So is Pharmacy Tech courses worthless?

[magnum102]

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I worked at Walgreens for a year and my tech buddy there just studied on his own and passed test and started working at Walgreens as a tech.

Thing is I would much much rather work in a hospital environment and was thinking this two semester course at city college could really help me get my foot in the door? I'm sure I could pass test after a week of studying, but then what do i do just walk into hospitals and ask if they hiring?

Just found this forum now, first post, thanks guys

 

[88888888]

Yes. Just study for like 3 days and take the test

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[magnum102]

Yes. Just study for like 3 days and take the test

Sent from my SGH-T989 using SDN Mobile

ya, but taking the test doesnt help me get a job at all......... how do i find a job in a hospital? I can't just tell them I passed the test, but have never worked in a hospital and expect them to hire me.

 

[JPD36]

IMO, you need experience before directly working in hospital pharmacy. I work in long term care and most of the techs went to school (spent like 20k on tuition) and end up with a job that starts at 9 to 10 dollars an hour. Stupid if you ask me.

Anyways, experience definitely helps. Get certified on your own and apply for jobs. Try craigslist. Employers must be desperate if they seek workers there.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Pharm tech courses aren't worthless, but they are extremely overprice. And unnecessary, you can learn what they teach you by on-the-job experience. From what I've seen, theses courses do not enhance your hirability by much (exception may be if you a place you interned at likes you and decides to hire you.) But as has been mentioned, you would probably still be thousands of dollars in debt for a $10.00/hr job.

 

[AlPacino]

They are completely unnecessary and overpriced. Im also a CPhT. Never took a single class and passed the test(ExCPT) on my first try. I think anybody who has worked in a pharmacy for a year will have enough knowledge and experience to pass the test on their first try. Second try at most.

 

[Bleep66]

Short answer: Yes

Long answer: Definitely.

 

[smercer]

If I was hiring someone, then I would probably hire someone who did not go to school over someone who did. A few reasons for this:

1) You will have to pay someone who went to school a higher starting pay than someone who did not (unless that person has several years of experience, then the pay point is moot).

2) I would see it as a advantage that someone was smart enough to figure out that going to school to pass a test is kind of stupid.

3) They do not learn anything in tech school that will not be taught on the job.

Also many of these pharm tech programs straight up lie to the students, so do not believe everything they tell you. I have seen several students who were told that the courses they were taking could be used towards pre-pharmacy pre-reqs, which was false.

Also I hate to say this and sound rude/mean, but why are you accepting a career that tops out at about 40k a year? Pretty much all of the career techs we have at our hospital have at least 2 jobs due to the fairly low pay of the job. I just think that if you are looking to go to school, maybe you should try for something that will give you more options. There is literally no moving up as a pharm tech.

 

[drdoze]

Waste of time and money! Like stated above, you will learn the same an even more with one year on the job compared to taking a class.

To get a hospital job you need experience. Where you took your class, or if you took one at all will not help you get the job. They want experience, the more you have the better your chances and if its hospital versus retail your in even better shape and will move ahead of applicants with only retail. This is coming from my own experience but I finally landed a hospital job after 5 years of retail and a year of volunteering at the hospital. Being immunized and all paperwork already done for volunteering and great reference from the volunteer director helped me get it.

 

[magnum102]

If I was hiring someone, then I would probably hire someone who did not go to school over someone who did. A few reasons for this:

1) You will have to pay someone who went to school a higher starting pay than someone who did not (unless that person has several years of experience, then the pay point is moot).

2) I would see it as a advantage that someone was smart enough to figure out that going to school to pass a test is kind of stupid.

3) They do not learn anything in tech school that will not be taught on the job.

Also many of these pharm tech programs straight up lie to the students, so do not believe everything they tell you. I have seen several students who were told that the courses they were taking could be used towards pre-pharmacy pre-reqs, which was false.

Also I hate to say this and sound rude/mean, but why are you accepting a career that tops out at about 40k a year? Pretty much all of the career techs we have at our hospital have at least 2 jobs due to the fairly low pay of the job. I just think that if you are looking to go to school, maybe you should try for something that will give you more options. There is literally no moving up as a pharm tech.

I guess i should have restated question as how do i get a hospital job as pharmacy tech. and i'm not planning on pharmacy tech as a career, just a way to double my income in the mean time. Kaiser pays pharm techs 23/hr about here in san fran. better than the 12/hr I'm making working at whole foods now

 

[pharmerbird]

Walgreens made me do courses provided by them and then paid for my exam... don't you have that option?

 

[dancingallday]

The only reason you should ever consider taking a pharmacy tech course is if you live in a state that requires it for licensing (like Florida). There's really no other reason; you can buy a book and study for the national exam, and all the skills that are really meaningful for working in a pharmacy you'll learn on the job.

 

[mbpuffer]

The only reason you should ever consider taking a pharmacy tech course is if you live in a state that requires it for licensing (like Florida). There's really no other reason; you can buy a book and study for the national exam, and all the skills that are really meaningful for working in a pharmacy you'll learn on the job.

California pharmacies requires techs to be licensed with the BOP too.

 

[The Recoverer]

I purchased a really old 2006 Pharm tech exam book for 29 dollars and studied for 3 days. Took the exam and passed. No need for the course

 

[Corpseman]

Walgreens made me do courses provided by them and then paid for my exam... don't you have that option?

Same.

 

[howyoudoin450]

yeah it was a complete joke. Don't waste your money on the classes. I only studied for a week and passed. Mostly focus on the math portion and you'll be fine.