Becoming a pharmacist is a great career opportunity. Pharmacists are an important link in our health care system. They are responsible for dispensing prescription drugs and treatments along with educating the customers on important facts about their prescriptions including drug interactions and possible side effects.
Pharmacists can also work as chemists in compounding pharmacies, where they actually mix up new and specialized drug combinations that are individualized for the patient.
While it may seem at times that the pharmacists main job is to count little pills to put into bottles, that is much too simplified. A pharmacist must have detailed and extensive knowledge of ailments, drugs and treatments.
They must also have detailed knowledge of drug interactions including natural treatments such as herbs and botanical treatments.
Pharmacist Job Description
The pharmacist has the responsibility of making sure that the prescriptions are filled exactly to the doctor’s specifications and in a safe manner. Many pharmacists are more versed in drug interactions and possible complications than the doctors they work with.
Therefore, doctors and pharmacists work very closely to ensure the best treatments for their patients. Pharmacists must also keep detailed medical records on patients and they must check the patients history in order to avoid possible complications.
Pharmacists can also manage or own their own pharmacies. If their pharmacy is a compounding pharmacy they must also have extensive knowledge of chemistry, biology and more.
In managing or owning a pharmacy other responsibilities will also arise such as the hiring and supervising of employees, product procurement and other aspects of running a business.
Pharmacists are also trained in drug therapies. Within these therapies are specialized medicines including treatments in oncology, intravenous nutritional support and much more.
There is also a need for pharmacists in the continuously growing field of clinical trials. There will always be new drugs and new treatments that need to be tested.
Pharmacists are responsible for many things that may not be clearly evident. Therefore the education of a pharmacist is crucial. Traditionally, pharmacists have worked in drug stores and pharmacies within the community. They are also employed at local hospitals, clinics and hospices.
There are also pharmacists needed at the wholesale level and at the big pharmaceutical companies that are in the business of developing new drugs and treatments.
Average Pharmacist Salary And Work Week
Pharmacists typically work a regular 40-hour week with a couple of days off, of course. Many pharmacies are open on Saturdays and some are even open on Sundays though so a pharmacist may need to work on the weekends.
If the pharmacist is in a managerial position or an ownership position, the hours would expand as needed. Many self-employed pharmacists put in many more than 40 each week.
The salaries and pay grade for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians vary around the country with geographical locations and levels of education and experience.
The median expected salary for a typical Pharmacist in the United States is $56,406 to $126,191. However, being a pharmacist is a growing and expanding occupation and the job and wage outlook is strong well into the future.
Continuing Education Requirements For Pharmacy Technicians
Continuing education requirements are important for professional pharmacy technicians because it is important to update your education and stay abreast of changes and advancements in the field.
The typical continuing education requirements for pharmacy technicians to renew their certifications is 20 hours every 2 years.
After you are certified it is not necessary to repeat the certification test but it is required that you update your knowledge and your resume with the continuing education requirements.
The classes tend to be useful and geared toward working professionals, so you should be able to gain some useful knowledge from this continuing education requirement.
There is a large variety of pharmacy technician continuing education classes that you can take. You should be able to find some that match your interests so that you can learn more about specialized fields.
There are classes that range from such subjects as diabetes treatments, to pediatric care or geriatric care, to classes on specific types of medications or medications for certain ailments. You should be able to find many that suit your needs and interests.
In order to complete your continuing education, you must be pass the final exam for the course. Before you can renew your license or your certification you must complete the 20 hours and pass the final exams for the courses that you took.
Most professionals who are certified or require licenses in order to practice must take continuing education courses in order to renew their licenses.
This is because there are always advances in every field and working professionals need to keep up with their changes within their industry.
For the pharmacy technician, the continuing education course work must be offered by an ACPE accredited provider, which is overseen by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. When your certification or license is up for renewal you will likely receive many offers from schools that offer the classes that you will need to take.
Verify that the courses are ACPE accredited and if they are you can select the school of your choice. It is also possible that you will be able to take your coursework online from the comfort of your own home.
The technology that allows this is really helpful for working professionals, usually you can complete the coursework on your own schedule and that can really simplify things for working professionals.
Continuing Education For Pharmacy Technicians
The National Pharmacy Technician Association (NPTA) offers a number of accredited CE programs for technicians. Another place to look for continuing education courses is the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).
Some Other Places To Look For Continuing Education
The American College of Clinical Pharmacy
George Washington University Medical Center
The University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education
However, the school must confirm that you have assimilated the information and actually learned from the class. Therefore, often the final test is either proctored, which means that when you take the test you are overseen by an impartial individual, called a proctor, who monitors or supervises you as you complete the exam.
The proctor ensures the security and integrity of the exam process, making sure that you do not cheat in any way.
Sometimes the online programs will also have surprise testing throughout the course, which makes it impossible for the student to skip over material. Either way, the school needs to make sure that you have mastered the material before it can give you a passing grade.
If you do not complete your continuing education prior to the expiration of your license your certification and your career could actually be in jeopardy because you are not allowed to practice without a license.
Therefore, the continuing education requirement is an important part of your career that you should always take seriously.
4 Tips To Pass The Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam
Pharmacies can be busy places and with customers lined up to get their prescription filled, the pharmacists often need an assistant. A pharmacy technician’s role is to assist the pharmacists with the day-to-day responsibilities of running a pharmacy.
The pharmacy technician can count out pills and capsules to fill the patient’s prescriptions, they can take orders for the prescriptions, set appointments, label the medications and prescriptions, keep files on the patients and more.
However, a pharmacy technician cannot dispense medical advice to a patient only a licensed pharmacist can legally do that.
Tip 1 – While it is possible to get a job as a pharmacy technician with no prior training, typically pharmacists prefer to hire someone with some education that relates to the job.
In order to have the highest potential for the best jobs as a pharmacy technician you can apply to take the pharmacy technician certification test.
If you pass the exam you will be a certified pharmacy technician and this will offer you better opportunities and a higher pay scale.
The pharmacy technician certification exam is currently offered by the pharmacy technician certification board.
You can register to take the test anytime, however, it is wise to have some background knowledge before you commit to taking the test.
Tip 2 – You will need to get a good idea of what will be covered on the test. You can usually find this information out by checking out the websites for the pharmacy technician certification board.
Tip 3 – After that you will need to study for the test so that you will be able to pass it. Try to avoid putting off studying until the last minute and trying to cram the night before as that probably will not serve you.
It is usually best to study over a period of time so that you can retain the knowledge and access it when you take the test.
Tip 4 – You may want to study with a group. If you have taken any classes for pharmacy technicians or if you happen to be in an online group, you should be able to find some people who also need to take the test with whom you can create a study group.
It may also be helpful to get some actual real-life experience in a pharmacy so if you can get a part-time job it could be very helpful.
The test is not extremely difficult but as with all tests it is smart to study and know the material before you take the test.
There are fees to take the test so if you fail, although you can take the test again, it will end up costing you more money. Better to just study and prepare so that you can pass the test on the first try.
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