Becoming a pharmacy tech before pharmacy school/Why you choose pharmacy?

[tagit570]

Hello, I'm brand new to this website and to the idea of pharmacy in general.
Are there any benefits in becoming a pharmacy technician before going to pharmacy school?
I've read that pharmacy technician school is worthless and pointless, is that true?
Is the PTCB test very difficult?

How did you find out you wanted to be a pharmacist?
I think I'd like to be, but I'm unsure and I'd like to hear your reasons of why you choose pharmacy.
I know this is an entirely separate topic and I'm sorry if it's against the rules or anything. If it is against the rules then please tell me.

To be honest, I think I would like to become a pharmacist (the idea of working with medication all of the time sounds very appealing), but I'm not even sure if I can because I haven't taken college level chemistry yet...
I'm sorry if this is too many questions in one post, I just have a lot of questions and didn't want to keep posting.
Thanks for reading and I hope you have a wonderful evening!

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[Digsbe]

Having pharmacy work experience will look very good on a pharmacy school application. If you are wanting to work in retail it will also give you a better glimpse of what goes on.

Don't go to a pharmacy tech school, they are a waste of money. I may be wrong but I think California is the only state that requires the PTCB exam. In most other states you can start working and receive on the job training, you just need to register with the state as a pharmacy technician (not a certified technician also known as CPhT). Many employers will pay for you to take the PTCB exam and become a CPhT after you've worked for them for a while and they decide that they want you certified, certified techs tend to make better pay and have more pharmacy responsibilities.

 

[rxtech2012]

Ok, so the PTCE is cake....having experience walking in is priceless, not only so you know what goes on in the pharmacy, but also to start making connections and networking with future potential employers. With the job market getting tighter and tighter each year it's crucial to be able to network and get your foot in somewhere and the earlier you get to know the company or companies and how they run things you will really stand out once you start doing rotations through there. You stated that working with drugs sounds appealing, what makes it appealing to you?

 

[tagit570]

I may be wrong but I think California is the only state that requires the PTCB exam. In most other states you can start working and receive on the job training, you just need to register with the state as a pharmacy technician (not a certified technician also known as CPhT). Many employers will pay for you to take the PTCB exam and become a CPhT after you've worked for them for a while and they decide that they want you certified, certified techs tend to make better pay and have more pharmacy responsibilities.[/QUOTE]

Wow, I didn't know that! Thank you for this information! I live in Texas.
If I may ask, how would I go about registering with the state? Sorry.

 

[JohnFe]

Shadowing pharmacists in different settings will also look good on your application and something to talk about in your personal statement.

Pharmacy Tech experience is optional. Most applicants just shadow and it will suffice.

Good luck!

 

[riggylou]

Don't go to a pharmacy tech school, they are a waste of money.

I've had a potential employer ask me if I had gone to one in an interview though (for a hospital). I think they may value it just for the 'externship' hours that are required when you attend. If you can do it through a community college in the evening or something, it may be worth it for the externships. Otherwise, I agree that it is a big $ (8k?) and time commitment just to get you over that hump of having zero experience and getting hired. You don't need to do any of that just to get into pharm school but if you want to start developing an "in" for future internships or employment (at a hospital instead of retail) then you may try to buy your foot in the door that way.

 

[riggylou]

I live in Texas.
If I may ask, how would I go about registering with the state? Sorry.

Google Texas State Board of Pharmacy Technician License application and they should have a form and instructions for everything that is required. For CA, you needed, in addition to PTCB or tech school, a passport photo, livescan fingerprints, background check submitted, and your official HS transcript sent with graduation date on there (it was like pulling teeth for me to have that done and they wouldn't take a college one 🙄).

 

[rxtech2012]

Hello, I'm brand new to this website and to the idea of pharmacy in general.
Are there any benefits in becoming a pharmacy technician before going to pharmacy school?
I've read that pharmacy technician school is worthless and pointless, is that true?
Is the PTCB test very difficult?

How did you find out you wanted to be a pharmacist?
I think I'd like to be, but I'm unsure and I'd like to hear your reasons of why you choose pharmacy.
I know this is an entirely separate topic and I'm sorry if it's against the rules or anything. If it is against the rules then please tell me.

To be honest, I think I would like to become a pharmacist (the idea of working with medication all of the time sounds very appealing), but I'm not even sure if I can because I haven't taken college level chemistry yet...
I'm sorry if this is too many questions in one post, I just have a lot of questions and didn't want to keep posting.
Thanks for reading and I hope you have a wonderful evening!

I'm from Texas..so basically you have two options: 1. Be a technician trainee(unsure of fees) or 2. Take PTCE and become a certified tech and register through the Texas state board of pharmacy(tsbp). If you have the money I would just take the exam and go thy route because I think employers prefer certified over tech trainee. To register through state board you pay the fee and submit PTCB number and get finger print done. Shadowing is good, but if you are able to get experience that would be so much more beneficial than simply shadowing.

 

[tagit570]

I'm from Texas..so basically you have two options: 1. Be a technician trainee(unsure of fees) or 2. Take PTCE and become a certified tech and register through the Texas state board of pharmacy(tsbp). If you have the money I would just take the exam and go thy route because I think employers prefer certified over tech trainee. To register through state board you pay the fee and submit PTCB number and get finger print done. Shadowing is good, but if you are able to get experience that would be so much more beneficial than simply shadowing.

Okay, thanks for the advice and help! I really appreciate it!
Do you know how I would go about shadowing in Texas? I'd like to shadow so I can actually see what pharmacists do and understand their job more.
About why I like medicine: Well to be honest I have been on a ton of medicine since I was nine and I've always loved looking up what the side effects were, how it interacts with the body, the contraindications, mechanism of actions, etcetera and I know I would like to learn more about them and how they react in the body.
If I may ask, are you in pharmacy school?

 

[tagit570]

You don't need to do any of that just to get into pharm school but if you want to start developing an "in" for future internships or employment (at a hospital instead of retail) then you may try to buy your foot in the door that way.

Thank you for explaining it so well! If you don't mind me asking what do you mean by "hospital instead of retail?" Sorry.

 

[rxtech2012]

Okay, thanks for the advice and help! I really appreciate it!
Do you know how I would go about shadowing in Texas? I'd like to shadow so I can actually see what pharmacists do and understand their job more.
About why I like medicine: Well to be honest I have been on a ton of medicine since I was nine and I've always loved looking up what the side effects were, how it interacts with the body, the contraindications, mechanism of actions, etcetera and I know I would like to learn more about them and how they react in the body.
If I may ask, are you in pharmacy school?

I am not too sure how to go about shadowing a pharmacist. You might be able to shadow a hospital pharmacist while a retail pharmacist might be difficult because for example where I work only authorized personnel are allowed in the pharmacy unless they are interning from a school. It's important to understand that while some(probably most) people want to go "clinical" or be hospital staff, the majority end up in retail so it's also important to understand the retail aspect as well. But there are so many different avenues in the field. I will be a P1 in the fall.

 

[tagit570]

Well thanks! Congratulations! That's awesome.

 

[rxtech2012]

Well thanks! Congratulations! That's awesome.

Thanks! Of course, no problem! Hospital vs retail is pretty different. In the hospital you have clinical pharmacists who have more "hands on" where thy sometimes work with docs to optimize treatment plans for certain patients and some do patient rounding as well. To be a clinical pharmacist requires residency(extra training after school) for 1-2 years depending on what you're going for. The hospital also has staff pharmacists who generally type in med orders/verify orders/tpns put together by techs. You generally don't need a residency for hospital staff but I have read somewhere that due to competitiveness for these jobs, more and more are doing residency to get these positions. The other main avenue is retail(Walgreens, cvs, Walmart etc) where there tends to be more jobs but some have somewhat high turnover rates due to stress/burn out. I currently work in retail and we fill on average 4-5k rx's a week, so it can get pretty crazy! I have come to know that retail(depending on where/who you work for) is more about production/numbers vs patient care. It's good that you are inquiring before simply jumping in without a clue 🙂

 

[AlPacino]

Hello, I'm brand new to this website and to the idea of pharmacy in general.
Are there any benefits in becoming a pharmacy technician before going to pharmacy school?
I've read that pharmacy technician school is worthless and pointless, is that true?
Is the PTCB test very difficult?

How did you find out you wanted to be a pharmacist?
I think I'd like to be, but I'm unsure and I'd like to hear your reasons of why you choose pharmacy.
I know this is an entirely separate topic and I'm sorry if it's against the rules or anything. If it is against the rules then please tell me.

To be honest, I think I would like to become a pharmacist (the idea of working with medication all of the time sounds very appealing), but I'm not even sure if I can because I haven't taken college level chemistry yet...
I'm sorry if this is too many questions in one post, I just have a lot of questions and didn't want to keep posting.
Thanks for reading and I hope you have a wonderful evening!

I would recommend trying to shadow a pharmacist for a couple of days or maybe volunteer to see if its something you really see yourself pursuing. That is how I developed my passion for pharmacy. I started out as a volunteer then a tech until I finally decided that this is what I wanted to be my career. You need to expose yourself to the field. Pharmacy is a 7-8 years commitment and you want to be sure 100% this is what you want to do before you proceed any further. Need to develop a better philosophy for pharmacy then "working with medication sounds very appealing." We want to become pharmacist to help patient with the safety and correct use of medications, not to be around the medication. That's a job for pharmaceutical researchers, not pharmacist. Two completely different careers.

 

[riggylou]

Thank you for explaining it so well! If you don't mind me asking what do you mean by "hospital instead of retail?" Sorry.

By hospital, I mean if you want to work as a clinical pharmacist in any specialty where you would go on rounds with a doctor, behind the scenes in the hospital as an inpatient pharmacist for patients that are staying in the hospital, etc. then you have to get hospital specific experience under your belt. Hospitals are the ones that seem to value the pharmacy tech school for their externship hours. Retail..as in CVS, Walgreens..I've never seen that in a posting for them that they would want it (though I think you can actually do an externship through Walgreens if you are enrolled in a pharm tech program), but they could potentially take you over someone else for having it..?

But the hospital vs. retail is kind of like two different worlds...if you look up a pharmacy tech listing for a hospital, sometimes it will specifically say "1 year of hospital experience required (or preferred)" unless there is a trainee position offered (even then they seem to want you to have had an externship or have worked in retail prior to training with them). You can also work as a pharmacy assistant/aide/clerk which are all terms that basically mean pharmacy cashier; they have those in both retail and hospitals. But...once you are in with the hospital as a tech then it's easier to get a intern position with them, a residency position with them (if they have a program..you can look that up online), and a job with them wayyy down the line. A pharmacist job at a Walgreens are a little bit easier to come by post-graduation without working towards it as far in advance though you will still need to find a way to make yourself competitive for that job. Bottom line is that in today's market, you have to find ways to make yourself marketable..! Hope that helps.

 

[riggylou]

I am not too sure how to go about shadowing a pharmacist. You might be able to shadow a hospital pharmacist while a retail pharmacist might be difficult because for example where I work only authorized personnel are allowed in the pharmacy unless they are interning from a school.

For a hospital..sometimes there is an "academic outreach coordinator" that sets up shadowing. If not there is almost always a volunteer department and they can probably at least point you to the right person. They will usually require some paperwork from you..so that they have record of who you are and sometimes they need flu shot or TB test documentation. Volunteering is valued too, so you may want to inquire if they take pharmacy volunteers while you are talking to them. Often, you will have to volunteer in other areas of the hospital first (sometimes up to a year) before they will let you near the pharmacy, but if you are a few years out from applying then you can take the time to do that.

For retail..you'd probably have better luck being able to shadow at a small local pharmacy than a big chain.

 

[tagit570]

Thanks! Of course, no problem! Hospital vs retail is pretty different. In the hospital you have clinical pharmacists who have more "hands on" where thy sometimes work with docs to optimize treatment plans for certain patients and some do patient rounding as well. To be a clinical pharmacist requires residency(extra training after school) for 1-2 years depending on what you're going for. The hospital also has staff pharmacists who generally type in med orders/verify orders/tpns put together by techs. You generally don't need a residency for hospital staff but I have read somewhere that due to competitiveness for these jobs, more and more are doing residency to get these positions. The other main avenue is retail(Walgreens, cvs, Walmart etc) where there tends to be more jobs but some have somewhat high turnover rates due to stress/burn out. I currently work in retail and we fill on average 4-5k rx's a week, so it can get pretty crazy! I have come to know that retail(depending on where/who you work for) is more about production/numbers vs patient care. It's good that you are inquiring before simply jumping in without a clue 🙂

Wow, I didn't know there was such a big difference. Do you know if you get paid during residency?
If I may ask, do you like working in retail or do you think you'd rather work in a hospital setting?
Thank you!

 

[tagit570]

I would recommend trying to shadow a pharmacist for a couple of days or maybe volunteer to see if its something you really see yourself pursuing. That is how I developed my passion for pharmacy. I started out as a volunteer then a tech until I finally decided that this is what I wanted to be my career. You need to expose yourself to the field. Pharmacy is a 7-8 years commitment and you want to be sure 100% this is what you want to do before you proceed any further. Need to develop a better philosophy for pharmacy then "working with medication sounds very appealing." We want to become pharmacist to help patient with the safety and correct use of medications, not to be around the medication. That's a job for pharmaceutical researchers, not pharmacist. Two completely different careers.

Thank you FelixRx. You're definitely correct; I definitely need to make sure that this is what I want. May I ask where and how you went about volunteering?
Thanks for the correction too. So the main job that pharmacists in retail do is help the patients?

 

[AlPacino]

Thank you FelixRx. You're definitely correct; I definitely need to make sure that this is what I want. May I ask where and how you went about volunteering?
Thanks for the correction too. So the main job that pharmacists in retail do is help the patients?

I started volunteering at the hospital pharmacy near me. Go on their website, search for volunteer opportunities and fill out the form to become a volunteer. Thats for a hospital. If you want to do retail then I would go to a couple of stores in person, introduce myself, and ask if they will allow you to shadow the pharmacist for the day. There you will see what the job(s) of a retail pharmacist is and if it something you want to pursue. Good luck.

 

[kcha90]

I wanted to become a pharmacist to help people

 

[Sugoi Travis]

I decided on pharmacy because I really like the human immune system; it's awesome to think that we have something built into us that is extremely modular in nature. It can zap viruses into oblivion, overwhelm bacteria with countless amounts of macrophages and flood our circulation with antibodies to help tag antigens and perform the aforementioned tasks. I also like how we have managed to create drugs that can alter ourselves and pave the way towards better health.

I think that's some pretty cool stuff, don't you think?

Off-topic - I don't want to derail the thread, but I'd just like to know how difficult is the pharm tech licensing process. Is the test anywhere like the PCAT, or is it completely different?

 

[riggylou]

Off-topic - I don't want to derail the thread, but I'd just like to know how difficult is the pharm tech licensing process. Is the test anywhere like the PCAT, or is it completely different?

Nothing like the PCAT...no science knowledge necessary. For PTCE..You can get the mosby pharm tech test prep book and study straight from there...know pharmacy math, sig codes, laws. Some drug names/indications but don't spend months and months studying them..it's a smaller % of the test than I expected. There are also some procedures like how to sterilize the hood or other things about equipment. Anecdotally from my experience...If you can get 75% on those practice exams (for 1st take by the time you use say the 5th practice exam) then you can expect to pass the test. Study the ones you get wrong also though; I found that helpful.

I took the ExCPT too (though it is essentially useless in California) and their test had a big emphasis on what goes on a prescription label.

 

[rxtech2012]

Wow, I didn't know there was such a big difference. Do you know if you get paid during residency?
If I may ask, do you like working in retail or do you think you'd rather work in a hospital setting?
Thank you!

Yes, residencies pay, though not very much. I have worked both hospital and retail...I enjoy both, but retail can wear you out easily if you let it. Sometimes in retail employees take things too harshly or are over sensitive so that will be a hindrance to those who have those issues. Also, working retail you will learn how to definitely master multi tasking especially if you're in a busy store. I haven't made a decision just yet about which track I want to take after graduation, because I have time and a lot can happen four years from now. This is how I see it: go retail, earn more money at the start, or go hospital-earn less money from start but might have better quality of life(less stressed).

 

[tagit570]

Yes, residencies pay, though not very much. I have worked both hospital and retail...I enjoy both, but retail can wear you out easily if you let it. Sometimes in retail employees take things too harshly or are over sensitive so that will be a hindrance to those who have those issues. Also, working retail you will learn how to definitely master multi tasking especially if you're in a busy store. I haven't made a decision just yet about which track I want to take after graduation, because I have time and a lot can happen four years from now. This is how I see it: go retail, earn more money at the start, or go hospital-earn less money from start but might have better quality of life(less stressed).

Thank you for explaining it so well!

I have one more question if you don't mind. It's really just more for clarification. You said clinical pharmacists get paid less money from the start, so does that mean they get paid less until they get more experience or are they generally paid less than retail pharmacists all of the time?
Thanks for all of your help and thanks for answering all of my questions!

 

[JohnFe]

Thank you for explaining it so well!

I have one more question if you don't mind. It's really just more for clarification. You said clinical pharmacists get paid less money from the start, so does that mean they get paid less until they get more experience or are they generally paid less than retail pharmacists all of the time?
Thanks for all of your help and thanks for answering all of my questions!

They get paid less because hospitals are mostly funded by the government while retail are funded by WAGS/CVS. Job conditions also play a role. It is more stressful in retail that in a hospital. Also, Job satisfaction. It is more fun to work at the hospital where you are more involved than in retail(difficult costumers).

 

[tagit570]

They get paid less because hospitals are mostly funded by the government while retail are funded by WAGS/CVS. Job conditions also play a role. It is more stressful in retail that in a hospital. Also, Job satisfaction. It is more fun to work at the hospital where you are more involved than in retail(difficult costumers).

Ah, thank you for explaining that!

 

[theSully]

Keep in mind, even if you aren't required to be have passed the PTCB by the state board, employers are a different story. Every advertised pharmacy tech job I've seen required you to have taken the test.

Granted, I don't know how rigidly adhered to that is...but something to look at.

I'm in San Antonio, by the way. No idea if that is true elsewhere in Texas though.

 

[tagit570]

Keep in mind, even if you aren't required to be have passed the PTCB by the state board, employers are a different story. Every advertised pharmacy tech job I've seen required you to have taken the test.

Granted, I don't know how rigidly adhered to that is...but something to look at.

I'm in San Antonio, by the way. No idea if that is true elsewhere in Texas though.

Okay, thanks, good to know!

 

[jaggers2020]

Keep in mind, even if you aren't required to be have passed the PTCB by the state board, employers are a different story. Every advertised pharmacy tech job I've seen required you to have taken the test.

Granted, I don't know how rigidly adhered to that is...but something to look at.

I'm in San Antonio, by the way. No idea if that is true elsewhere in Texas though.

It is true here in Houston too. Any job I see requires certification.

 

[Skrumpy]

Here is my input (in bold).

Hello, I'm brand new to this website and to the idea of pharmacy in general.

Are there any benefits in becoming a pharmacy technician before going to pharmacy school? I've been a pharmacy tech for 13 years before applying to pharmacy school. While that is probably on the *excessive* end, I never really planned to apply until I finished my B.S. and decided I wanted to go into it as a career choice. Trying out retail/hospital/etc will definitely help give you some experience, will help you decide if pharmacy is right for you, and will also be a bonus on your application to pharmacy school. Do it if you are seriously thinking pharmacy is the way to go.

I've read that pharmacy technician school is worthless and pointless, is that true? Yes, it is a HUGE waste of time and money. You will learn all you need on the job. You will learn more in 1 month on the job than you will in 9-18 months going through one of those programs. Not only that but you will also save the money you would be spending on the program and you will be making money and getting real experience.

Is the PTCB test very difficult? That is a difficult question to answer. For someone with 0 experience, yes it would be hard. There is a cheap book you can buy and if you go through that you will pass if you study hard enough. It will be more difficult for you if you have no experience, but I suggest you just get into a retail job and after 6 months buy the book and go through it. If you are contemplating pharmacy school you probably have the chops to work through the PTCB material relatively quickly. It really isn't that difficult in the scheme of things.

How did you find out you wanted to be a pharmacist? Try shadowing a pharmacist and reading up online about what pharmacists do. Doing research and deciding for yourself is the only way you'll know for sure.

To be honest, I think I would like to become a pharmacist (the idea of working with medication all of the time sounds very appealing), but I'm not even sure if I can because I haven't taken college level chemistry yet... Well even if you aren't the best at "college level chemistry" keep at it if you are passionate about getting into the business. It isn't as simple nor as cut and dry as being good at chemistry that determines who will make a good pharmacist. Which is why any pharmacy school worth their salt will look at diverse applicants.

Good luck!

 

[The Recoverer]

OP is probably just using these answers to help him get ideas for his PS.

 

[tagit570]

Thank you very much for all of your information! Sorry for such a late reply. How do you like being a pharmacy tech?

 

[tagit570]

OP is probably just using these answers to help him get ideas for his PS.

What do you mean by that?

 

[dk00]

Nothing like the PCAT...no science knowledge necessary. For PTCE..You can get the mosby pharm tech test prep book and study straight from there...know pharmacy math, sig codes, laws. Some drug names/indications but don't spend months and months studying them..it's a smaller % of the test than I expected. There are also some procedures like how to sterilize the hood or other things about equipment. Anecdotally from my experience...If you can get 75% on those practice exams (for 1st take by the time you use say the 5th practice exam) then you can expect to pass the test. Study the ones you get wrong also though; I found that helpful.

I took the ExCPT too (though it is essentially useless in California) and their test had a big emphasis on what goes on a prescription label.

Is mosby the best book to study from? And how hard is this test in comparison to the pcat?

 

[88888888]

Is mosby the best book to study from? And how hard is this test in comparison to the pcat?

Mosby is the best. Studied for a couple days before test. It's really easy...

Sent from my Nexus 4 using SDN Mobile

 

[Skrumpy]

Thank you very much for all of your information! Sorry for such a late reply. How do you like being a pharmacy tech?

For me it was always great until I reached the point where I learned as much as I could apply. After that point I always began to feel stagnated and hence that is why I have finally decided to go on to pharmacy school.

 

[tagit570]

Mosby is the best. Studied for a couple days before test. It's really easy...

Sent from my Nexus 4 using SDN Mobile

Thank you for this information and advice!

 

[tagit570]

For me it was always great until I reached the point where I learned as much as I could apply. After that point I always began to feel stagnated and hence that is why I have finally decided to go on to pharmacy school.

I can understand that. Is being a pharmacy tech very stressful?

 

[Skrumpy]

I can understand that. Is being a pharmacy tech very stressful?

I don't think it's inherently stressful. It's like any other job and depends where you work and how you deal with stress. I really disliked retail after I moved to a store that had a drive-thru. I felt like I was working at McDonalds and every time I heard that "ding" it was like Pavlov's dog except instead of drooling I had been habituated to rip someone's head from their spine. In the hospital where I work at it's occasionally annoying and stressful because sometimes we don't have the help that we need and certain employees make it more stressful than it needs to be. We're union so no one ever gets fired, no matter how lazy and horrible at their job they are. Upper management dramatically changes our work flow at least every other month and does it without input from the people that actually do the job every day. Those things are stressful, the actual work itself isn't. Also I would say that retail is typically a much more stressful environment than hospital in terms of pure workload. Retail is more about the almighty dollar while hospital is (somewhat) still concerned with patient care.

 

[SincerelyMe]

I don't think it's inherently stressful. It's like any other job and depends where you work and how you deal with stress. I really disliked retail after I moved to a store that had a drive-thru. I felt like I was working at McDonalds and every time I heard that "ding" it was like Pavlov's dog except instead of drooling I had been habituated to rip someone's head from their spine. In the hospital where I work at it's occasionally annoying and stressful because sometimes we don't have the help that we need and certain employees make it more stressful than it needs to be. We're union so no one ever gets fired, no matter how lazy and horrible at their job they are. Upper management dramatically changes our work flow at least every other month and does it without input from the people that actually do the job every day. Those things are stressful, the actual work itself isn't. Also I would say that retail is typically a much more stressful environment than hospital in terms of pure workload. Retail is more about the almighty dollar while hospital is (somewhat) still concerned with patient care.

That part about Pavlov kills me. That's how I feel every time that ding come on. But what is worse is when the patient pushes the button that continuously rings until someone picks up the drive through phone. I keep a stress ball in my scrub pockets everytime I feel like strangling someone because of that horrible drive through ring. Lol


Mercer University college of pharmacy and health sciences class of 2017! 🙂

 

[tagit570]

I don't think it's inherently stressful. It's like any other job and depends where you work and how you deal with stress. I really disliked retail after I moved to a store that had a drive-thru. I felt like I was working at McDonalds and every time I heard that "ding" it was like Pavlov's dog except instead of drooling I had been habituated to rip someone's head from their spine. In the hospital where I work at it's occasionally annoying and stressful because sometimes we don't have the help that we need and certain employees make it more stressful than it needs to be. We're union so no one ever gets fired, no matter how lazy and horrible at their job they are. Upper management dramatically changes our work flow at least every other month and does it without input from the people that actually do the job every day. Those things are stressful, the actual work itself isn't. Also I would say that retail is typically a much more stressful environment than hospital in terms of pure workload. Retail is more about the almighty dollar while hospital is (somewhat) still concerned with patient care.

Thanks for replying and thanks for giving me all of this information!
If I may ask, did you start off as a pharmacy tech assistant or something? How would I go about getting experience before taking the PTCB test?
Thanks for all of your help and I hope you don't mind me asking you all of these questions...

 

[Skrumpy]

That part about Pavlov kills me. That's how I feel every time that ding come on. But what is worse is when the patient pushes the button that continuously rings until someone picks up the drive through phone. I keep a stress ball in my scrub pockets everytime I feel like strangling someone because of that horrible drive through ring. Lol

Good idea on the stress-ball.. I should look into one of those!

Thanks for replying and thanks for giving me all of this information!
If I may ask, did you start off as a pharmacy tech assistant or something? How would I go about getting experience before taking the PTCB test?
Thanks for all of your help and I hope you don't mind me asking you all of these questions...

No problem. As far as I know the "pharmacy tech assistant" position doesn't exist anywhere as the pharmacy tech is the assistant for the pharmacist. I could maybe see a position like that opening up somewhere much further down the line if current trends continue, but I suppose that is a topic better suited to a different thread. I personally started as a front-end clerk in a pharmacy. I filled in back in the pharmacy when there were sick calls or they got really busy. Then I transferred into the pharmacy full-time once a position opened up. Most chain drug stores (CVS, Walgreens, etc) require that everyone in the store have a technician license (depends on the state as I've heard this isn't entirely universal). Once you get your technician license you can pretty much get a spot in any retail store. Most aren't that picky simply because the pay is usually not commensurate with the workload (in the cities of MN you are looking at ~$9-10/hr). It is usually much more difficult to get into a hospital (inpatient) pharmacy position but the pay is much better (usually about double what you get paid in retail).

The biggest factor is what state you are in and what regulations exist for your state. For example, here in MN anyone can get a technician license very easily. You can basically fill out a form at home and send it in with $35 payment and you will get your license in the mail.. just like a crackerjack box decoder ring surprise. Until recently you didn't even need to be a high school graduate and could be as young as 14 to get a license. MN is changing things now and by June of this year technicians will have to undergo some sort of training and be required to do CE's. So it is really dependent on your state as to how easy (or hard) it may be to get a license. As far as training for the PTCB, you could always shadow a pharmacist in your area. Let them know that you are interested in becoming a pharmacy technician as you want to get some experience under your belt as you work your way up to pharmacy school. If you wanted to get a job as a technician you could always look at a chain store that offers on the job technician training (I know CVS offers this).

 

[Hank Mardukas]

Having the PTCB certification seems like it would help getting a pharm tech job, but I'm curious if any of you believe it would really stand out in the pharmacy school application process. Any further certification would have to be beneficial, but I'm more curious if anybody here believes it could be held as equivalent to some experience?

 

[The Recoverer]

What do you mean by that?

What do I mean? lol You know exactly what I mean. Many people start these threads for ideas they can copy into your own PS. stop acting confused.

 

[rxtech2012]

Having the PTCB certification seems like it would help getting a pharm tech job, but I'm curious if any of you believe it would really stand out in the pharmacy school application process. Any further certification would have to be beneficial, but I'm more curious if anybody here believes it could be held as equivalent to some experience?

I don't believe it would because then they would question why didn't you use it? I understand its difficult to land jobs in certain areas. Having the experience is much more than passing a test and being certified because there are so many things you learn as a tech that isn't tested on the exam.

 

[Skrumpy]

Having the PTCB certification seems like it would help getting a pharm tech job, but I'm curious if any of you believe it would really stand out in the pharmacy school application process. Any further certification would have to be beneficial, but I'm more curious if anybody here believes it could be held as equivalent to some experience?

I think it would. For one.. you can say, as I did during my interview, "I'm a nationally certified pharmacy technician" it has a bit more pomp to it than just saying "I'm a pharm tech." Also there is a section in PharmCAS where you put in your licenses and certifications. The longer you can make all of those sections the better. If you were coming to crunch time and getting certified would be difficult (or cut into PCAT studying time or something) then I wouldn't go out of my way to get it. Also yes it will definitely help you land a tech job, and in many states it is a requirement or will soon be (like my state).

 

[tagit570]

What do I mean? lol You know exactly what I mean. Many people start these threads for ideas they can copy into your own PS. stop acting confused.

I have absolutely no idea what your talking about. I also don't know what PS stands for.

 

[Sugoi Travis]

I have absolutely no idea what your talking about. I also don't know what PS stands for.

PS stands for "Personal Statement", which is the essay that you write that talks about your reasoning for wanting to pursue pharmacy. The Recoverer thinks that you created this thread in an attempt to generate ideas on how to start your personal statement, not that you were genuinely interested in why other people wanted to go into the field.

Who knows though...he/she might be right or be totally wrong; we don't know you. However, I wouldn't go so far as to generalize your actions.

What do I mean? lol You know exactly what I mean. Many people start these threads for ideas they can copy into your own PS. stop acting confused.

I read your recent post about your struggles with getting into pharmacy school; you've endured through an awful lot and all that work paid off in the end when you got accepted and plan to go to Texas Tech, I believe. I would expect that a person like you would develop some form of...humble-ness. I had a lot of respect for an individual like you, but with your recent posts, that respect is going away.

Why are you being so harsh anyways? Granted, sugar-coating the truth isn't the way to go, but you could definitely put some of the things you've said in the past in more...polite terms.

 

[tagit570]

PS stands for "Personal Statement", which is the essay that you write that talks about your reasoning for wanting to pursue pharmacy. The Recoverer thinks that you created this thread in an attempt to generate ideas on how to start your personal statement, not that you were genuinely interested in why other people wanted to go into the field.

Who knows though...he/she might be right or be totally wrong; we don't know you. However, I wouldn't go so far as to generalize your actions.

Oh, thank you for explaining that. That's completely incorrect. I'm just a freshman at a community college. I'm not even entirely sure I would like to go into pharmacy. I just wanted to learn more about it and get more information from people who actually know about pharmacy. Thanks for explaining!

 

[Sugoi Travis]

Oh, thank you for explaining that. That's completely incorrect. I'm just a freshman at a community college. I'm not even entirely sure I would like to go into pharmacy. I just wanted to learn more about it and get more information from people who actually know about pharmacy. Thanks for explaining!

No problem friend. Like I said in a previous post, it's pretty cool to think that as humans, we have the ability to augment our disease-fighting capabilities through the use of synthetic drugs and such.

Since you're somewhat interested in pharmacy, why not see if you can get an internship or volunteer at a retail pharmacy, for example? Granted, retail pharmacy is just one aspect of the field, but I have to say that you will learn a hell of a lot more experiencing it first-hand than anybody here on SDN can ever tell you. If you're interested, definitely check it out and see how you like it.