Pharmacy Technicians Jobs

Pharmacy technician jobs are responsible for assisting pharmacists distributing medication and other health care items to patients. Typically completing routine tasks to prepare the medication, they also must provide administrative assistance, such as answering telephones, stocking shelves, and operating cash registers. Pharmacy technicians work standard 40 hour work weeks, often similar schedules to pharmacists which includes evenings, weekends, and holidays.

There are few training and educational requirements for jobs in pharmacy technician from the State or Federal level. Most workers are trained on the job, although employers tend to favor individuals that have previous experience, completed training, and certification. There are two organizations that administer certification examinations, the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board and the Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians. These exams require their applicants to have at least a high school diploma or GED equivalent, have no felony convictions within 5 years of applying, and no drug or pharmacy related felony convictions ever. Both programs require recertification every two years, with 20 hours of continuing education within the 2 year certification period.

In 2006, there were 285,000 pharmacy technician careers with nearly 71 percent of jobs within retail pharmacies and a smaller percentage employed by hospitals. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is a projected increase of 32 percent during 2006 to 2016. This rate of pharmacy technician employment will be faster than the national average for all occupations. The demand will stem from the rising elderly population who will use more prescription drugs creating excellent job prospects from qualified professionals.

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