How To Become Registered Pharmacist Technician

How to Become a Chemist's Technician - Instruction & Certification Guide

In recent years, the demand for healthcare services has skyrocketed. The Baby Boomer generation'south increased need for medical attention and the expansion of wellness insurance coverage to millions of people, thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), has created a massive demand for healthcare occupations, including pharmacy technicians. In fact, in 2021, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that healthcare occupations are amongst the fastest-growing sectors in the economy at 16 percentage overall. As part of this ballooning marketplace, openings for pharmacy technicians are besides expected to grow 4 percent between 2020 and 2030, which is somewhat slower than the national boilerplate (eight percent).

Nevertheless, due to increased workloads brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic and pharmaceutical regulations, pharmaceutical technicians (also known as "chemist's techs") volition likely be in loftier need in the coming years.

Before the pandemic, one of the biggest public health crises in the Us was the corruption of prescription opioids. A trouble that has plagued the The states for more 20 years, opioid addiction is still running rampant. In a 2019 report, the Centers for Affliction Control (CDC) reported that over seventy percent of the 71,000 drug overdose deaths involved an opioid. Furthermore, the total spending on pharmaceutical drugs increases every year, with Americans spending $539 billion on medicines in 2020.

In short, with the pharmaceutical manufacture poised for continued growth and multiple public health crises raging, qualified chemist's technicians volition probable exist needed for tasks such equally prescription refills and Covid-19 nasal swab tests.

So what exercise pharmacy technicians do? The BLS states that these professionals perform a variety of functions under licensed pharmacists, such as measuring medications; labeling and packaging prescriptions; interim equally liaisons betwixt customers and healthcare workers; delivering medicine to patients, nursing stations, or surgical rooms; managing and organizing pharmaceutical inventories; and accepting payment for medications. Many of the duties are learned on the job, and these technicians may work in drugstores, grocery stores, nursing homes, hospitals, or other medical settings. Since some pharmacies are open 24 hours per mean solar day, some of these professionals work nights and weekends, although, with increased seniority, they may have more than control over their schedules.

In May 2020, the BLS showed that 415,310 pharmacy technicians across the land made average annual salaries of $36,450. Although regulations for this profession are constantly evolving, chemist's shop technicians by and large have at least a high school diploma. Co-ordinate to O*Net—a partner of the United states government's American Job Centre—36 percent of working pharmacy technicians take a high school education equally their highest completed degree, and 42 percent held postsecondary certificates.

That said, it may be advisable to pursue post-secondary instruction in this field. The Chemist's shop Technician Certification Board (PTCB) offers its certification exam to candidates who have completed a PTCB-recognized teaching or preparation programme or have equivalent work feel.

Read on to discover how to become a pharmacy technician and what to know about professional person certification and program accreditation.

Steps to Get a Pharmacy Technician

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Although paths in this field may vary, hither is one possible path to becoming a certified chemist's shop technician:

Step one: Earn a loftier school diploma or the equivalent (four years).

Successful pharmacy technicians typically have strong mathematics, chemistry, biology, and physiology backgrounds. At this stage, some students may choose to volunteer at a infirmary or in another healthcare setting to get exposure in the field and strengthen their interpersonal skills.

Pace two: Graduate from an accredited pharmacy technician training programme (approximately one year).

Pharmaceutical technicians seeking certification through the American Society of Wellness-System Pharmacists (ASHP) need to accept graduated from an ASHP/ACPE-accredited grooming program. Recently, the ASHP and ACPE jointly formed the Pharmacy Technician Accreditation Commission (PTAC). ASHP developed a model curriculum in this subject field comprising units in client-facing skills and professional person part awareness, among others.

Pima Medical Institute is an example of an ASHP-accredited programme with campuses in several states and offers a pharmacy technician program. This 35.5-credit plan is offered on-campus and via hybrid methods and specializes in pharmacology, pharmacy math, and chemistry fundamentals. This program prepares its graduates for the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (CPhT) administered past the PTCB.

Prospective students should call the campus to confirm they tin can attend and fulfill academic and professional requirements due to state authority limitations, which involve rules prohibiting some students from attending online schools in states where they do not reside.

Location: multiple campuses in the The states
Duration: Ix months
Accreditation: American Social club of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)
Tuition: Due north/A

Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, offers the only accredited hospital-based pharmacy technician programme in the The states. Students in this program have twenty weeks to complete ten online courses modules and larn through 300 hours of in-person experience at the Cleveland Clinic Master Campus. The Ohio State Lath approves this plan of Career Colleges and Schools.

To apply, students must complete an application, show a copy of their loftier school diploma, consummate a phone and on-site interview, earn passing scores in math and reading, and pass a background bank check.

Location: Cleveland, OH
Duration: One yr
Accreditation: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the Accreditation Quango for Pharmacy Didactics
Tuition: $two,500

Remington College has campuses beyond southern states and has a pharmacy technician diploma program. The program emphasizes teaching students about drug interactions, medical abbreviations, and patient care. Courses include beginning assist, career development, computers, and chemist's law and ideals. In improver to didactic lectures, students utilise their learning in faux chemist's shop environments. Graduates from this program pursue careers in retail pharmacies, hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities.

Location: multiple campuses in southern states
Duration: N/A
Accreditation: American Guild of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)
Tuition: $fifteen,601 per yr

Please visit our page on chemist's shop technician schools for other programs—including online chemist's shop technician training options.

Step three: Get certified past national and regional certification bodies (timeline varies).

Although non all states require pharmacy technicians to be certified, many employers prefer it. The National Association of Boards of Chemist's shop (NABP) has a listing of contact data for each state'south board to verify whether or not pharmacy techs must be certified.

In that location are two central national certification bodies for this profession: the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) and the National Healthcareer Association (NHA). All l states accept the PTCB certification, and the NHA certification is nationally best-selling. Both types of certifications require the candidate to have a high schoolhouse diploma and successfully pass an test.

In addition to becoming a certified pharmacy technician (CPhT), some candidates cull to further enhance their credentials with other certifications in areas such as certified compounded sterile preparation technician (CSPT).

Footstep four: Maintain agile certification (every two years).

Certifications from PTCB and NHA must be renewed every two years. In addition, PTCB requires completing 20 continuing educational activity (CE) hours, and NHA requires ten continuing instruction units.

Delight reference the department below for more information on professional certification.

Pharmacy Technician Certification

The two main bodies which provide national certification are the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) and the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

The rules surrounding the certification, registration, or licensure of pharmacy techs vary past state. The Pharmacy Technician Certification Lath (PTCB)—i of the two national certification bodies—reports that 46 states currently regulate people in this profession, and 23 states and territories require PTCB certification specifically. Students tin can call up regional rules by contacting the specific Board of Pharmacy, a listing provided by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP).

The get-go certification organization—the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), offers the CPhT credential and requires candidates to have completed a chemist's shop tech program accredited by the Chemist's Technician Accreditation Commission (PTAC). The PTCB'due south Chemist's Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) is a two-60 minutes, reckoner-based test comprising 90 questions in 9 areas such as pharmacology for technicians; pharmacy laws & regulations; medication safe; and medication lodge entry; and fill process. In addition, pharmacy technicians certified by PTCB must renew every two years after completing 20 continued teaching (CE) hours.

The second certification system—the National Healthcareer Association (NHA), offers the ExCPT test to earn a CPhT credential. Candidates who either take at to the lowest degree i,200 hours of supervised pharmacy experience or have completed a pharmacy technician education program within the past five years tin sit down for this exam. The 100-question exam tests similar areas as the PTCE. Chemist's technicians certified by NHA must renew every two years following the completion of x CE hours.

Finally, the Accreditation Council for Chemist's shop Education (ACPE) reports that CE hours are "a structured educational activity designed or intended to support the continuing development of pharmacists and chemist's shop technicians to maintain and enhance their competence." Organizations that offer CE opportunities include:

American Association of Pharmacy Technicians
American Pharmacists Association
National Pharmacy Technician Association
PharmacyTechCE

Pharmacy Tech Program Accreditation

Earlier enrolling in pharmacy technician training, students are encouraged to verify a program's plan's program's accreditation condition. Accreditation can serve equally an indicator of programme quality as administrators review the curricula, methods, and outcomes of programs.

To be eligible for certification, the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board requires candidates to take completed an instruction program accredited by the Pharmacy Technician Accreditation Commission (PTAC)—a joint try between the American Guild of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).

Overall, standards regulating chemist's shop technicians have been moving toward increased oversight through professional person certification and program accreditation. Therefore, people interested in this profession are urged to check the latest regulations posited by land and national organizations in this field before applying and enrolling in their school of choice.

Jocelyn Blore

Jocelyn Blore Managing Editor

Subsequently graduating from UC Berkeley, Jocelyn traveled the world for five years as freelance author and English instructor. Later on stints in Japan, Brazil, Nepal, and Argentina, she took an 11-month road trip across the US, finally settling into lovely Eugene, OR. When Jocelyn isn't writing almost higher programs or interviewing professors, she satirizes global politics and other absurdities at Blore's Razor (Instagram: @bloresrazor). Thank you for beingness interested.