Pharmacy Technician in WA state

[orchidd]

Hi everyone,
Do I have to take formal classes in college (a year and half) or tech school (about 9 months) to get a pharmacy tech certification? Can I just buy a book to study at home then later sign up to take the test? I want to work at a Safeway near my house but they only hire someone who has a pharmacy technician license.

Thanks,
orchidd

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[npp71681]

Hi!
orchidd,

The National Pharmacy Technician Exam is really simple. I heard lot of people who just study from the books and pass the exam in 1st trial. They do not even have any experience in pharmacy settings. You make more $$$, if you are certified by Pharmacy Technician Certification Board and you have more chances to get jobs.

There are 2 ways to get Pharm Tech education: 1) 2-year community college(Associate's Degree) or 2) 1-semester course at community college(Certificate Degree). But, you do not have to have any kind of education in order to get job as a Pharm Tech.

For the Pharm Tech Licence, you mean you have to register with Washington Pharmacy Board? The reason I'm asking you this because I have Certificate Degree(1-semester course) from community college, but did not have any licence when I got job as a Pharm Tech, but my employer registered me with my state board and then I got my licence from my state pharmacy board as a pharm tech. In my state we get this licence when we get job as a tech, not before getting a job, after you get job your employer have to send your picture and your information, etc.... to the state pharmacy board and they gives you licence.

In your situation, I didn't fully understand that you're talking about the Washington Pharmacy Board licence or the PTCB certificate, so I gave you information about both of them.

 

[bananaface]

The PCTB is not sufficient for liscensure in WA state.

You must go through 520 hours of on the job training at an approved program site. This can either be at a tech school OR at a retail or hospital pharmacy that is participating. I know that Bartell's, Wal-Mart, and Rite-Aid have on the job training programs operating in WA. I am sure there are others. (People moving in from out of state will have their education and training reviewed individually.)

You are often required to commit to working at a place for a certian time period after licensure to avoid paying a fee for the classes they give you. What city do you live in?

Application for Pharmavy Technician Licensure in WA (See page 5 of the app for licensure requirements)

Washington State Board of Pharmacy Homepage

Just an editorial... places that "pay more" to certified pharm techs in WA state can only say that because they underpay their non certified employees. A certified tech at WAGs or Rite-Aid isn't making any better wage than a non-certified tech at a chain that doesn't give preference. I'd say unless you want to be a DM for WAGs (yes, they have certified techs as DMs ) don't even bother getting certified if you live here.

 

[npp71681]

Hi!
bananafce,


I'm glad that my state doesn't require this kind of process.

 

[bananaface]

Hi!
bananafce,


I'm glad that my state doesn't require this kind of process.

Yeah, it can be a pain to get licensed here. It may also be hard to break into the field here since a ginormous number of Boeing workers were laid off and sent to tech schools for retraining. In some areas there is alot of market saturation.

 

[DaPharmacist]

You just have to know somebody that knows somebody in a pharmacy. Thats how I got my job.

 

[parabolic]

The PCTB is not sufficient for liscensure in WA state.

You must go through 520 hours of on the job training at an approved program site. This can either be at a tech school OR at a retail or hospital pharmacy that is participating. I know that Bartell's, Wal-Mart, and Rite-Aid have on the job training programs operating in WA. I am sure there are others. (People moving in from out of state will have their education and training reviewed individually.)

You are often required to commit to working at a place for a certian time period after licensure to avoid paying a fee for the classes they give you.

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but I was wondering if you know of any distance or online programs that are applicable towards tech licensure in Washington? I don't live there now, but I'm moving in a few months, and I'd like to be employable when I get there! (I'm a tech now, but I know I'll need more formal training to qualify for a license.)

Also, for any who are interested, I believe the application link has changed: https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/hpqa1/HPS4/Pharmacy/Documents/PhTechApp.pdf

Thanks!

 

[bananaface]

If you have met the time requirements and your current employer will vouch for it, then you may just need to find an employer who will give you a level A exam. If you contact the board of pharmacy directly, they can tell you if that is correct. Is your current employer a chain that has stores in WA? If so, they may have an exam you can take before you get here. Whatever you do, the exam has to happen before you apply for the license. At a minimum it takes 10-14 days to get your license once you apply. They tell you 3 weeks to get it in the mail and all that, but there is documantation available after about that much time that they can fax to you so you can start working.

 

[parabolic]

If you have met the time requirements and your current employer will vouch for it, then you may just need to find an employer who will give you a level A exam. If you contact the board of pharmacy directly, they can tell you if that is correct. Is your current employer a chain that has stores in WA? If so, they may have an exam you can take before you get here. Whatever you do, the exam has to happen before you apply for the license. At a minimum it takes 10-14 days to get your license once you apply. They tell you 3 weeks to get it in the mail and all that, but there is documantation available after about that much time that they can fax to you so you can start working.

Thanks for your reply! I would be much less concerned if either my employer had stores in Washington (it doesn't) or if I was a well-established tech (I'm not; I started part-time a few months ago and won't hit the 520-hour mark before I move). So, things being the way they are, I'm a tad worried.

I suppose I might just using the wrong search queries, but I'm having some difficulty locating information about the Level A certification or exam for Washington. Could you point me in the right direction? If not, that's fine too--- your suggestion of calling the Board is a good one; I should probably do that regardless.

Anyway, thanks again!

 

[bananaface]

If you won't have the required hours in before you move, you will have to start off as a Pharmacy Assistant (aka B tech, cashier) and go through a training program. Your hours from a previous state may or may not apply towards the new training program. There are enough places that will train on the job that the formal schools are kind of a waste of time and money.

What area of WA are you moving to? I might be able to suggest some places to look into. You can PM me if you don't want to post it publicly.

 

[parabolic]

Oh, okay! That's a huge relief... for some reason, I'd thought that not being licensed meant that I couldn't work in a pharmacy at all. I'm perfectly happy to go through more on-the-job training; I'm well aware that there's a lot I don't know yet.

I'll be moving to Seattle, since my other half got a job there. I don't actually know where in the city we'll be living, but any info you can offer is very much appreciated. (I'll be sure to check out Bartell's, Wal-Mart and Rite Aid like you mentioned in a previous post.)

 

[bananaface]

Bartells is hard to get a job at, but it's an excellent place to work at and they offer all B-techs training after a period of time. Wal-Mart offers it but only if the pharmacist wants to promote you. Fred Meyer has a tech in trainging program, but there are none in the city itself. I can't remember about Rite-Aid. Walgreens does not have one.

If I got a job in Seattle, I'd live in an eastside suburb and commute in. The city itself is ridiculously expensive.

 

[fall08]

Bartells is hard to get a job at, but it's an excellent place to work at and they offer all B-techs training after a period of time. Wal-Mart offers it but only if the pharmacist wants to promote you. Fred Meyer has a tech in trainging program, but there are none in the city itself. I can't remember about Rite-Aid. Walgreens does not have one.

If I got a job in Seattle, I'd live in an eastside suburb and commute in. The city itself is ridiculously expensive.

Hi Bananaface - Sorry to resurrect an old thread

Oh boy I am in for a rough ride then I am actually a pharmacist from a foreign country and was hoping to work as a tech while I take the equivalency exams and all that good stuff. My bad assumption was that I registered for the PTCB and was thinking I would get Pharm Tech job with it.

I recently moved to Kirkland and am looking for job in the east side do you have any recommended pharmacies that I should look at to give the pharmacy Assistant route a try like you said in your post?