Pharmacy Technician Questions Thread

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When are you starting pharmacy school? If you're starting this year, it's not worth it to get your tech license because you will be an intern soon...
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Hi Friends,
Thanks for your responses. I am planning to do my pharmD program in 2013. I have not started taking the prerequisites. I will be starting from this summer. I actually have two master's degrees in fisheries science and aquaculture. One of the Master's degrees is from India and another one from the US. Presently I am working in the fisheries field, but I am not enjoying my work and so I am thinking of a career change to pharmacy. I have research experience in seafood microbiology and fish nutrition, have a few peer reviewed publications and have taken the GRE recently with 740 in quantitative; 420 in verbal and 4 out of 6 in writing. These are my present credentials. Anyway, still miles and miles to go to secure a seat in pharmacy school!!!
 
Yea, I would love to get the material from you for studying the PTCB, thanks
 
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I was in a phlebotomy program and quit halfway through. I could not get through it because my skills were really bad. I am planning to go to pharmacy tech school at the same place so I can prepare for pharmacy school. I would like to know if this is worthwhile knowledge to use for pharmacy school and would it help me with the application process?
 
ArtMot425 said:
I was in a phlebotomy program and quit halfway through. I could not get through it because my skills were really bad. I am planning to go to pharmacy tech school at the same place so I can prepare for pharmacy school. I would like to know if this is worthwhile knowledge to use for pharmacy school and would it help me with the application process?
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Not really worth it, no.
 
ArtMot425 said:
I was in a phlebotomy program and quit halfway through. I could not get through it because my skills were really bad. I am planning to go to pharmacy tech school at the same place so I can prepare for pharmacy school. I would like to know if this is worthwhile knowledge to use for pharmacy school and would it help me with the application process?
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No.....it would be sheer wastage of time and$$$$.
 
Just buy a study book, take the PTCE, and get your certification. Classes take way too long and as the above stated, a waste of money
 
1) paying over 12000 for an 8-12 month program
or
2) $35 for study materials and 2 weeks of study

both option will end the same way.
 
Trunks9807 said:
1) paying over 12000 for an 8-12 month program
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Good lord, that's a scam. All you need is some arithmatic skills and ability to memorize about 100 drugs. No way you need more than a couple of weeks to study.
 
ArtMot425 said:
I was in a phlebotomy program and quit halfway through. I could not get through it because my skills were really bad. I am planning to go to pharmacy tech school at the same place so I can prepare for pharmacy school. I would like to know if this is worthwhile knowledge to use for pharmacy school and would it help me with the application process?
Click to expand...

waste money and time ... if you are going for pharmacy, do you prereqs. ... pharm tech school doesn't prepare you for pharmacy. it wouldn't help you with the application process when you apply because the main things a good pharmacy school looks for is your GPA, PCAT, and some experience in the field of pharmacy (working as pharm tech or shadowing a pharmacist doesn't matter, and got to have a reason of why you want to be a pharmacist) :)
 
PolarBearFire said:
Good lord, that's a scam. All you need is some arithmatic skills and ability to memorize about 100 drugs. No way you need more than a couple of weeks to study.
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A lot of institutions are charging that much for their programs. With high enrollment each year, the market is saturated with techs.

My pharmacist told me that he talked to a friend of his that works in admissions for a tech program. He said that they may consider reducing the number of students because it really comes down to ethics because the programs are pumping out so much techs and they all end up having a hard time finding jobs
 
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I called the pharmacy board in my state and they told me that they can provide me a pharm tech license if I fill out an application and send them a check. I asked them if I need to take the pharmacy tech exam. They told me that I need not. I have scheduled my exam for May 26th. So shall I cancel the exam?
Thanks in advance for your answers.
 
Wow, I've never heard about this before. Where do you live?
 
vasoolraja said:
I called the pharmacy board in my state and they told me that they can provide me a pharm tech license if I fill out an application and send them a check. I asked them if I need to take the pharmacy tech exam. They told me that I need not. I have scheduled my exam for May 26th. So shall I cancel the exam?
Thanks in advance for your answers.
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I am not sure that license and certification are the same thing. Who was the test through? The state or PTCB? If the test is through the PTCB that is how you become certified. Your state may provide you with a license to work as a technician, but that is not the same as certification the way I understand it.
 
PharmGrrlJax said:
I am not sure that license and certification are the same thing. Who was the test through? The state or PTCB? If the test is through the PTCB that is how you become certified. Your state may provide you with a license to work as a technician, but that is not the same as certification the way I understand it.
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So do you think it will be good to take the exam anyway?
 
I would just go ahead and take the test, just to be safe.
 
advair250 said:
Hi everyone,

In an effort to get more Pharmacy experience, i'm looking to become certified as a Pharm Tech. I'm in Vancouver, Canada, so I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this aspect. Any useful links or anecdotal experiences would be much appreciated!
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I don't know anything about Canada, but I will offer this: Getting a job will be really hard without experience, and the only way you can get experience is by a (usually expensive) CPhT program that will get you an internship/externship along the way. Therefore, it's basically a waste of money unless you can just take the exam and pass.

The license/certificate itself will offer no real leverage in increasing your chances at pharmacy school, so you'll need employment with it. Consider that before investing $200+ in getting cert/license.
 
I'm in Alberta so I don't know what the situation is like in BC, but I started working as a cashier in a little non-chain pharmacy in my neighbourhood back in high school. When I started studying biology in university my boss offered me the opportunity to train in the pharmacy and see if I liked it. I was really lucky, but if you want to avoid having to get certified you might want to try a similar angle and approach a smaller pharmacy and see if they will train you without certification or if you can start at a different position and eventually get behind the counter.
 
This is definitely a SCAM..EVERYONE, DO NOT register for the course at Virtual Institute of Pharmacy, Career Academy of New York, www.virtualcoursehost.com, www.pharmacytech.org!!!... I've taken the course and there's no such thing as a diploma or certificate of completion, when you are near completion, they stopped responding to your inquiry they say they're accredited by the ASOPP, if you click on that website, both websites are set up the same way and are affiliated!!! TRUST ME, i have been a victim and if you google this website, several others have the same issue!! Their address is a PO BOX, and no one ever picks up on their contact numbers and if you leave a message, no one will return your call!!!!
 
Please, DO NOT sign up for it...it's definitely a scam everyone... If you research and check out their address, it's a PO BOX 1000 Oakdale, NY 11769 phone (888)892-5166...Career Academy of New York is what they claim to be a part of, but they're not b/c i called and confirmed with the real Academy of NY. this website is a scam, www.pharmacytech.org, www.virtualinstitute.coursehost.com, www.asopp.com , they say they are accredited by the ASOPP (American Society of Pharmacy Practioner) but if you visit that website, it was created by the same people, if you call any of their contact numbers, no one will pick up your call AND if you leave a message, no one will return your calls....there's no such thing as a diploma or certificate of completion. i am a victim of this scam myself..when you are near the end of your course for a diploma, instructors, student helpers, directors will not make contact with you..if you google them, many others are having the same issues!! please, pass this email along to warn everyone who will fall for this scam..don't waste your $347 like i and many others did......
 
Any recommendations on a study book I can possibly get somewhere like Barnes and Noble? Also, how long did it take for you to get your results from this test?
 
Mizener said:
Any recommendations on a study book I can possibly get somewhere like Barnes and Noble? Also, how long did it take for you to get your results from this test?
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Results were instant: PASS or FAIL will be printed out on a little sheet after the exam is finished in a matter of moments. You won't receive your "official" congratulations until about 30-45 days afterward.

The best study guide is Mosby's.

http://www.amazon.com/Mosbys-Review-PTCB-Certification-Examination/dp/0323033679
 
Is there another test required to be CA licensed? Or just paperwork?
 
Mizener said:
Is there another test required to be CA licensed? Or just paperwork?
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I'm in California. Take the PTCB test (the study guide by Mosby's is to help you study for that test). You will take the test at one of their centers. (It's computerized so you can basically take it any time you want - there are no set scheduled test dates. There are many centers that offer the service. Check out the PTCB website:

https://www.ptcb.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home1)

If you pass it, it will take about a month to get your PTCB certificate in the mail. With that certification, you can apply with the CA Board of Pharmacy for a Pharmacy Technician license. The paperwork is on the CA Board of Pharmacy website and can be downloaded:

http://www.pharmacy.ca.gov/forms/tch_app_pkt.pdf)

Involves getting your fingerprint check too. Their website says it can take up to 90 days to get your license and that was the case for me.
 
jta7 said:
Recently a bill has been passed in BC that technicians can perform final checks, take verbal rxs, and more without the pharmacist checking it.

With this being done, I fear that pharmacists will no longer be needed in the future? that we will be replaced in 5 - 10 years as technicians seek to expand their scope more and more.

http://www.captvancouver.ca/PDF Files/FAQ - BC Technician Certification and Regulation.pdf
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Yep, because passing a certification test completely negates four years of studying the effect of drugs in the body. I wholeheartedly agree with you, we are screwed.
 
What's the point of pharmacists going to school to earn a PharmD if their knowledge can apparently be replicated by a breezy certification? This is a big mistake imo. I don't know much about what would be required for that certification, but you can be a huge idiot and still have a tech license here (I'm surrounded by them), and I would never want someone like that filling prescriptions without a pharmacist final checking. Expect a big increase in potentially fatal errors.
 
Just wait till many canadians die of medication error... We shall see that money they save can be enough for lawsuits.
 
I have actually spoken to a few pharmacists in my community and asked for their opinion on this new tech regulation, and the responses are not very good.

The few pharmacists that I have spoken all oppose the idea and believe that with this new regulation, pharmacists will eventually be phased out and be replaced by technicians in the next 5 - 10 years. Job security and employment rate will greatly falter because of this.

And let's not forget the issue of wage, when pharmacy technicians are given more responsibility, their wage will obviously increase and consequently pharmacists will have to suffer a pay cut because of that. I'm not trying to sound greedy, but after spending about 100k for schooling for 4 years and to come out with low pay and a hard time finding a job, that is just not reasonable.

Lastly, Ontario, just search up what is happening to pharmacists there, what is being implemented there will eventually sweep province wide.

Just my two cents.

The future looks dim for pharmacists in my opinion, do any of you guys feel the same way? It's so upsetting because I really do want to be a pharmacist and for the right reasons.
 
phathead said:
Yep, because passing a certification test completely negates four years of studying the effect of drugs in the body. I wholeheartedly agree with you, we are screwed.
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I dont know if you are trying to sarcastic here but this is not a statement I have made without doing the proper research, it does negate the four years of study. If you took the time to search up the curriculum they are implementing that techs must go through to be "regulated", it is grossly similar to what pharmacy students have to learn.

A similar thing has happened to pharmacists in denmark, when technicians were given more responsibility, and you should look at what happened to them. They lost their jobs to "cheaper" pharmacy technicians who could perform the same duties and lost their identity in the community.
 
jta7 said:
I have actually spoken to a few pharmacists in my community and asked for their opinion on this new tech regulation, and the responses are not very good.

The few pharmacists that I have spoken all oppose the idea and believe that with this new regulation, pharmacists will eventually be phased out and be replaced by technicians in the next 5 - 10 years. Job security and employment rate will greatly falter because of this.

And let's not forget the issue of wage, when pharmacy technicians are given more responsibility, their wage will obviously increase and consequently pharmacists will have to suffer a pay cut because of that. I'm not trying to sound greedy, but after spending about 100k for schooling for 4 years and to come out with low pay and a hard time finding a job, that is just not reasonable.

Lastly, Ontario, just search up what is happening to pharmacists there, what is being implemented there will eventually sweep province wide.

Just my two cents.

The future looks dim for pharmacists in my opinion, do any of you guys feel the same way? It's so upsetting because I really do want to be a pharmacist and for the right reasons.
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Again, do you honestly believe someone with a doctorate in pharmacy is going to replaced by some 45 year old mom with a certificate?
 
Its amazing how scared of a challenge so many pre-pharmers are. Seems like all these kids decided to do pharmacy and now that its not a "sure thing" they are all scared and want to go hide in a corner. Well I kind of hope you all do go hide in a corner so my position as a pharmacist will be that much easier to obtain in the future. Nothing in life is a sure thing and you have to take risks. Im sick of all these pansies crying because they can obviously see into the future and in the future there are 0 pharmacists. Well good luck with your crystal ball, im gona go out and be what I have always wanted to be.
 
If i was in the US, I wouldn't be worried which I assume you are from. Technicians there are not allowed to take verbal rxs, let alone final checks.

But with the current changes in the future pharmacy practices in CANADA, there should be some unrest in future pharmacy students. I am a pre-pharmer, but I know that a few 4th year students who are also worried.

This is something I think only canadian students can relate to because it is different from the states as of now.
 
phathead said:
Again, do you honestly believe someone with a doctorate in pharmacy is going to replaced by some 45 year old mom with a certificate?
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With these new regulation rules yes, what is stopping them? It happened in denmark. In the hospitals in BC, technicians check prescriptions without pharmacists adhering to them. It's called tech-to-tech check. It's already happened in hospital settings now it is just going local to communinties.

But I want to specify again that this is about the canadian pharmacy practices and nowhere else.
 
Phockit, i'm dropping out of pharm school, moving to O' Canada, and becoming a tech.
 
If pharmacy technicians start getting more opportunities and higher responsibilities, and bigger salaries then it is always possible for a pharmacist to revert back to become a pharmacy technician!

It could be possible that a pharmacy technician can take bigger responsibilities in a retail pharmacy. However, when it comes to treatment recommendations using drug therapy in a hospital setting, it would definitely require the knowledge of a pharmacist.

Also, what about positions like FDA, EPA, poision control etc. I think pharmacists will have openings in these areas.

By the way, is it not possible to open one's own drug store? I job shadowed a pharmacist in a local drug store. The pharmacist is the owner of the store. I really enjoyed my experience there. I would love to have my own drug store - I can be my own boss!
 
I'm not in Canada, but this is the part I would have the most trouble with:

The elected Board members of the College of Pharmacists of B.C. (CPBC) who represent and vote on behalf of 4000+ BC pharmacists have decided to transfer almost all pharmacist responsibilities--except counselling and liability--to regulated pharmacy technicians.

So the pharmacist isn't "responsible" for the prescription at any step of the process except for counseling, yet they retain full liability for mistakes. That's a bunch of baloney.

I also didn't see anything in there to indicate the "regulated technicians" would undergo any training similar to pharmacy school - I believe it stated it was an 8 month program. A lot of the arguments are theoretical - plausible, but theoretical - about what drug chains will take advantage of if it passes.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
 
Of course pharmacists will still be paid higher than pharmacy technicians, but due to amount of rigorous schooling and training, for them to endure a dramatic pay loss is not very pleasing to hear.

Yes, you are right we will still need pharmacists and their role will still be in place in hospitals and FDA etc. but their roles as community pharmacists will decrease and slowly be extinguished and replaced by techs who can do the same job. So, the 2800 community pharmacists in BC, where will they seek employment?
 
jta7 said:
Of course pharmacists will still be paid higher than pharmacy technicians, but due to amount of rigorous schooling and training, for them to endure a dramatic pay loss is not very pleasing to hear.

Yes, you are right we will still need pharmacists and their role will still be in place in hospitals and FDA etc. but their roles as community pharmacists will decrease and slowly be extinguished and replaced by techs who can do the same job. So, the 2800 community pharmacists in BC, where will they seek employment?
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They will never be extinguished. If you have worked retail enough, you would see why that flavor of pharmacy will never go away
 
According the BC college of pharmacists on technician regulation:
"Pharmacists will continue however, to be involved in every new and refill prescription as they remain solely responsible for assessing the appropriateness of drug therapy (patient assessment, confirm dose and interval, check PharmaNet profile, and identify drug interactions) and for providing patient consultation. A prescription cannot be released to a patient without a pharmacist having performed these cognitive functions."
I see this being positive and pharmacists should not focus on what they're losing but look at the possibilities. Essentially, pharmacists are transferring their technical work to technicians, work that doesn't truly need a trained pharmacist to do. Think about all the time you can spend with patients, hold clinics, and expand your cognitive services. I think a lot of the older pharmacists are reluctant because they are so used to doing technical work. Once you go through pharmacy school, you will know that you DO NOT want to be doing technical work. Heck, I'd rather be held accountable for error in therapeutic choice, rather than error in counting/putting pills in a bottle.
As for the financial impact, we will have to see. In retail, there will be a mix of technicians, assistants, and pharmacists as per the PDF document. It's pretty obvious pharmacy technicians will cost more, but as the document alluded, the distribution of these three types of staff will be based on patient care and efficiency (dictated by the market). All the pharmacies will need to have at least 1 pharmacist present at all times, and a mix of technicians and assistants. I doubt employers will hire all technicians because there is no need to have all these more expensive checkers other than the pharmacist. Inefficiencies in a pharmacy occurs when a pharmacist has to do "a million" things at once, bottle-necking the dispensing process. I can see an employer hiring 1 technician to sit there and purely check scripts, have assistants take refill calls, set up the meds, etc, and have a pharmacist assessing appropriateness of the script and spending time counselling the patient. If you are following the pharmacy situation in Ontario, you'll know that pure dispensing will no longer be the money maker. The government is going to pay for cognitive services and keep the cost of dispensing to a minimum. I'm no expert in retail pharmacy business, so I don't know whether its more profitable to dispense at high volumes or to obtain fees for cognitive services. Maybe someone can enlighten me?
In my hospital, technicians already run the show in the dispensary. The pharmacist assesses the appropriateness of the order and contacts either the doctors or clinical pharmacists with the issues. The pharmacist will then hand the order to the technicians, where they enter and fill the drug (essentially tech-check-tech). The pharmacist spends 70% of their time on the wards and providing clinical services. So, I don't know how a regulation like this will change the current practice.
 
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