New Mexico Pharmacy Tech School – NM

Educational Requirements for Pharmacy Technicians in New Mexico

Pharmacy technicians can be found working in retail or mail-order pharmacies, long-term care facilities, hospitals, and in other areas that use prescription medication. While the average national salary for a pharmacy technician is $28,500 (2008), certified and registered pharmacy technicians working in New Mexico make approximately $48,000 annually, or almost 60% more than their counterparts in other states. in New Mexico, as across the United States, professional opportunities for pharmacy techs should increase by 31% through 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In New Mexico, pharmacy technician schools and online programs provide training that will include: Federal and State laws and regulations that affect pharmacy practice; ethical and professional standards of practice. Also, 220 hours of either on-the-job or formal pharmacy technician education must be completed within the first year of registration. This must address the following areas: pharmaceutical terminology; medical terminology, symbols and abbreviations; pharmaceutical calculations; manufacturing, preparation, packaging, labeling and proper storage of drug products; dosage forms and routes of administration; trade and generic names for medications frequently dispensed by the pharmacy. If you choose formal training at an educational institution, you can find such programs at vocational and trade schools, community colleges, and online. If you choose to be trained on-the-job, your pharmacist-in-charge must keep and sign all documentation of a pharmacy technician's training.

The New Mexico Board of Pharmacy does not require continuing education hours. However, PTCB and ExCPT require 20 hours every two years, with one hour in pharmacy law, in order to renew certification. A list of some approved courses is at www.rld.state.nm.us/pharmacy/lawreview.

Through campus based and online programs, aspiring Pharmacy Techs in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Santa Fe, Rio Rancho and Roswell, New Mexico may be able to prepare themselves for the possibility of employment in some of the largest hospitals and healthcare facilities in the state including the St. Vincent Hospital, Presbyterian Hospital, St. Joseph Hospital and Memorial Medical Center.