Pharmacy related positions

[Redrum16]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I'm going to be moving to Sacramento this summer. I am taking 3 years off while my new wife finishes her masters. I would like to apply to pharmacy school after the 3 years. Obviously, a full time pharmacy job would be optimal but many of the jobs require certification as a pharmacist technician. Do I need to take the pharmacy technician certification test to obtain a good job during this time or do I have other options. I will have a B.S. in psychobiology from UCLA. I need to get to work and start earning money asap and I'd rather not take the time and money to be certified. Any suggestions?

 

[Triangulation]

Odds are you already qualify for tech certification. In CA all you need is a BS or even an AA in the sciences. I qualified solely bc of my BS (I'd never set foot in a retail pharm until i started working.) It takes 4-6 wks so get started right now. You'll need to do live-scan fingerprinting and a processing fee. It'll come out to something like $100. It's easy and it's decent pay and guaranteed work (retail and on-call on registers or hospitals.)

You may be able to get hired now as a pharm clerk, they would covet the your soon to be tech certificate then move up to tech when you get your certificate back from and take the pay hike. That's semi convenient since the pharm board is in Sacramento

 

[mym]

Hey Tri,

I am interested in a summer job as a pharm tech before I start my 1st year in Pharm. School.

How do you go about applying for the tech certification?? If you can provide the website or number that would be great.

thanks

 

[jdpharmd?]

Originally posted by mym
Hey Tri,

I am interested in a summer job as a pharm tech before I start my 1st year in Pharm. School.

How do you go about applying for the tech certification?? If you can provide the website or number that would be great.

thanks

What state are you in? It makes quite a difference.

Jd

 

[Redrum16]

I would be very interested also. I'm in California.

 

[LVPharm]

Here is the Pharmacy Technician Registration form for California. The first 3 pages describe the requirements for application as a tech in CA:

http://www.pharmacy.ca.gov/pdfs2/tch_application_pkt.pdf

This is to become "licensed" as a pharm tech in California. I was kinda confused because there is such a thing as "certification" as a pharm tech... to become a CPhT, I believe it's called. It's through an exam administered by the "Pharmacy Technician Certification Board" http://www.ptcb.org/
I think that is voluntary, and is only for career advancement as a pharm tech. To work as a tech only really requires you to be licensed by the state in which you wish to work.

 

[LoneCoyote]

Hey there,

I have been browsing this board for awhile as I have been having second thought about going to medical school. I am looking to try out a job in pharmacy to do some exploring. I am also in California and would be interested in working as a Pharmacy Tach. I have a BS but not pharmacy experience, except that I worked in pharmacy in high school as a clerk. Do I jus fill out the form, get the fingerprinting done, and then go and look for a job? Or do I have to get a job first before getting the certification? Would anyone hire me if I was certified but had no experience? Thanks a lot... this forum has been very helpful.

 

[LVPharm]

It's good that you're willing to explore the practice as a pharm tech prior to pharm school...I wish I had done that myself sometimes.

It wouldn't hurt any to start applying for licensing ASAP (just hurt your pocketbook 😉 ) since, as Tri has said...it takes a LOOONG time. It took the CABOP a long time to process my intern pharmacist license, it'll be no different for you. Some of my classmates didn't receive their intern licenses for months...

I'll tell you what the people who work at the Rite-Aid I intern at tell people who come up to the counter inquiring about tech work. I'd direct you to the district manager of the chain you wish to work for. He/she will inform you of any requirements or procedures you'll need to undertake. Just go into a store and ask the tech, who will point you in the right direction.

If you ever get the chance (it's a little harder to get into), also explore hospital pharmacy to give yourself an idea of the options open to practicing pharmacists.

 

[Triangulation]

azpremed

sounds great!! no, you don't need anything more than tech certification to start job hunting. I literally walked into a wag's and asked the store manager and he hired me. he kinda went around the protocol, but that's why you gotta be persistent about this stuff. i had zippo for experience beyond volunteering, but i told him i was accepted at ucsf and that if i accepted i'd keep working there thru school so he was pretty jazzed (sell yourself!!)

To be honest, I'd advise if you can swing it working PT in retail and then PT in clinical pharm bc they are so incredibly different. You need to get a handle of the meds, but after that the procedures and stresses are much different. There's nothing quite like the stress of working in a retail rx that fills 500 scripts a day. It can brutal, but for a lot of pharmacists i've met that gives them a rush, you have to fig out if you're into that or not. Not to say that there aren't slower stores. Ideally, i'd work in one that wasn't bedlam all the time.

At any rate, getting CA tech certification is cake if you have a BS. Just go to the site mail the form and get live-scan done, submit your transcripts. keiki's had a lot of trouble w/that so make sure you contact your school. you should get your tech cert. in 4 wks if things are done correctly.

i found a job less than a wk after getting certified so it shouldn't be too hard. good luck.