Pharmacy technicians help prepare and provide medications as well as other health care products to patients. Pharmacy technicians help with customer service by answering phones, speaking to doctors and verballing filling prescriptions. In retail settings, pharmacy technicians will go out on the retail floor to help a customer with other products. Pharmacy technicians are able to conduct duties that do not need the approval of the pharmacist. Pharmacy technicians report directly to the pharmacist.
Pharmacy technician courses offer you information needed to become a successful pharmacy technician. Completing a pharmacy technician course will allow you to confidently take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) exam in order to obtain national certification. Once certified, pharmacy technicians can expect an increase in pay as well as more employment opportunities throughout the industry. Becoming certified can lead to advancement opportunities such as becoming a lead technician in certain companies.
Pharmacy technician courses are designed to prepare individuals the PTCB exam. The PTCB exam is national exam that must be taken and passed in order to obtain a national pharmacy technician certification. Pharmacy technician courses are designed for national certification, not state certification. Certain states do require certification in order to be a practicing pharmacy technician. During pharmacy technician courses, students are taught a variety of topics such as pharmacy law, drug distribution, the top 200 drugs, human anatomy, virus review, basic pharmacology and more.
Courses to become a pharmacy technician can be taken through many local community colleges as well as through on-line colleges and programs. Some programs offer more information than others. Physical pharmacy technician classes are typically six weeks long. On-line classes often allow students to set their own pace. Once the course is over, students are not certified. Students must then set up an appointment to take the PTCB exam in order to become an officially certified pharmacy technician.