Too late to go for pharm tech exam?

[Snowcat]

Hello everyone - I'm a sophomore Computer Science/Pre-Pharmacy student, and have recently been looking into being certified as a pharmacy technician. I figure that it's a good way to gain experience, and also to see if I really want to be a pharmacist. I do want to be a pharmacist - but I think it's a good idea to test the waters out and see what it's like in the working field, instead of suddenly realizing pharmacy isn't for me during my 2nd year of pharmacy school, or something like that.

I only just started looking into the pharmacy technician field, and the deadline to register for the PTCB exam is tomorrow night. The exam is in March - if I start studying and preparing for it now, would I be ready for the exam by then? I'd really like to give it a shot and be certified as soon as possible, so that I can start working.

I'd really appreciate any feedback you guys have on this. Thanks!!

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[Moxxie]

Two months should be enough time to study for the exam, but be sure that you get a good book or two. I took the exam in November, and most of it was math. I came out of it knowing that I had aced the math but unsure about the rest (I don't have any retail pharmacy experience, just used books to study). It turns out that I got a fairly decent score. One book that a lot of people on this board suggest is Noah Reifman's pharmacy tech book. I didn't use it, but I've heard rave reviews.

However- it may actually be too late to register for the test. I got this e-mail a couple of days ago from the PTCB website:

"Dear CPhTs:

We are sending you this message to request that you pass along the following information to pharmacy technicians interested in sitting for the national Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination (PTCE). The application receipt deadline is Friday, January 13, 2006 for the March 11, 2006 administration of the PTCE.

Candidates are encouraged to apply online at www.ptcb.org. The online application will accept entries until midnight, Eastern Time, Friday, January 13, 2006.

Congratulations to the over 230,000 CPhTs who have been certified through the PTCB’s national examination and transfer process! We appreciate your continued efforts to promote the evolving role of the pharmacy technician."

Maybe if you mail in your paperwork the deadline is a little later?

One last note, though - depending on your state, you might not need a technician's license to work in a pharmacy. A lot of states pay certified techs a little bit more, but only a few (Texas, Washington, and a few others I can't remember off the top of my head) actually require you to have a CPhT license. Look into your state's requirements - if you don't need a license, it would be a good idea to apply to a chain store as a tech. A lot of them (like Walgreen's) will pay for you to become certified.

Good luck in whatever you choose!

 

[PharmGirl85]

Snowcat,
I studied for two weeks before the PTCB exam, and I aced it...but at that time I had been working in a pharmacy for over a year and a half. I used the books provided by Walgreens, and just went through the whole workbook and that was enough.


Moxxie,
do you work at Walgreen's?

 

[Moxxie]

Moxxie,
do you work at Walgreen's?

No, I don't actually work at a retail pharmacy yet. I'm still waiting for my pharm tech license paperwork to go through (I live in Texas). I based my comment off of previous things I had read on this board (I think that Freshbeatschris used to work at Wag's). I'm looking for a part time job right now as a tech, but it's hard because I need to keep my normal 8-5 job.

 

[TonyMelton]

Snowcat,
I studied for two weeks before the PTCB exam, and I aced it...but at that time I had been working in a pharmacy for over a year and a half. I used the books provided by Walgreens, and just went through the whole workbook and that was enough.


Snowcat,

does Wallgreen really offer schalorship to its technicians wanting to persue Pharm.D?

 

[ButlerPharm.D.]

Yeah, they will give you about 3,000 a semester for your schooling as long as you work for them for a specified period of time post graduation. If you go to a school like UIC where the tuition is around $10,000/year then this might be something you want to like into but if you go to a school that has tuition around $25,000/year it doesn't seem like such a great idea.

 

[fenil2005]

Hey man just get the pharmacy technician book by Noah Reifman. I studied for like a week(20 hours) and got 750 on the exam. Concentrate on the Math(most of the exam), laws, abb,pharmacy practice questions,inventory etc.. Do not waste a lot of time studying drug names and classification(remember what class is for what disease and top/common drugs in that class). Just read through because they will ask you around 10-12 questions on that part. Also, the book has practice tests. Beleive me a lot of questions on the test were straight from there.

 

[PharmGirl85]

Walgreen's will also reimburse you a few thou (3 or 4) for your pre-reqs.
As for the scholarship...it starts with $1,500 for the first year + $500 for every year...so if it take 4 years, they give you 9 thou.
But, after you graduate, you have to work for them the same number of years that you received the scholarship.

But...if business is bad, and they have to lay off people, you will keep your job longer, only because you have a contract with them.