1. Write a brief yet compelling objective.

Other than your personal details, the first thing that catches the eye of a potential employer is the objective. It is important for you to write your personal and career objectives in a concise and persuasive manner so that the employer will read the rest of your resume.

The objective should give emphasis on your interest to attain a further specialization in your profession while accentuating your desire for professional growth. When these details are included in your objective, it is an indication that you are indeed committed to your career as a pharmacy technician.

2. Highlight your qualifications.

What makes you qualified for the job that you are applying for? This is one of the questions that should be answered clearly on your resume. Clearly state a summary of your qualifications which include education and special skills. Include the degree you have finished, trainings you have accomplished, your licensure as well as academic honors that you have received.

If you have any special skills that will make you do a better job such as being fluent in another language or being knowledgeable on insurance policies for billing and reimbursement and other relevant skills.

3. Expand on your Work Experience.

When it comes to your employment history, it should include here all relevant work experiences that you have. For a recent graduate pharmacy technician, you should include your clinical rotations, internships, preceptorships and externships.

You can also include other jobs that you had even if these are non-pharmacy related to validate your job stability. One important thing that you should keep in mind is that you should avoid writing a generic list on your responsibilities for the jobs that you had.

Instead, include a rich description of your duties to give the potential employer an outlook of what to expect from you. Finally, you should be honest regarding these data since most employers will do a reference check to validate what you have on your resume.

4. If you are a member of any professional associations, then you should include them in your resume. Include an Affiliate Section in your resume where you can list down your memberships such as the NPTA or the AAPT. If you attended any workshops or seminars that are related to your work, then you should also show them off.

5. Review your resume thoroughly when you are done.

Great resumes are not created in a hurry, these are written with precision to make sure that everything is right. You should make sure that there are no grammatical or spelling errors. Also, if you can keep your resume to a single page, it would be better since with the number of resumes that hiring managers have to go through, they might not read the second page. Just put the important details on your resume and for the other details, you can save them for the interview.

Creating a good resume is not at all hard as long as you know what to do. With these tips on how to create a great pharmacy technician resume, you will be able to do it easily which is your key to finding the best job for you.

One of the main Pharmacy Technician Education Requirements is certification from the state board of pharmacy. There are a few positions that will provide training on the job; however, technical and community colleges are the main institutions for the training of pharmacy technicians. In addition to the education requirements, an individual wishing to get into the field should also possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
A high school student wishing to enroll on a pharmacy technician program should have received good grades in the subjects of math’s and biology. If not they will need to study them as prerequisite courses in college. It is also recommended that students have good keyboard skills.

The Pharmacy Technician Program will require that you take courses in subjects such as drug therapy, biology, biochemistry, medical terminology, chemistry, as well as classes related to the business side of pharmacy, including inventory and record keeping.

CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS
The certificate programs in each state will vary; however, they are a lot more widespread than degree programs. Some of the certificate programs only last between three and four months. There are some that are several semesters in length. Some colleges require that you complete a minimum amount of study hours over three semesters. There is also a fast track certificate program lasting 23 weeks; this course requires 15 weeks of study in a laboratory, and eight weeks taking hands on practical work on an internship. The eight weeks will be split into four weeks in an institutional pharmacy and four weeks in a community pharmacy.

DEGREE PROGRAMS
While it is most common to study for a certificate program to become a Pharmacy Technician, there are a number of degree programs across the country. The Foothill College in California offers a program both preparing students to become pharmacy technicians, as well as giving them the option to transfer over to a four year university or college. The course offered is a two year associate degree.

The North Seattle Community College in the state of Washington offers a course requiring 90 quarter hours, which comprise of the requirements for a certificate as well as the general courses necessary for a degree. The course offered is an Associate of Applied Science.

CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
Each state will have different requirements for the continued education of a pharmacy technician. In service training is 10 hours long. This takes up half out of the 20 hours required for continued education every two years. The continued education should be held under the supervision of a pharmacist supervisor. In service training should not consist of your normal working duties, the pharmacist is to assign special training projects in order to enhance the personal improvement of the certified technician.

These are the basic Pharmacy Technician Education Requirements.

It is a test of pharmacy technician skills that will be performed on the job. The exam is comprised of 125 multiple choice questions, and 15 of the questions are non scored. These additional questions are for the purpose of a pre test, and the results are not included in your final score. The exam is three hours in length, it is not an easy exam, and therefore it is essential that you spend time studying beforehand. Here are some Tips on Pharmacy Technician Test Prep.

To take the PTCE, you must be a student at one of the Pharmacy Technician schools. You will then need to equipped yourself with a copy of the exam guide for the Pharmacy Technician Certification. The official title of the study guide is “Guidebook to Certification.”

The PTCB are responsible for publishing it. This guide is your greatest weapon to passing the test; therefore study it religiously, and learn each and every concept in the book as this will provide you with all you need to successfully pass the exam. You can download a copy of the book from the PTCB website.

If you work in a pharmacy, ask one of the supervising pharmacists to give you some advice about the exam. You can ask if they would be so kind as to provide you with some study tips, or have them give you a short test on the specific pharmacy technician knowledge. If you are not yet working for a pharmacy, take a trip to your local pharmacy and ask if the head pharmacist there will have the time to help you with your preparations.

The PTCB website has a practice test on their site that you can take as many times as you require. You should take this test on a regular basis to see how you are progressing with the new information that you are learning. After taking the test a few times, you should feel confident that you will be able to pass the test successfully.

On the day of the test, be sure to arrive at least 30 minutes ahead of schedule. You will need to fill out a number of forms, being early means you won’t have to rush, which can lead to you feeling nervous. Don’t stay up the night before getting in last minute practice, make sure that you have a full eight hours sleep. Don’t bring along any personal property such as a cell phone to the testing center. The examination will take place on a computer, you do not need any writing materials and you are provided with a calculator.

The only way to make sure that you are prepared for an exam is if you take the time out to study. You should start studying at least three months before you take an exam.

The above are some helpful Tips on Pharmacy Technician Test Prep. Good Luck!

When deciding on a certain career, one of the most recommended careers these days is being a pharmacy technician. If you love working with people, in a demanding and fast paced environment, then this is certainly the career for you. Before making the decision, you are perhaps asking the question that every aspiring pharmacy technician asks – how to become a pharmacy technician.

Requirements for Becoming a Pharmacy Technician

The first step in becoming a certified pharmacy technician is to fulfil the requirements that are required. Here is a list of the necessary requirements on becoming a pharmacy technician.

 Educational requirements: You will need a high school diploma or the equivalent for those who are non U. S. Candidates. You will also need to finish a formal training program from accredited vocational schools, community colleges, the military and hospitals that offer pharmacy technician programs. These formal programs can take around six months to two years, depending on the program that you are going to enrol with.

 Pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination.

 A declaration of the whole truth regarding criminal offenses if there are any.

 Declaration of State Board of Pharmacy licensure or registration actions.

 Compliance with the policies of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board.

When you have fulfilled these requirements, then you can become a pharmacy technician which is one of the growing jobs today.

Getting your Pharmacy Technician Certification

Before you can get a job as a pharmacy technician, you must first obtain a certification which allows you to practice this said profession. Upon completion of the educational requirements, you will need to take the examination for pharmacy technicians to test if you are knowledgeable enough to perform the job. When you pass the exam, you have the capacity to be a competent and proficient pharmacy technician. You are then called a certified pharmacy technician or CPhT. Afterwards, you should register with the board of pharmacy in the state where you live. With these, you will have the chance of getting better job opportunities.

Characteristics of a Good Pharmacy Technician

Becoming a pharmacy technician does not just require education and certification for you will also need the right qualities so that you will be able to do your job well. A necessary quality that you should have is good customer service skills so that you can easily deal with your patients, customers and the other people whom you work with. Good communication skills are also needed so that you will be able to establish good relationships with your clients and workmates.

Of course, you will also need to have the basic skills on reading, math and spelling. These three are very important for your job since you are dealing with medications which can be life saving if given right or it could lead to death if the wrong one is taken. Finally, precision is very important for all pharmacy technicians. Everyone is not perfect but for this kind of job, errors are not allowed. You will need to be precise in what you do since even little differences in medication dosages could be a matter of life and death.

With increasing job opportunities, being a pharmacy technician is indeed a growing career. When you know how to become a pharmacy technician, then you will be guided on how to start with this wonderful career.

With the growth of employment opportunities for pharmacy technicians, it is now one of the best careers these days. If you are interested in this profession it is but necessary for you to know the different qualifications to become a pharmacy technician so that you will know where to start.

Education Requirements for Pharmacy Technicians

Unlike other professions, there is actually no national training standard required for pharmacy technicians. However, a formal training and certification is strongly recommended since employers prefer those who have these. These will also give you the chance to apply for better job opportunities where you can have a higher pay, more incentives and better working environment.

When you attend a formal pharmacy technician education, you can choose to have the training from different organizations. You can study in vocational schools, universities, community colleges and hospitals. You can even study through online programs offered by various schools.

These formal training programs can range from six months to two years, depending on the institution where you are studying and the course of study that you are taking whether it is a diploma, a certificate or an associate’s degree. These are designed to edify you on the different concepts and practices that are necessary for this profession. Some of the topics that you will study are pharmacology, pharmacy law and ethics, terminologies in medicine and pharmacology, recordkeeping and pharmaceutical calculations.

Aside from having classroom lectures, you will undergo internships where you will be able to gain a hands-on experience on doing the jobs of a pharmacy technician in actual pharmacies.

Pharmacy Technician Certification

Before you can work as a pharmacy technician after finishing your training program, you will need the examination that is conducted by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. When you pass this exam, it means that you have gained the necessary knowledge that is required of a pharmacy technician. However, before you can take the certification exam, you will need to have these prerequisites:

 A high school diploma or the equivalent for foreign examinees.
 No felony convictions
 No drug-related offenses and misdemeanors
 Not under restrictions from the State Board of Pharmacy

In addition to these prerequisites, there will be an application fee that you will have to pay but most of the time, your employers will reimburse the fee to you. When you have passed the exam, you will be awarded with the title Certified Pharmacy Technician or CPhT.

Your certification should be renewed every two years. The recertification will require you to have twenty hours of continuing education which can be taken from colleges, seminars, training programs or pharmacy associations.

A pharmacy technician does not just need education and certification for you will also need the right characteristics so that you can perform your job well. You will need good communication skills so that you can interact well with your patients, other employees and other healthcare professionals. And of course, you will need good customer service skills and precision in what you do. When you have these characteristics, you can do your job with ease.When you have all these qualifications to become a pharmacy technician, then you will be able to have a good start in having a fulfilling career.

I am really excited to share this part to all of you. We all know that any individual who wants to get certified or qualified in any career that he or she is pursuing, he or she must undergo a qualified training or academic activity.

Being a Pharmacy Technician does require a serious training or study course. This is not so surprising because we all know that a Pharmacy Technician would deal with real people and prescription drugs everyday.

Listed are some of the TOP ten schools for Pharmacy Technician in random order.

Sanford-Brown College – This college offers laboratory and clinical lectures and engage in externship training so that their students could have a boost on the real world of a Pharmacy Technician.

They also have training programs that focuses on the following subjects:

• Pharmacy Computing
• Medication Preparation
• Inventory and Billing
• Customer Service

*Please note that this College is available to students living somewhere around Texas and Ohio.

Sanford-Brown Institute – This institute provides separate lectures, laboratory class, clinical portion and actual externship programs.

This institute also cover training for the following areas:

• Pharmacy Computing
• Medication Preparation
• Billing
• Customer Service

*Please note that this Institute is available to students living somewhere around Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

YTI Career Institute – This institute aims to give guidance to it’s students and also focuses on their success and professional development. This Institute also has a 1-year diploma program for Pharmacy Technician.

This institute mostly covers the following subjects:

• Computing
• Medical Terminology
• Pharmacologic calculations
• Pharmacy laws
• Pharmacy Ethics
• Pharmacology

*Please note that this Institute has 2 campuses in Pennsylvania.

National College – Offers 1-year and 2-year associate degree programs.

This college tackles the following:

• Appropriate medical terminology
• Medicine administration
• Medicine calculations
• Health-care law and ethics
• Human relations
• Microsoft Office software course

*Please note that this College is available to students living somewhere around Tennessee, Ohio and Indiana.

Everest College – Offers Pharmacy Technician training and certificate

This College covers the following:

• Anatomy
• Physiology and nutrition
• Pharmacy administration
• Pharmaceutical calculations
• Customer service
• Organizational and computer skills.

*Please note that this College is available to students living somewhere around California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Washington.

US Career Institute – This institute offers a pure 4-Month Pharmacy Technician online course.

The programs tackles the following:

• Human body
• Drugs and dosage
• Pharmacy operations
• Prepares students for the CPhT certification exam

*Since this institute is purely web based, it mostly cover interested candidates nationwide.

Kaplan College – This college continuously provides courses that is related to medical field including diploma program for Pharmacy Technician.

Kaplan’s precedence to provide education to career starters marked a guarantee up to this time.

*Kindly note that this college offers certificate program at their Denver Campus and diploma programs in locations like: California, Nevada, Arizona, and Wisconsin.

Brown Mackie College – This offers Pharmacy Technician assosciate degree.

Their coverage includes but are not limited to the following:

• Medical terminology
• Anatomy
• Physiology
• Pharmacy procedures
• Medical administration

*Please note that this College is available to students living somewhere around Ohio, Kentucky, and Georgia.

Remington College – Offers Pharmacy Technician diploma program.

Their coverage includes but are not limited to the following:

• Pharmacology
• Anatomy
• Physiology
• Dosage calculation
• NPTA sterile products certification
• Readying their students for PTCB’s certification exam.

*Please note that this College is available to students living somewhere around Ohio, Louisiana, Texas, Colorado, Arkansas, Tennessee and Alabama.

Virginia College – Do offers Pharmacy Technician – Certificate, Diploma, and Associate Programs.

Their coverage includes but are not limited to the following:

• Patient Consultations
• Counter Dispensing
• Prescription Preparation (in retail and hospital)
• Assist their students on career placement programs

*Please note that this College is available to students living somewhere around Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and Tennessee, and the associate degree is offered in Florida.

In your pursuit to academic learning always remember that everything lies within you. There is no perfect institution that gives everything in an instant, learning entails hardwork, dedication and intuition.

There are many Pharmacy Technician Schools out there, it is highly recommended to seek reviews, advise, or referral to your targeted school before fully engaging yourself in their system.

Wishing you all the best on your school hunting!

Instead of hiring a new batch of licensed pharmacists to aide each other in the work process why not hire a Pharmacy Technician instead? The process of Pharmacy technician training is a lot more convenient and won’t be quite a hassle unlike training brand new pharmacists.

They aren’t as knowledgeable as licensed pharmacists but they are eligible enough to become an assistant to the licensed pharmacists that work in your pharmacy or drug store.

When you’re in the process of hiring a pharmacy technician make sure to ask them various questions to challenge their knowledge, questions like: “Do they know basic prescriptions?”, “What kind of dose should be given?”,

Labels for medicine, and you should also check if their attitude is also quite inviting. You might need them to answer phones at times and operate the cash register. When asked about their salary make sure you base it also on their experience.

In the United States they offer about $10-$15 per hour.

Once you have hired a pharmacy technician you’ll have to train them. Just like the hiring process you’ll have to refresh their memories on what kind of medicines are for what kind of sicknesses because at times they will have to handle customers and they will be giving out medicine.

You don’t want to hire someone who just gives out random prescription drugs to one of your clients. After they’ve proven themselves as responsible pharmacy technicians when it comes to distribution of prescription drugs it’ll be time to take it to the next phase of pharmacy technician training.

The next phase would be the administrative functions training. In this phase of training you’ll have to train them to answer phones, stock shelves, and operate the cash register. This phase will move quick and easy if the people you’ve hired are knowledgeable in prescription drugs and have aced the first part of the pharmacy technician training.

But if they didn’t pass phase one it might be difficult to have them work on stocking shelves and operating the cash register, especially if there aren’t any pharmacists for them to ask questions to. Answering the phone is a straightforward job. They have to answer the phone and present great phone etiquette.

Stocking shelves would probably be a “once a week job” since your company probably doesn’t stock up on medicine every day; be sure the person you assign to stock shelves has mastered this phase of pharmacy technician training though.

Last but not the least thing you’ll need to train your pharmacy technicians would be to operate the cash register. The only thing you’ll need to teach them when they’re working on the cash register is to be polite, be knowledgeable, and always smile. Customers love being smiled at; it shows them that the technician or anyone working the register is enjoying their job.

Pharmacy technician training may sound a bit simple in terms of tasks and responsibilities. Thus, a pharmacy technician needs to be equipped with the right and proper training in order to work efficiently.

If you feel you have the interest to be part of this industry, you will certainly perform well, as long as you are determined to undergo the appropriate training as a pharmacy technician.

I really recommend every people to deeply contemplate on whatever career path they would like to pursue. Always remember that money should always come secondary, for your primary purpose should always lie on your utmost interest in life. Sticking with your primary purpose would make any job easier for you.

I have sighted below, some important keys and roles of a Pharmacy Technician.

Are you ready for a Pharmacy Technician Job?

It is true that most of us require medications at some point in life. Whether you receive them during a hospital stay or you have to pick them up after a doctor’s visit, your medicines have probably been touched by a pharmacy technician. These men and women are found in every pharmacy and work side by side with the pharmacist. Pharmacy technician jobs are quite varied, and require skills in many different areas.

Because technicians do handle medicines on a daily basis, some knowledge of the field is very helpful. One way that you can receive this knowledge is to enroll in a certification program.

You get started on becoming a Pharmacy Tech through:

• Schools that offer this program both in a campus setting or via the internet.
• Check on some purely based online courses.

It is essential for you to find the best way to learn and absorb the lessons that is being rendered in your chosen school. With perseverance and hard work, you can often finish the needed classes in a year and be ready to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE).

Not all states require pharmacy technicians to be certified, but certification always looks good on a resume.

Of course, even after you have landed a job, it is important to keep your skills up to date, which is why continuing education is required yearly.

If you are interested in this field, you may want to know that there are several types of pharmacies where technicians are needed, and each of these areas have slightly different job descriptions.

The main places that require pharmacy technicians are:

• Retail Pharmacies
• Mail order pharmacies
• Hospitals
• Nursing facilities
• Care facilities

While each of these positions are slightly different, there is a good bit of overlap.

Regardless of which area you work in, you will have to count medications and enter orders.

*Telephone skills will be an asset in any of these fields, although who you spend time talking to may differ depending on the type of pharmacy in which you work.

THE PHARMACY TECHNICIAN’S ROLE IN VARIOUS PLACES

Working in a Retail Pharmacy or Mail Order Pharmacy

Pharmacy Technicians that work in a retail or mail order pharmacy may find much of the day on the phone with insurance companies. As a retail worker you will also need to have great people skills since you will handle much of the customer service. It is also important to note that retail technicians may need some extra knowledge about over the counter medications in order to help customers. If you choose this line of work, you will need to be friendly and able to deal with people.

Working in a Hospital or other Nursing Facilities

Pharmacy Technicians that work in Hospital and long term care facilities normally have more technical jobs than a retail pharmacy. If you work in these types of pharmacies, you will probably spend a lot time on the phone with floor nurses or doctors. Filling IV bags and dispensing medicines to floors rather than patients are some of the things that make these jobs different than retail. While hospital techs need to be friendly, they spend far less time interacting with patients. Dealing with insurance companies is usually left to someone in an office rather than the technician.

Pharmacy Tech’s MUST HAVE SKILLS:

• people skills
• telephone skills
• basic computer skills
• customer service
• knowledge in medications (prescription or over the counter)
• friendly aura

This may be a perk for some people, but keep in mind that anything is possible with perseverance and a lot of job exposure.

If you are interested in this career opportunity, it is good to note that pharmacy technicians are in high demand.

Salaries in this field range from around $23,000 to around $54,000 per year depending on education, place of employment, and experience.

After all, medical related jobs are considered stable compare to other careers. Pharmacy technician jobs are a great fit for people who want to help others. It may be a great fit for you!

I have written an article below regarding the pertaining rate of salary a Pharmacy Technician makes or could make.

Searching For Pharmacy Technician Salary in Your Area?

Working under the direct supervision of a Pharmacist, a Pharmacy Technician assists the Pharmacist in the daily tasks of servicing patients. Their duties may include, billing and crediting patients, keeping records and interpreting medical orders concerning prescriptions.

The national salary range for a Pharmacy Technician salary can range between $20,000 to $40,000 per year. Somtimes their salaries can be distressed by the type or size of the pharmacy and or job responsibilities. Of course a non-certified technician doesn’t earn as much as one that is certified.

Pharmacy Techs may earn a higher paid salary working for dentists’ offices and hospitals and the least at a drugstore.

The highest earning state in the field of Pharmacology is Alaska but it is Missouri that clusters the highest numbers in the field of Pharmacy Technicians. The median salary can sometimes reach $10 and $15 with more experience but can expect a payscale between $9 to $12 an hours with an entry level position.

The highest range in pay are in the sectors of scientist research and government where the salary range could reach well over $50,000 per year. Pharmacy Technicians in California, Hawaii and Washington earn between $35,000 and $36,000 per year.

Pharmacy Technicians earn benefits such as 401k, paid sick leave, insurance and educational training. The career field is steadily increasing due to an aging population and medical discoveries. Educational prerequisites include a high school diploma or equivalent and training from an accredited vocational school or college.

Training can take anywhere from six months to 2 years varying by location and program requirements. A degree or certification isn’t mandatory but having either will significantly increase a Pharmacy Technician salary.

By the year 2016 the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects a significant rise in the career field that may increase the creation of 91,000 jobs.

Pharmacy Technicians are in great demand and they provide a valuable service in the industry.

Unfortunately there is usually limited advancement in the field but many go on to pursue a career as a pharmacist. However, those Pharmacy Techs with acceptable experience can be promoted to supervisory positions, henceforth seeing a wage increase.

Pharmacy Technician candidate must be compliant to the following:

• A Pharmacy Technician must be registered in the state with the state board of pharmaceuticals and must have completed at least 20 hours of continuing education before license renewal.
• License must be renewed every two years. You must not have any denials of license in any state and no suspensions whatsoever.
• The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board must approve your certification.
• Certification of this license improves your salary and job prospects.
• A Pharmacy Technician must pay very close attention to his or her work detailing accurate and properly dispensed meds.
• Another skill that a Pharmacy Tech must acquire is customer service, you must show legitimate concern for your patients so that patient feels comfortable and cared for.

In this way you get repetitive patients who trust you to take care of them. A Pharmacy Technician salary is important but the clients health, well being and level of trust is just as important and will play a significant role in the success of your career.