majority of pharmacists started as technicians to gain experience
ask the pharmacists you work with how to pursue your dreams.
 
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So... This is a tough thing to manage. I was only able to do it because of financial support from my family. You might be able to do it with a hefty loan instead. Even though I was a a very strong candidate academically, I did not qualify for any scholarships or grants from my over-priced private school because I was not entering the program from high school ("First-year Transfer" = "You're Screwed").

Basically, you need to decide to which school(s) you want to apply (I recommend in-state public schools). Then find out which courses they require you to have completed before your first professional year (a.k.a. P1 or year 3 of a 6 year program). If you try to transfer into the pre-professional years, it will probably be harder to do. Check with the admissions people at the school(s) to see if that is the case, and find out if they have any preference in terms of at which schools you should take the prerequisites. Also, keep in mind that you'll need to take The Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT) standardized test to get into the P1 year, so plan on prepping for that.

In essence, you need to talk to the admissions people at the school you want to attend, because every school will be different. Ideally, you will go to a cheap community college for 1.5-2 years and then transfer to a public school and pay in-state tuition.[/QUO
Thanks! I will definitely start researching some schools and their criteria.
 
I was a technician working part time while I was in undergrad working on my pre-reqs and I'm currently a P3 in pharmacy school. You will still have to take the university courses required as pre-reqs for your selected pharmacy schools and none of your pharmacy tech stuff can "transfer" as pre-req credit, but in my opinion being a technician will aid your application when you do apply and getting a letter of recommendation from the pharmacists you work with will also help. As others have said as well you will need to take the PCAT when you are ready and before you apply for pharmacy school.

It's totally possible to work as a tech and go to school for your pre-reqs too. Being a technician doesn't shorten that process but it does help strengthen your application.
 
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I started as a new technician with a few courses under my belt after going back to school. I didn't realize I wanted to be a pharmacist until about 6 months into the job. From there, I did all the necessary pre-reqs, applied, and got into school. It was a large amount of work, but honestly, it is very easy to be accepted to a pharmacy school these days so school should be the least of your worries. The hard part is what you do after you graduate with a mountain of debt and few jobs. I started out in Texas and ended up in Florida working my butt off just to keep what I have so who knows where your path will take you.

I don't like dissuading people, but it helps to understand that you need to be absolutely sure this is the path you want to take. Mainly, because once you start school, you're practically locked in unless someone else is footing your bill. If you do continue, keep your current job so that you will have a safe option once you graduate, because who knows how the market will be 5 or so years from now.

I realize this is all generic information but, as posted above, the pre-pharm site was very useful to me and you will find it equally so. Good luck.
 
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I was also a former pharmacy technician who worked part time while completing my pharmacy school pre-reqs full time. As other pharmacists and pharmacy students have mentioned: Make sure pharmacy is truly what you want and that you have a passion for the pharmacy profession.

If you earn your pharmD. by year 2020, it is very likely you and many of your colleagues attending private schools/some public schools will accumulate a debt of 200k to 300k PLUS interest, possibly more.

Like many who have come before you, if you have the passion, positive attitude, and the ability to persevere and work very hard; then you will give yourself a chance to succeed and reach your goal. Stay positive. Good Luck!
 
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A bit off topic, but why are you paying out money to go to pharmacy technician school? These schools are usually a waste of money & do little to help you get a job as a pharm tech. I would recommend that you see if you can get any money back if you quit now. The best way to work as a tech, is just get a job (employers generally don't care if you have went to pharm tech school, and I've had a couple of bosses who specifically wouldn't hire graduates from a pharm tech school because of the bad experience they had had in the past.) Your employer will usually give you the training you need to get certified on your own (if not, its a lot cheaper to spend the $100 or so buying the training manual and teaching yourself.)
 
I would quit tech school asap and get your money back ever more asap.
 
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A bit off topic, but why are you paying out money to go to pharmacy technician school? These schools are usually a waste of money & do little to help you get a job as a pharm tech. I would recommend that you see if you can get any money back if you quit now. The best way to work as a tech, is just get a job (employers generally don't care if you have went to pharm tech school, and I've had a couple of bosses who specifically wouldn't hire graduates from a pharm tech school because of the bad experience they had had in the past.) Your employer will usually give you the training you need to get certified on your own (if not, its a lot cheaper to spend the $100 or so buying the training manual and teaching yourself.)
Your advice is sound for working in retail. Most hospitals want CPhT's, so the program makes sense if that's where they intend to work.
 
I think some states require techs to go to a training program. I could be mistaken, but all of my techs in Florida made it sound like they had to take classes.
 
A bit off topic, but why are you paying out money to go to pharmacy technician school? These schools are usually a waste of money & do little to help you get a job as a pharm tech. I would recommend that you see if you can get any money back if you quit now. The best way to work as a tech, is just get a job (employers generally don't care if you have went to pharm tech school, and I've had a couple of bosses who specifically wouldn't hire graduates from a pharm tech school because of the bad experience they had had in the past.) Your employer will usually give you the training you need to get certified on your own (if not, its a lot cheaper to spend the $100 or so buying the training manual and teaching yourself.)
Well, I don't trust myself enough to teach myself. I want to make sure I am properly taught being that there is no room for error in pharmacy. I didn't know until after I started classes that Pharmacy Tech's are trained at sites as well. My professor used to be a pharm tech. She said she got certified and they hired her on after externships. She started out making 16/hr (Georgia). She told me that Pharm tech certification is crucial if I want to start out making more than 9-10 and hour and if I wanted to be renedered "competent enough for the job. It saves the employer time and money on training that a CPht already knows. She said most of the pharm techs she worked with when she first got hired on was making less than she was because they weren't certified. I know in Georgia they are enforcing Pharm techs to become certified.
 
I think some states require techs to go to a training program. I could be mistaken, but all of my techs in Florida made it sound like they had to take classes.
Yes, that is what my professor said. She told I would have a leg up being certified than not being certified, especially after doing 3 months of externships.
 
I started as a new technician with a few courses under my belt after going back to school. I didn't realize I wanted to be a pharmacist until about 6 months into the job. From there, I did all the necessary pre-reqs, applied, and got into school. It was a large amount of work, but honestly, it is very easy to be accepted to a pharmacy school these days so school should be the least of your worries. The hard part is what you do after you graduate with a mountain of debt and few jobs. I started out in Texas and ended up in Florida working my butt off just to keep what I have so who knows where your path will take you.

I don't like dissuading people, but it helps to understand that you need to be absolutely sure this is the path you want to take. Mainly, because once you start school, you're practically locked in unless someone else is footing your bill. If you do continue, keep your current job so that you will have a safe option once you graduate, because who knows how the market will be 5 or so years from now.

I realize this is all generic information but, as posted above, the pre-pharm site was very useful to me and you will find it equally so. Good luck.
Thank you that was extremely helpful!...My employer is working with my schedule so I can continue to further my education.
 
I was also a former pharmacy technician who worked part time while completing my pharmacy school pre-reqs full time. As other pharmacists and pharmacy students have mentioned: Make sure pharmacy is truly what you want and that you have a passion for the pharmacy profession.

If you earn your pharmD. by year 2020, it is very likely you and many of your colleagues attending private schools/some public schools will accumulate a debt of 200k to 300k PLUS interest, possibly more.

Like many who have come before you, if you have the passion, positive attitude, and the ability to persevere and work very hard; then you will give yourself a chance to succeed and reach your goal. Stay positive. Good Luck!
Thanks!!:claps:
 
Well, I don't trust myself enough to teach myself. I want to make sure I am properly taught being that there is no room for error in pharmacy. I didn't know until after I started classes that Pharmacy Tech's are trained at sites as well. My professor used to be a pharm tech. She said she got certified and they hired her on after externships. She started out making 16/hr (Georgia). She told me that Pharm tech certification is crucial if I want to start out making more than 9-10 and hour and if I wanted to be renedered "competent enough for the job. It saves the employer time and money on training that a CPht already knows. She said most of the pharm techs she worked with when she first got hired on was making less than she was because they weren't certified. I know in Georgia they are enforcing Pharm techs to become certified.

Your professor has a vested interest in convincing you that pharm tech school is helpful. Yes, being certified will usually get your more pay (but not that much more, usually between 50cents to $2/hr more) and many states do require certification......however 99% of technician have been certified through employer training/on-the-job experience/on their own. Anyone capable enough to pass the certification test will be capable enough to get certified without going to pharm tech school. Granted COL or income varies in areas, but I have never heard of a non-experience technician starting out at $16.00/hour. Your professor may not be out and out lying to you (although she may be), but I would wager she is not telling you the whole story either. Extremely few technicians make $16.00/hr, and those that are, are invariably speciality technicians (ie a technician who is overseeing a chemo department.) or technicians who have worked for the same place 25 years or so.) In my area, for both retail and hospital, the going rate is $1.00/hr more for being certified, and all employers will pay for the certification testing & training after hiring someone (in IL, technicians by law, must be certified by 2 years after they first get their technician license.) All else being equal, employers will pretty much always hire the non-certified technician with experience, over the certified, non-experienced technician.

I know you have probably already signed on to the loans and don't have much of a choice, but I write this for others considering going to pharm tech school. The $15,000-$20,000 charged by these schools is not worth it. Whatever your situation, taking on $15,000-$20,000 debt is not the answer. It seems real easy when the federal government pays for this upfront, but you will be paying off this non-dischargeable-in-a-bankrupty loan for years, and most likely at just a few dollars above minimum wage salary.
 
I think some states require techs to go to a training program. I could be mistaken, but all of my techs in Florida made it sound like they had to take classes.

A class to prepare to take the certification exam is much different (and far, far cheaper), then the $15,000-$20,000 charged by year-long pharmacy tech schools. IL also requires that technicians have training.....all employers will take care of the training, at no expense to the technician.
 
Your professor has a vested interest in convincing you that pharm tech school is helpful. Yes, being certified will usually get your more pay (but not that much more, usually between 50cents to $2/hr more) and many states do require certification......however 99% of technician have been certified through employer training/on-the-job experience/on their own. Anyone capable enough to pass the certification test will be capable enough to get certified without going to pharm tech school. Granted COL or income varies in areas, but I have never heard of a non-experience technician starting out at $16.00/hour. Your professor may not be out and out lying to you (although she may be), but I would wager she is not telling you the whole story either. Extremely few technicians make $16.00/hr, and those that are, are invariably speciality technicians (ie a technician who is overseeing a chemo department.) or technicians who have worked for the same place 25 years or so.) In my area, for both retail and hospital, the going rate is $1.00/hr more for being certified, and all employers will pay for the certification testing & training after hiring someone (in IL, technicians by law, must be certified by 2 years after they first get their technician license.) All else being equal, employers will pretty much always hire the non-certified technician with experience, over the certified, non-experienced technician.

I know you have probably already signed on to the loans and don't have much of a choice, but I write this for others considering going to pharm tech school. The $15,000-$20,000 charged by these schools is not worth it. Whatever your situation, taking on $15,000-$20,000 debt is not the answer. It seems real easy when the federal government pays for this upfront, but you will be paying off this non-dischargeable-in-a-bankrupty loan for years, and most likely at just a few dollars above minimum wage salary.

She had externships completed and that was her experience. She already knew the material through the externships that the pharm tech program provided. That is why she was hired at 16/hr.
 
I was paid $15/hour as a tech in 2009. So $16/hour in 2014 sounds about right to me.
 
In Florida you have to go to an "accredited" school to become licensed, you cant just test out anymore. That being said there are $25,0000 programs and $2,500 programs....they both get you a degree.

Ive never seen a tech get $16 starting out, ever. I wouldnt bank on that dollar amount, as many above are suggesting.

Any tech weve hired, newbie or not, we have had to train...a lot. Even when they have had their externship.

Pharmacy school requires science and math prereqs, none of your Pharmacy tech school nor other AA classes will count. You will have to start fresh.
 
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