If you want to land on a satisfying career as a pharmacy technician, you should invest on the best training program. Employers will surely scan deep into the details of your training as a pharmacy technician more that anything else in your resume. In enrolling in a pharmacy technician program, you have to look for a good academic curriculum, externship training and a pharmacy technician certification program. A brief information about the details of a pharmacy technician program are written below:
1. Academic curriculum for a pharmacy technician
As a background on being a pharmacy technician, you will have to study the basic medical concepts that involves pharmaceutical products. In addition, you also have to be familiarized with the practice codes that you have to follow as a pharmacy technician.
a. Anatomy and Physiology, Chemistry- These two subjects will give you the concepts oh how the human body works and how certain chemicals are formed and act on the body. This is important so that you will know the adverse effects that may happen to a person when errors occur.
b. Drug formulations and dosages- Since you will encounter drugs most of the time as a pharmacy technician; you will have to master the different formulations and dosages of pharmaceutical products. In this way, you will be able to decipher if a drug order or preparation is within its normal limitations.
c. Pharmacy Law- This subject orients you to the different state laws that govern tour practice as a pharmacy technician. The type of laws may vary from state to state but the rules and responsibilities of a pharmacy technician is usually the same.
d. Medical Billing- As a pharmacy technician, you will also be asked to facilitate matters that are related to medical billing. You will be asked to familiarize yourself on how to process insurances and medical codes related to it.
2. Pharmacy Technician’s Externship program
An externship program is basically your on the job training as a real pharmacy technician. In this program, you will be working in a real hospital or pharmaceutical setting but under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist. You will be taking hold of the duties and responsibilities of pharmacy technicians and acquire the skills you have to master. Some externships may consider your training as a paid one depending on the employer.
3. Acquiring your pharmacy technician certification
A pharmacy Technician certification may be optional but it will serve as your edge when you apply for a job. Obtaining a certification is evidence that you have met a state’s standards of professionalism as a pharmacy technician. You may opt to take the certification test by the Pharmacy Technician Certification
Board (PTCB) and the Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ICPT). There are a lot of schools that can prepare you well for a pharmacy technician certification.
A good training will always be your stepping stone towards a promising career as a pharmacy technician. But of course, it all depends on your work ethics and attitude as an employee.