Learning how to become a pharmacy technician in a world that requires increasing numbers of health care professionals is a fantastic option for joining the workforce. As the population ages and pharmaceutical advances are made, technicians play a vital role in the personal health care industry. Though most technicians are employed in retail, there are also opportunities at mail order pharmacies, hospitals, assisted living facilities and nursing homes. There is currently no nationally standardized process for becoming a pharmacy technician but there are numerous training and certification programs that increase the likelihood of employment.

One of the training paths that is offered for aspiring pharmacy technicians is through a school. These programs are offered in both online and physical settings. In either case, students learn the necessary technical and scientific aspects to perform in the profession. Some of areas of study in these programs are Medical Terminology, Pharmaceutical Calculations and Techniques, and Ethics and Law of the practice. There are pros and cons for each branch which are largely dependent on what a student can afford in time and money. Online programs offer greater flexibility than traditional programs which allows students to proceed through the material at a pace they are comfortable with. However, these online programs lack the human interaction that is the hallmark of physical institutions. Online programs are also more expensive on average than those found at Community Colleges so prospective students with a limited budget should consider their options wisely. Once the program is completed, students will receive documentation certifying their mastery of the course in the form of a certificate or an associates degree.

Another facet of the process in discovering how to become a Pharmacy Technician is through certification. Certification is not required nationally for employment but it greatly increases one’s attractiveness as a potential employee. Certification in the United States is granted by two different boards, The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board and The Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians. To be eligible to take the tests offered by these boards applicants must possess a high school diploma or the equivalent. In preparing for these exams there are numerous self training tools in the form of books and practice tests that will assist the prospect along the way.

The process to becoming a Pharmacy Technician may appear daunting but is ultimately conquerable with the proper use of resources. With the use of the programs and procedures listed above you can surely learn how to become a Pharmacy Technician.

In this installment of the Pharmacy Technician Career Corner, we’re going to discuss a few tips for preparing to successfully navigate the behavioral-based job interview. As you’re aware, earning a pharmacy technician salary begins with the job interview. And in the healthcare industry, the behavioral based interview is becoming the standard in front line questioning for prospective job candidates.

So What is Behavioral Interviewing?

For those that aren’t familiar with this style of questioning in a job interview, behavioral interviewing requires that interviewees use actual past examples to give answers to interview questions. Obviously, the best indicator of future job performance is what has actually happened in your prior employment experiences. So, by way of example, the questions tend to begin with “Tell me about a time when” as opposed to “What would you do if”.

We can all easily describe what we would do based on what we think the employer wants to hear, but describing what we have done requires us to dig deeper and think to actually present a concise and relevant answer to an interview question. As stated previously, these types of interview questions are becoming very popular in the health care industry, so when preparing to interview for a pharmacy technician job, you need to be prepared to be able to effectively answer these challenging questions.

So How Do I Prepare for the Behavioral Pharmacy Technician Job Interview?

The single biggest key to effectively preparing for these interviews is practice. If you search online for a list of the most common 100 behavioral interview questions, you’ll find several sources. Take the time to print one up and start to review the questions and think about your answers. You’ll start to notice that there are common themes that run through a list of 100 questions. This means that you can effectively prepare for answering 100 potential questions by thinking through as few as 5 or 6 relevant past experiences that can be shaped to various questions.

Look through the list of questions and think about how you would answer each one using one of your 5 or 6 past work examples. Practicing answering out loud. You might even want to go so far as to video your responses to pick up on any unwanted body language or habits that you need to tone down. I’ve done this before and noticed that during responses I was continually waving my open hands, with my palms facing up, in circles, almost like a wafting motion. Not good, and I wasn’t even aware of how much I was doing it!

Secondly, you need to think through these responses in detail. Many recruiting and career coaches will tell you that one of the biggest ways to fall flat in behavioral interviews is by not giving enough detail to get to the issues which the employer wants you to face. This can be especially critical in pharmacy technician jobs, where errors and customer demands can have significant consequences.

Lastly, don’t memorize your answers to questions when you’re interviewing for pharmacy technician jobs. You want your responses to appear natural and relaxed and not over-practiced.

While the behavioral based interview format can be challenging to prepare for, follow these preparation techniques and you’ll be on your way to earning a pharmacy technician salary in no time.

Although unemployment rates are high in many parts of the country, certified pharmacy technicians remain in high demand and the pharmacy technician salary reflects this. If you have the right training and skills, you can have a job in this field in no time at all. Training and certification are needed to work as a pharmacy technician, but once you have those, you can get a good paying job.

Hospitals are a great place to start your search for a job in this field as many overlook this as a resource. Every hospital has a pharmacy to dispense medications to patients and therefore they are always in need of qualified pharmacy technicians. You may find pharmacy technician jobs in your local paper or you can always head to the hospital website to see if they have listings posted there. Don’t hesitate to contact human resources at local hospitals also to determine who is in charge of hiring for that area. Forward your resume to that person and follow through to get a great job which is most likely close to home.

Large retailers are known for having a high turnover rate and this is something you may be able to take advantage of. Although many will tell you to check their website for job openings, it never hurts to contact the personnel department to ask directly if they have any openings. Continue to follow through even if they don’t have a pharmacy technician position available as you never know when one will open up. Fax your resume to them so they can keep it on file if a position does open.

If you find that you are unable to find a job locally and are willing to move, make use of job posting websites. Monster and Careerbuilder are just two you can check. Post your resume on these sites and enter all pertinent information so employers can see at a glance what qualifications you have. Don’t overlook specialty sites such as Elite Pharmacy Job Career Board. Jobs move quickly on these sites so you need to check on a regular basis.

No matter where you choose to look for a job, make sure your resume shows any certification and training you have obtained. Employers look for qualified personnel and this is your chance to show them what makes you special. Keep working at it and you will be able to find a job in very little time, one with a good pharmacy technician salary.

One possible fast track to employment these days is to become a pharmacy technician. There were about 285,000 of these workers employed in the U.S. in 2006. Ten years later, in 2016, that number is expected will have risen to over 375,000. It has been said that the money is nothing to sneeze at, either, so we decided to do some research into the bottom line of the typical pharmacy technician salary. As it turns out, little information is actually typical, but the research allowed us to draw some conclusions regarding the trends, which are generally upward.

A warning: as with education requirements, the pharmacy technician salary varies from region to region and among the various organizations that employ pharmacy technicians, so this is something to take into account if you do not wish to relocate or if you wish to earn the most money possible. Having said that, let’s get to it. The most recent data we found, which is two years old, placed the average pharmacy technician salary at just under $27,000.

That figure is just an average between high and low, however. Probably very few pharmacy technicians actually earn exactly that amount, so let’s look at things another way. Entry level workers can expect a starting pharmacy technician salary of a little less than $18,000, while the top ten percent of technicians – those with experience – can earn twice that much, and also usually take on an increased amount of responsibilities. These figures have shown a tendency to be growing even while our economy has been stagnating, due to the increasing demand for the pharmacy technician nationwide.

A worker’s level of education can make a big difference too. Training specifically intended for these positions is available online, and can take six months to two years to complete. Trainees with bachelor’s degrees as well, however, can earn a pharmacy technician salary of about 23 per cent more than technicians without degrees. Likewise, those with master’s degrees can expect to earn over one third more than the average of everybody else combined. People with an interest in this field should study local trends before deciding how to proceed.

You may have heard that the pharmacy technician position is one of the fastest growing fields in America today, but how exactly is a pharmacy technician salary earned? What is the nature of his work and what does he do on a daily basis? A pharmacy technician’s position is to help the pharmacist prepare prescription medicines, handle customer service and take care of office duties inside the pharmacy itself.

Typically, the pharmacy technician salary is paid to those who receive the pharmaceutical requests, count the tablets and label the medication bottles. While some of his duties may overlap with those of a pharmacy aid, some smaller employers may expect the pharmacy tech to take care of all the administrative and clinical duties.

Each state has its own rules and regulations about what the technician may do to earn the pharmacy technician salary, but typically, they will speak with the patients and take their written prescriptions, handle electronically transmitted requests from their office and in some cases, process the phone requests from the doctor’s office. Attention to detail is a must as information must be verified as complete and correct.

In preparing prescriptions, the technicians obtain, count, pour, weigh, measure and sometimes even mix the medicines. Additionally, it’s the responsibility of the pharmacy technician to prepare the labels, select the containers, print and attach the literature to the prescription and submit to the pharmacist for approval. The technician will always send any questions about the medications, reactions or health inquiries to the actual licensed pharmacist.

While 75% of all pharmacy technician positions are in retail settings, there is also a need for this position in hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living centers. In these locations, there are more responsibilities such as preparing sterile solutions and taking medications to the nurses and physicians. There are additional record keeping duties involving recording medication into patient’s profiles. Often times. the pharmacy technician salary will be greater in a situation like this.

The pharmacy technician can expect to be on their feet a great deal, work varied work schedules that include nights and weekends as well as holidays. The average pharmacy technician salary is approximately $14 per hour.

If you’re planning on obtaining a pharmacy technician salary and becoming qualified to obtain one of the many number of positions available in this field today, you will need to know the qualifications certifications required to become a top-notch candidate.

The first thing to know is that in most states, the pharmacy technician is required to be registered with the state board of pharmacy. Each state has different eligibility requirements, but most do require a high school diploma or GED and an application fee.

While most states do not require certification, voluntary certification is an option to increase your beginning pharmacy technician salary and chances of employment. The certification through exams is available through various private organizations. the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board and the Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians. It’s recommended that you become certified if you wish to obtain the higher pharmacy technician salary and to become a brighter prospect to potential employers.

The exam does have eligibility requirements including having received a high school diploma or GED, no felony convictions of any sort and no drug or pharmacy related convictions, including misdemeanors. In many cases, the employer will reimburse the actual cost of the exams.

The pharmacy technician must be re-certified every two years. This re-certification does insist on 20 hours of extra classes within that two year period. The course work can be earned from several different areas, including colleges, pharmacy associations and training programs. 10 of the hours can be earned while on the job under the supervision and instruction of an actual pharmacist.

One thing that the pharmacy technician needs to keep in mind is that advancement opportunities are somewhat limited. If you become employed in a large pharmacy or health care system, those with lots of training and experience can be promoted to supervisory positions. Additionally, some may be able to advance into specialized positions such as Chemotherapy technician or even Nuclear Pharmacy Technician. Still others segue into sales. And quite naturally, many choose to go back to school to become a certified Pharmacist.

The outlook is good in the pharmacy technician field and you can expect plenty of job opportunities with the right training, education and experience, as well as a favorable pharmacy technician salary.

If you’re looking for a job that provides a much faster than average job growth, it’s time you considered the position of pharmacy technician as the career outlook and pharmacy technician salary both look favorable in the coming years. Job opportunities are expected to be good and for the most part are in retail settings. However, there are also openings available in hospitals, nursing and assisted living homes. The pharmacy technician salary is expected to rise over the next 10 years and the number of open positions are expected to rise considerably with the growing baby boomer market.

The increasing number of middle-aged and elderly consumers, the ones who use more prescriptions than the younger population, will increase demand for pharmacy technicians by up to 25% over the next ten years. Additionally, as new drugs come on the market and increased health coverage becomes available, technicians and the pharmacy technician salary are expected to grow.

The trend in pharmacy care, as dictated by the ever cost conscious insurance companies, is to use pharmacies as actual outlets for patient care. This ties the licensed pharmacist up in the role of assisting the patients more and the pharmacy technician will continue to see their roles and duties expanding inside the pharmacy. Another change that is likely to be seen is that the pharmacy technician salary is expected to rise as they take over the diminishing role of the pharmacy aide.

The key to obtaining a good pharmacy technician salary in the coming days is to obtain formal training and offer experience to your prospective employers. The job opportunities are expected to be good and if you are willing to re-locate to areas where the population is aging like Florida, Arizona and California, the job opportunities and prospects will increase. However, even in states that aren’t known for their snow birds, the job title is expected to offer numerous opportunities and an increasing pharmacy technician salary.

The job outlook for the pharmacy technician is, indeed, quite excellent for the coming years. Keep in mind that many of the shifts will include daytime and evening hours and work on weekends and holidays too. The chances for overtime exist and a good pharmacy technician salary is attainable.

Before deciding to begin a career as a pharmacy technician,  you need to gather information and research and one of the important pieces of information will be the pharmacy technician salary. You also want to make sure the field you choose is suitable for your personality. It is easier to work in a job that you enjoy over one you “have” to take.

The role of the pharmacy technician is one career field that is ideal if you are a people person and you are interested in pharmaceuticals. A pharmacy technician can do anything a pharmacist can do only they have to do it under the pharmacists supervision. It is much like the doctor and nurse relationship.

Before you decide to become a pharmacy technician you will want to know what they do and what responsibilities are required. Other information you want to learn includes the educational requirements, courses included, costs of education and the pharmacy technician salary. This information will give you the full spectrum of information to help you decide if this is something you want to do.

What does a pharmacy technician do? The primary function of a pharmacy technician is to assist the pharmacist. This includes:

• Taking phone calls
• Handling customers
• Stocking medications
• Computer data entry
• Assist in filling prescriptions

The responsibilities and job description of a pharmacy technician will vary depending on the venue in which you work. You may do more in a stand alone pharmacy than in a hospital. The opposite can also be true. Likewise, the pharmacy technician salary will vary depending on the venue, the responsibilities and the level at which you work. Pharmacy techs can get promotions and take supervisory positions in many venues which increases the salary.

Here is a breakdown of the average pharmacy technician salary one can expect based on experience level:

• Entry level beginning to 3 years – $7.40-$10.90 per hour or $15,390 to $22,670 per year

• Intermediate Level 3 to 6 years – $11.20-$16.30 per hour or $23,290 to $33,900 per year

• Senior or Supervisor 6 years or more – $17.00-$12.10 per hour or $35,510 to $48,450 per year

The amount of pharmacy technician salary may be higher or lower than these number as these include the national average only. Private pharmacies may pay more than the national average.

Anyone that wants a job in the health care industry without having to deal with patients hands on should consider becoming a pharmacy technician and the pharmacy technician salary can be quite rewarding. They get to work in a clean and typically low stress work environment that can be located in stores or hospitals. Their daily duties include preparing medications that have been prescribed, counting the tablets and making sure the bottles are labeled properly, as well as certain administrative duties. Some of those duties you can expect include answering the phone, working the cash register, and stocking shelves. Typically, you will also help customers with drug, prescription, and health information.

As a pharmacy technician, you will do a lot of work with the profiles of patients. Keeping them in order is crucial to running a smooth pharmacy, as you need to know what a person is taking. Some of the information in a patient’s profile will include their name, why they came to the pharmacy, what disease or problem they are dealing with, and their present condition. These profiles prove to be invaluable when communicating with patients. There are mail order pharmacies as well. In these types of operations, the pharmacy technician will get the mail prescription from the pharmacist. They will then double check to make sure the order is accurate and complete.

Other duties you can expect when earning a pharmacy technician salary include handling insurance forms and keeping track of over the counter medications. One thing to keep in mind about a career as a pharmacy technician is the fact that they have plenty of responsibilities and duties that can change constantly. They are really an important part of the pharmacy, as they are who keeps it running smoothly each day. You will be directly under the pharmacist, and it will be your responsibility to do whatever they need help with.

As a pharmacy technician, you might need to life heavy things and you will be on your feet for a large part of the time. If you feel like you can handle those duties, you will really appreciate the high pharmacy technician salary and excellent job outlook. It is a fantastic career for those that want to help people and enjoy flexible hours.

The following video gives a terrific introduction into a career as a pharmacy technician as well as how to get started: