According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are almost half a million pharmacy technicians working throughout the U.S. as of early 2022. They help people fill the prescription drugs they need and keep pharmacies stocked up with the right medications.
Would you like to become a pharmacy tech? If so, it’s not something you’re necessarily going to be able to do overnight.
You will need to take part in a pharmacy technician training program. You will also need to earn a pharmacy technician certificate. It’ll equip you with everything you’ll need to launch your new career.
Today, we’re going to explain how you can become a registered pharmacy technician. This will include talking about the various pharmacy technician certificate and licensing requirements.
Continue reading to obtain all the information you’ll need to get your pharmacy technician career off the ground.
Start by Making Sure You Want to Become a Pharmacy Technician
Working as a pharmacy technician could potentially turn into a lucrative career for you. But before you begin trying to become a pharmacy tech, you should make sure it’s the right career for you.
You’re going to need to familiarize yourself with prescription drugs and their uses and side effects to make it as a pharmacy technician. You’ll also need to be a trustworthy person to work as a pharmacy technician since you might be handling controlled substances on a regular basis.
It’s a good idea to be sure that you’re cut out to make it as a pharmacy technician from the beginning. It’ll help you avoid wasting a bunch of time getting the proper training to work as a pharmacy technician only to find that you aren’t a good fit for the position.
See How to Become a Licensed Pharmacy Technician in Your Specific State
The tricky part about becoming a pharmacy technician is that the requirements for it vary from one state to the next. Some states, like Hawaii, don’t have any requirements in place. Others, like Nevada, have a long list of requirements.
You should see which hoops your specific state is going to make you jump through to become a pharmacy technician. It’ll help you gauge how long it might take you to start your new career.
Sign Up for a Pharmacy Technician Training Program
In most states, you’re going to need to sign up for a pharmacy technician training program to break into the pharmaceutical business. If it’s a requirement in your state, you should be able to locate a school that will help you get the right pharmacy technician training.
Visit intercoast.edu to discover more about one pharmacy technician training program that will be available to you. It’ll put you in a position to become a certified pharmacy technician in no time at all.
Complete On-the-Job Pharmacy Technician Training
In addition to taking part in a pharmacy technician training program, you might also need to complete on-the-job training in your state. When you do this, you’ll actually work at a pharmacy underneath other pharmacy technicians and pharmacy managers.
If this is a requirement in your state, you should look around for a pharmacy that accepts those who need to complete on-the-job training. You should be able to find one that will take a chance on you.
If you take a pharmacy technician training program, the school that you take it through might also be able to lend a hand when it comes to finding a pharmacy for you to train at.
Register With the Board of Pharmacy in Your State
Many states will ask those who become pharmacy technicians to register with the Board of Pharmacy in their state before they begin working in a pharmacy. Some of the states that require this include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, Mississippi, and more.
It’s typically pretty easy to register with the Board of Pharmacy in a state. But you could get yourself into some big trouble if you don’t go through the process of doing it.
Begin Applying for Pharmacy Technician Jobs
Once you’ve done everything else that we’ve talked about here, you’ll be ready to begin trying to officially become a pharmacy technician. To do it, you’ll need to apply for any pharmacy technician jobs that you can find in your area.
There are currently tens of thousands of pharmacies and drug stores scattered throughout the country. It should make it simple for you to find one that is hiring pharmacy technicians at this time.
Apply for More Advanced Pharmacy-Related Jobs in the Future
After you start working as a pharmacy technician, you’ll be able to begin getting a lot of experience under your belt. It might help you to climb the ladder and work in more prestigious positions in a pharmacy.
For instance, you could find yourself working as a pharmacy manager one day. You could also find yourself trying to score jobs with pharmaceutical companies once you know the industry inside and out.
But it all starts with you meeting the necessary pharmacy technician certificate and licensing requirements. You won’t be able to do anything else until that has been done.
Get Your Hands on Your Pharmacy Technician Certificate
Becoming a pharmacy technician may not be as challenging as you might think. But you will need to take the right approach to carving out a career as a pharmacy technician.
You can start by taking each of the steps listed here to earn your pharmacy technician certificate. From there, you can take some serious strides towards working as a pharmacy technician in the not-too-distant future.
Browse through the rest of the articles posted on our blog to get more great career tips.
