Becoming a Pharm Tech- worth it?

[inquirer89]

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So I have about a year or two before I start applying, once I'm done with my pre-reqs (I'm a freshman). I have 3 summers of volunteer experience at a hospital pharmacy, but this year I want to start working.

Since I have a year before applications, I'm wondering it it's worth it to become a certified tech to get retail experience. Can I just be a clerk? I've heard from some people on this board that being a tech is over-rated...do schools care about job titles or do they look at overall experience? I plan on continuing volunteering at the hospital once a week.

Thanks!

 

[steveysmith54]

doing it for the schools is one thing, i believe in doing it for myself. Typing scripts, dispensing, talking to doctors and pts, feeling the responsibility.... No substitute for it.

 

[ADN1226]

If you're going to become a clerk, why not be a tech? personally, i'd rather be a tech bc theres more responsibility, you learn a lot more about pharmacy/ drugs/ insurance, plus you don't have a deal with annoying customers as much. As a clerk, you're the first person to deal with angry customers.

 

[WannaBRxDr]

I think it is DEFINITELY worth it becoming a tech. you get to work beside the pharmacist the entire time, and in my experience, got to ask numerous questions and get invaluable information that would have been hard to get else where. as a tech, you get access to pharmacy magazines and other topics, a great tool to use when writing essays and interviewing in general.

As a tech, you become apart of a pharmacy team, helping the pharmacists and really learning what it would be like to be a pharmacist ( retail at least)

in my experience, i get to talk to clinical pharmacists, insurance company pharmacsits, mental health pharmacists...all kinds as they fill in for the regular pharmacists when they are on vacation, sick...etc. so i get to learn about the different opportunities in pharmacy other than retail as well...

just a few of many benefits...

 

[kismet]

I started as a retail clerk but when the pharmacist found out that I a) wasn't stupid and b) wanted to be a pharmacist, the extra responsibility was poured on. I was trained to type prescriptions and process insurance and soon I was being scheduled for technician shifts... but I was only being paid as a clerk. So, I absolutely recommend you go for the tech license.

It is a lot more responsibility and I'm sure schools appreciate that. Plus you'll have your hands on more drugs and you'll learn common sigs and dosages - it's a lot easier to learn these in the setting than trying to blindly memorize abstract data facts.

 

[tk1tpod]

Being a tech really helps you during the interview. Most questions I was asked during my interview involved things I do in the pharmacy.

 

[InternDoc]

how much do they make an hour ?

 

[inquirer89]

Thanks for the input guys. I think I'll definitely pursue it.

I know that CVS trains and pays for the test. Is studying for it time consuming? Just wondering if I should expect a hard test or a semi-easy test...only because I am taking a full load of classes now and over summer, so I don't want to overload on studying!

 

[parabolic]

Studying for it is not too time-consuming. Have you done a lot of pharmacy math? I'd say that math made up the majority of the PTCE that I took, so if you have that part down, you'll probably do just fine.

The rest of it you can get a review book for. It will cover stuff like aseptic technique, which forms to use for C2 ordering, what a pharmacist can do versus a tech versus an intern-- pharmacy trivia. There are a few threads about it in the license forum:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/search.php?searchid=3944867

Good luck!

 

[mrblah]

So I have about a year or two before I start applying, once I'm done with my pre-reqs (I'm a freshman). I have 3 summers of volunteer experience at a hospital pharmacy, but this year I want to start working.

Since I have a year before applications, I'm wondering it it's worth it to become a certified tech to get retail experience. Can I just be a clerk? I've heard from some people on this board that being a tech is over-rated...do schools care about job titles or do they look at overall experience? I plan on continuing volunteering at the hospital once a week.

Thanks!

its overrated. I've been a tech for 10 years, and I think if it wasn't for the patients, I would have quit 9 years ago. All the interviews i've been to have asked general questions such as "name a problem you encountered in pharmacy.".. You don't have to be a tech to answer that.

Also, consider that being a tech is considered a "real job" with "real responsibilities"...but the pay and respect isn't there. Their will be certain demands made upon you, that you, as a student, may not like.

Lastly, if you are looking for EC's, i think its better to have a diverse experience, some hospital, some pharmacy, some volunteer work. It is important that you are doing EC's to show what kind of individual you are, and not because you are doing EC's to make your application look better.

So unless you have bills to pay, don't pursue the tech route, do something else with your time.

 

[PearLBenzene]

While working as a pharmacy tech is definitely a good experience, it can also be very time consuming.

If you are taking a full load of courses, I would hold off on working as a tech. I think it's important that you focus on grades and classes.

If you think you can handle it, go for it! The tech exam is really no harder than any of your o-chem exams (different material of course).

What you may want to do is wait to become certified as it gets closer to you applying to pharmacy school. That way you will be able to put it on your application 🙂

 

[UTplease]

I read the book in about a week, took the test, got my certification, and have proceeded to do nothing with it. I've had about 10 job interviews and got turned down every time. It expires on the 31st of this month so it's turned into a waste of $200. It's kind of annoying.

 

[RxShazzie]

i have my tech license but i've never gotten a job as a tech. the only way it's helped me is it lets me do more things in the clinical pharmacy that i volunteer for. i let my pharmacy manager know, and they've started giving me more tech-y responsibilities. the only down side is its been hard to find a job and i've ended up spending a lot of money through the entire process. not to mention the CE's

 

[Girl7]

I work for Walgreens and they pay really good and also they pay for the PTCB test. 👍

 

[InternDoc]

You got accepted there w/o being certify ? and if you dont mind, what is consider good paid ? roughly. Thanx

I work for Walgreens and they pay really good and also they pay for the PTCB test. 👍

 

[mrblah]

techs get licensed two ways: you have the state, and you have PTCB. Walgreens honors both ways. If you are state certified, they pay you 50 cents less than a ptcb certified tech.

Walgreen's pay depends on state. In california, it goes from 12 to 18.00 for a regular tech, and up to 18.75 i believe for a senior tech. In socal, walgreens pays the most for a retail pharm tech. I left at 18.00 a hour (I left 2 weeks ago).

 

[inquirer89]

I think I'm going to apply at CVS or Walgreens. Will they hire me without a license...and then train me and pay for my test when I'm ready (maybe work as a clerk or apprentice)? Or should I become certified first?

The reason I'm rushing to become a tech is because I plan on applying during my sophomore year. I figured that a year of tech experience (along with my volunteer work) will give me an edge, and it'll give me more responsibilities/exposure.

 

[mrblah]

You can get hired as a clerk. Walgreens will pay for your PTCB test, but you have to pay for the actual state license if you pass the PTCB test.

I think you learn more about pharmacy as a clerk, because you actually have a chance to observe whats going on, and what the pharmacist is doing, and how the pharmacist handles patients/customers. When you are working as a clerk, start thinking what a pharmacist does, and ask him/her questions about what the rph likes and dislikes, and how your experience will strengthen your application. Also notice some of the problems the pharmacist has to face and how he/she solved them. You will also face problems yourself, and remember how you solved them. Those questions will probably come up in your application/interview.

this is why I don't think you should become a tech. You get more chances to "work" but you don't get as much time to "observe" what is going on as a technician.

Also, be sure to ask the pharmacist whether or not you should pursue being a technician in the limited time frame you have. He will probably say what I will say, strengthen your other parts of your application, before you pursue becoming a technician.

 

[pharmgrl5]

I just did an interview with Hy-Vee (I live in Kansas) and they do on the job training and then pay for certification. You are hired as a tech, but they do also have clerk jobs too. I don't know how much they pay, I didn't ask. I'm waiting now on a second interview. They have 1 position open and 4 people trying for it so don't know how good my odds are. I do think that places that don't require certification are probably even harder to get with. It opens the playing field a lot wider.

I'm trying to get a job as a tech for several reasons, one being experience, and the other being that we need money. The common sense thing to do was to find a job that would benefit me in more ways than just income.

 

[nerv12345]

become a tech...you get better pay and i think the title of "pharmacy tech" is a little more prestigeous thank "pharmacy clerk" even though a clerk does the EXACT same thing as a tech (short of the one responsibility of counting + bottling the pills)...this is how it is at my store, at least.

 

[firefighter9015]

You got accepted there w/o being certify ? and if you dont mind, what is consider good paid ? roughly. Thanx

You can get on at most stores without being certified, however since you are not an intern you will get paid less. I have worked in pharmacies know for almost 4 years and I have never been certified, but now I am a registered intern.

Also, most of my managers have said they would rather hire someone they can train they way they want them, and then have them go take the test.