Download Pharmacy Technician Program Career Guide

Average salary for experienced Pharmacy
Technicians ranges from $28,070 to $29,120
per year or $ 13.50 to$14.00 per hour.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (the
U.S. Department of Labor),
pharmacy technicians can expect:
 Median Hourly wage: $12.32 per
hour.
 Lowest wage: $8.56 per hour.
 Highest Wage: $17.65 per hour.
 Median hourly wage for hospitals:
$13.86.
 Median hourly wage for grocery
stores: $12.78.
 Median hourly wage for pharmacies and
drug stores: $11.50.
PayScale.com indicates the median hourly
wages based on experience for Pharmacy
Technicians are:
 0-4 years - $10.00/hr
 5-9 years - $12.10/hr
 10-19 years - $14.00
 20+ years - $14.62
However, median hourly wages differ by city
and state. For example, the median hour rate
for Chicago is $11.44 whereas the median hourly rate for Los Angeles is $14.43. For
the most up-to-date information on salaries
and employment prospects, visit these
websites:
For the most up-to-date information
on salaries and employment prospects, visit
these websites:
 www.PayScale.com
 www.allalliedhealthschools.com
 www.pharmacytechnician.org
 www.bls.gov/oco/ocos252.htm
Certification:
Two organizations administer national certification
examinations for pharmacy technicians. They are the
Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) and
the Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy
Technicians (ICPT). Where as a license is granted by a
governmental agency and gives permission to practice
a profession, certification is granted by a
non-governmental organization in the recognition for
meeting specific qualifications determined by the
organizations. Certification for Pharmacy
Technicians is awarded to those individuals who
are “proficient in the knowledge and skills
needed to assist pharmacists to safely,
accurately and efficiently prepare and dispense
prescriptions and to promote high standards
of practice for Pharmacy
Technicians.” (ICPT)
Proficiency is demonstrated by meeting all
eligibly requirements and passing a
standardized national examinations. For more
information about Pharmacy Technician
certifications, visit these websites:
 www.ptcb.org
 www.nationaltechexam.org
Why Certification?
There are several reasons for certification.
Reasons include, greater opportunities for
employment, promotions, pay increases,
increased self-worth, improved job satisfaction,
increased knowledge, recognition of high standards in
knowledge and skills and promotion of safe and
effective patient care. Certification is also needed to
meet some state licensing requirements. Some states
now require certification, but not all. This is becoming
a national trend and 100% certification is a goal that
has been set by the National Board of Pharmacy.
Pharmacy Technician
Program
Career Guide
Pharmacy Technician Program
Job Description:
The Pharmacy Technician helps the
licensed pharmacist provide
medications and other health care
products in a variety of settings such as the
hospital, nursing home,
assisted-living facility, and retail
pharmacy. Helping the licensed
pharmacist includes; verifying
prescription information and preparing prescriptions by retrieving, counting, pouring,
weighing, measuring or mixing medications
as well as labeling
prescription bottles. Help is also given by
providing administrative duties such as
maintaining patient profiles, completing insurance forms, inventorying stock, stocking
shelves, answering the phone and operating
the cash register. In
hospitals and in long-term and assisted-living
facilities, the pharmacy technician takes on
the duty of preparing patients’ 24 hour
supply of medications.
Scope of Practice:
The Pharmacy Technician works under
the direct supervision of a licensed
pharmacist; and prescriptions filled by
a pharmacy technician must be
checked by a pharmacist before it is
given to the patient. Patient questions
about prescriptions, drugs, and health
issues are referred to a pharmacist.
Work Settings:
Pharmacy Technicians work in a
variety of settings. These settings
include; hospitals, nursing homes, and other
long-term facilities, assisted-living facilities,
grocery stores, drug stores, retail chains and
mail-order pharmacies .
To provide services in these settings, Pharmacy
Technicians may work evenings, nights, weekends
and holidays. Pharmacy Technicians work in
environments that require they spend most of
the day on their feet to retrieve inventory, and
stock medications. Pharmacy Technicians are also
required to go up and down ladders as well as lift
boxes.
Required Attributes:
The pharmacy technician is responsible for
verifying prescription information and
preparing prescriptions. In light of the effects of
the medications, this responsibility can be a
matter of life and death. Therefore, the pharmacy
technician must be precise and have the ability to
work with details as well as possess reading, math
and spelling skills. The pharmacy technician must
be an alert, observant, dedicated and responsible
person.
Purpose of Training:
The purpose of training is to develop skills
necessary for safe practice, customer service,
and team work. Safe practice involves
learning:
 Medical and pharmaceutical terminology
 Names, actions, uses and doses of
medications
 Pharmaceutical techniques
 Pharmaceutical calculations
 Pharmacy recordkeeping
 Pharmacy law and ethics
Learning safe practice is necessary because
paying attention to details and being precise
maintains patient/client safety in light of the
effects of medications. Learning communications
and people skills is important because pharmacy
technicians work in settings that involve
interaction with patient/clients, coworkers and
other health care professionals. The advantage of
formal training is employability. As the demand
for pharmaceutical products and services
increase, pharmacists will be looking for
qualified pharmacy technicians. Pharmacy
technicians with formal educations,
experience, and national certifications can
become supervisors, mentors and specialists.
Employment Prospects:
The need for pharmacy technicians is growing
and therefore the prospects for employment
are excellent. This growth is due to:
 Retailers expanding pharmaceutical
services.
 Advancements in the number and types of
pharmaceutical products.
 Pharmacists taking an active role in direct
patient care.
 Increase demand for aging
populations.
According to the National Pharmacy
Technician Associations, the growth rate for
Pharmacy Technician jobs within the next 10
years will be 28% whereby 39,000 Pharmacy
Technician jobs will open each year. The
Federal Government expects a 32% increase in
pharmacy technician jobs from 2006 to 2016.
For 2006 the Federal Government reported
285,000 pharmacy technicians held jobs in
which 71% were in retails, 18% were in
hospitals, and 11% were in mail order or internet pharmacies, physicians’ offices,
pharmaceutical wholesalers and the Federal
Government. Although these statistics reflect
the nation, they also apply to Quincy and the
surrounding tri-state area.
Salary Expectations:
Pharmacy Technicians can expect the
median salary to be $23,650, average starting
salary is $20,800 per year or $10.00 per hour.