Pharmacy technicians assist licensed pharmacists in selling prescription drugs at hospital, clinics or grocery pharmacies. Aside from coordinating with health care professionals, physicians, pharmacists and customers for verifying prescriptions, they also pack, measure and mix medications. They also perform clerical and administrative tasks such as answering phone calls. In bigger health care institutions, a pharmacy technician’s scope of tasks may even include preparing more complex medications like intravenous medications. They may also be authorized to administer and deliver medications to patients.
The Bureau of Labor and Statistics estimates that over 108,300 new positions will be added to the number of pharmacy technician jobs in the United States by 2020. Currently, there are 334,400 pharmacy technicians in the United States. As for job outlook, BLS data shows that career growth for pharmacy technicians is forecasted at 32 percent, which is considered faster than average.
Salary Range of Pharmacy Technicians in Different US States
The BLS reports that in 2010, pharmacy technicians earn a median annual wage of $28, 400 or $13.65 per hour. Salary.com reports a higher median average salary: $31,921. This salary is just the estimate for Pharmacy Technician 1 (Level 1) and may increase depending on experience, jurisdiction and demand for transcriptionists in the area.
Job opportunities abound for pharmacy technicians in the states of California, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Illinois and New York, based on BLS study. The said states employed 11,390 to 28, 670 pharmacy technicians in 2011. The said competitive markets also have a higher median annual wage for pharmacy technicians. For example, the median annual salary for California pharmacy technicians average at $38,380, or $18.45 per hour.
Pharmacy Technician Training Requirements
Aspiring pharmacy technicians do not need a college degree in order to qualify for training. A high school diploma or equivalent will do for the pre-training requirements. The same goes for employment requirements.
According to Salary.com’s profile for the job, pharmacy technician may not need prior training for the job itself, although some institutions prefer so. Employers also prefer pharmacy technicians who have had one to three years of experience of working for a health care provider.
What to Expect from the Job
Based on a study published on the website of the National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, certified pharmacy technicians have a low turnover rate at their place of work. Job satisfaction and career commitment are also reported to be at modest levels. Over 3,200 CPhTs were included in the sample, as provided by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. The study has also found out that pharmacy technicians receive high levels of support from shift supervisors, pharmacists and colleagues.
Resources:
http://www.meditec.com/pharmacy-technician-training/
http://www.bls.gov/
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