Becoming a Pharmacy Tech

[ekimed]

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I keep reading about how important it is to get pharmacy experience and how people should try to get a job as a pharmacy tech...but how do i go about becoming one? If i'm not mistaken, dont you need some sort of certification?

 

[shakeitup50]

I keep reading about how important it is to get pharmacy experience and how people should try to get a job as a pharmacy tech...but how do i go about becoming one? If i'm not mistaken, dont you need some sort of certification?

Yes. I am pharmacy technician board certified, but I have not found a job. It has been a while. I contacted all the Walgreens and CVS stores. I even applied to some pharmacy technician jobs on www.monster.com, and www.careerbuilder.com, and www.hotjobs.com, but no luck.

I am supposed to be making $16.99 a hour as a board certified pharmacy technician. Who will hire me? I live in Hudson, Florida. If you live in Hudson, Florida - tell me who is hiring. Please, I want a job near this area. 👍

 

[chellebell91987]

last month I got a job at a Rite Aid (used to be Eckerd) as a Pharmacy Cashier. A lot of stores don't have Pharmacy Cashiers but this store is a 24 hr store and is really busy. I am studying to take my Virginia Pharmacy Test and then work there are as a tech. You may just have to start from the bottom and work your way up. I also volunteer at a Hospital pharmacy, I just called the volunteer director.

You could call a pharmacy and speak to the pharmacy manager and ask if you can shadow them, then I applyed but since I had shadowed them before I applyed, when they saw my application they knew me. When I shadowed I helped fill scripts. Thats how I got my job at Walgreens (I didn't stay there but wish I would have since I was hired as a tech)

 

[Aznfarmerboi]

Yes. I am pharmacy technician board certified, but I have not found a job. It has been a while. I contacted all the Walgreens and CVS stores. I even applied to some pharmacy technician jobs on www.monster.com, and www.careerbuilder.com, and www.hotjobs.com, but no luck.

I am supposed to be making $16.99 a hour as a board certified pharmacy technician. Who will hire me? I live in Hudson, Florida. If you live in Hudson, Florida - tell me who is hiring. Please, I want a job near this area. 👍

Unless you wok at a hospital, by no mean will you get anywhere near 17 dollars in Florida. That is even above my wage as a 5th year pharmacy intern with 4+ years of experience. I suggest if you want that wage to be aggressive in asking hospitals when they are hiring, doing their budget, etc.

 

[Twins fan]

It totally depends on where you live as far as needing to be certified. I have been a tech in Nebraska for just over a year now (at a Wal-Mart) and they provided me with the training they deem to be necessary...I have not had to take the PTCB or anything. That being said, it's my understanding that Wal-Mart (and many other chains) has some sort of policy saying CPhTs are supposed to be on a higher pay scale than non certified techs.

 

[sterling40]

It totally depends on where you live as far as needing to be certified. I have been a tech in Nebraska for just over a year now (at a Wal-Mart) and they provided me with the training they deem to be necessary...I have not had to take the PTCB or anything. That being said, it's my understanding that Wal-Mart (and many other chains) has some sort of policy saying CPhTs are supposed to be on a higher pay scale than non certified techs.

How is the wal-mart setting working for you? Earlier this year, I talked to a pharmacist there about openings for techs, and they said there were several positions open, and that I didn't have to worry about being certified when I apply. I remember this pharmacy being really small, and just in front of the cash registers, I decided not to apply since I wanted a less busier setting such as CVS; where I could pick up some knowledge and learn the ins and outs, and were there was more space.

 

[steveysmith54]

I live in Cali, and with so many phar tech schools, it's tougher to find a job these days. However, some stores are still looking for part time with shady hours. You might need to start off as a clerk first because most places don't like to hire people with zero pharm experience.

 

[lighthouse1920]

I'm from pennsylvania, and to get my job all i did was go into the store and ask. I told them I was a pharmacy student, and they told me to apply online. i was hired shortly after and they trained me as i worked my way up to a tech.

and from my experience, cvs is not a slow pharmacy, depending on where you work, you may be working at a pretty fast pace.

 

[PharmaZ]

Do you think becoming a pharmacy tech versus becoming just an ancillary at a Pharmacy will increase your chances of getting admitted into pharmacy school by a lot?

 

[PharmDY]

Do you think becoming a pharmacy tech versus becoming just an ancillary at a Pharmacy will increase your chances of getting admitted into pharmacy school by a lot?

you also have to remember that most pharm schools 'recommend' pharmacy experience- they don't exactly require them. but i can tell you from experience that experience definitely helps during interviews, especially situational ones. last year when i didn't have retail pharm experience (i only volunteered at a hospital pharmacy and did filing in the computer and other assorted admin work), UW asked me a bunch of situational questions that i wasn't able to answer. Like, "When a doctor calls in for a prescription, what does a pharmacist need to know before she fills and dispenses it to the patient?" All I said was, the correct drug, drug profile of the patient, any allergic reactions. Another question was "What are you going to do if a patient refuses to buy their meds because they're over $200 and you know as a pharmacist that if they don't take them, it's detrimental to their health?" All I said was inform them of the health risks if they don't take it, and ultimately it's up to them if they want to buy it.

I'm telling you, my head was blank. But now that I've worked at a retail pharm for a few months, I can answer both of those questions with confidence and with the most correct answers. To the first question: Doctor's info (DEA, State Lic #, address, phone, fax), patient's info (name, DOB, phone), name, strength, and form of the drug, and the sig. To the second question: We can refer them to clinics for low-income people, which we normally do, and we have 2 around the area, whose copay is approx $0-10 depending on how needy you are.

So all I'm saying is, pharmacy experience can certainly enhance your interview responses. it impresses them at the things you know, compared to those without experience. and maybe an acceptance letter will on the way 🙂

i know it's a long response.. i have too much time in my hands this morning