Pharmacy Technician Career Path

By Ashley Boyce, an allied health world staff writer
Published: January 7th, 2010

Steps to becoming a pharmacy technician:

Research the specifics of the daily work by talking to a pharmacist or pharmacy tech in person. If possible, arrange to job shadow through an independently owned pharmacy as corporate owned pharmacies have policies that restrict non-licensed personnel from entering.
Research pharmacy tech programs through your local community or vocational school, or through an online university.
Consider national pharmacy technician certification through either the PTCB or ICPT organizations to earn the CPhT credential so as to boost your pay and qualify for licensure in most states.
Study for and pass your state’s board of pharmacy exam to earn the state-specific licensure necessary to work as a pharmacy tech.
Search online job postings and begin your exciting career as a pharmacy technician.

What are some current hot topics in the pharmacy tech profession?

In January of 2009 a new set of standards governing the check-system for verification of proper pharmaceutical dosage was signed into law in the state of Ohio in response to a recent tragedy. The statute, known as Emily’s Law, was named for a young cancer patient who received a fatal dose of chemotherapy in her final chemo session soon after getting an excellent prognosis on the likelihood of full recovery. A pharmacy tech had prepared the IV with 20 times the standard dosage of sodium chloride, yet her work passed the standard check through the certified pharmacist on duty.

Emily’s law requires pharmacy techs to be at least 18 years of age, to pass a criminal background check, and to be registered with the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy which involves passing a state board-approved competency exam. The legislation also sets new standards for pharmacy technician training and education for pharmacy techs.

Though this law has only been enacted in the State of Ohio, it is monumental in that it represents the first legislation of its kind in Pharmacy Technician Career Path

the U.S. The legislation has been presented to congress by the senate representatives from both Ohio and Maine who are pushing for it to be enacted on a federal level. The event of Emily’s untimely death drew attention to inadequacies in standards and regulations governing the work of pharmacy techs nationwide. Emily’s law has created a new standard for safety and verification that has encouraged other states to follow suit voluntarily.

Are there opportunities for exposure to the work to see if it would be a good fit?

Job shadowing and internships for those who are not doing so as a specific part of a pharmacy technician training program are uncommon, but not unheard of. The best chance at being able to get some first-hand exposure to the work of a pharmacy tech would be through an independently owned pharmacy where management can make the decision to allow a prospective pharmacy tech to be on the premises. A corporate owned pharmacy would operate under strict policies barring any unlicensed individual from being in the pharmacy, and would not grant an exception. Independent research and a conversation with a neighborhood pharmacy tech is the most common way to gain familiarity with the job to determine if it would be a good fit.

What character traits befit a good pharmacy tech?

One pharmacy tech we interviewed said: “If you don’t like working with the public, you probably won’t make a good pharmacy tech.” More than anything, the need to be friendly, outgoing, and customer service oriented was stressed by the pharmacy technicians we spoke with. By the very nature of the work, it is not uncommon to deal with people who don’t feel well physically. In some cases customers may be irritable or even in severe pain. This creates a situation in which the pharmacy tech bares the brunt of customers’ frustration with anything that might interfere with or slow the process by which they receive their medicine. This would be the case if an insurance company refuses to cover the cost of certain medication or if a prescribed drug is currently out of stock at the pharmacy. In all cases, the pharmacy tech is expected to maintain the highest level of empathy and professionalism while working to resolve the issue. One pharmacy tech we spoke with told us that the ability to work with frustrated and sometimes angry customers without taking it personally is vital to being a good pharmacy tech.

Good pharmacy techs must also be well-organized, analytical types that work well as part of a team in what are sometimes close quarters. The ability to multi-task is important as the job will frequently require pharmacy techs to work with multiple clients requiring very different types of medicine simultaneously, all while taking calls and receiving and processing faxed or emailed prescriptions. The need to be exceedingly detail-oriented and extremely focused is also imperative since misidentifying drugs or mixing prescriptions would have potentially disastrous effects.