How to Be a Good Pharmacy Technician

Although most pharmacy technicians receive informaltechnician training programs.
on-the-job training, employers surely favor those5. Strong customer service and teamwork skills are
who have completed formal training and have beenneeded because pharmacy technicians interact with
certificated. Formal pharmacy technician educationpatients, coworkers, and health care professionals
programs require some classroom and laboratory98% of their time
work in a variety of areas, including medical and6. One need to have good skills and strong
pharmaceutical terminology, pharmaceuticalbackground in Mathematics, Spelling, and Reading as
calculations, pharmacy recordkeeping, pharmaceuticalthe pre-requisite to be a good pharmacy technicians.
techniques, and pharmacy law and ethics. TechniciansSuccessful pharmacy technicians are alert, observant,
also are required to learn medication names, actions,organized, dedicated, and responsible. They should be
uses, and doses. Many training programs includewilling and able to take directions, but be able to
internships, in which students gain hands-onwork independently without supervisory and constant
experience in actual pharmacies.instructions.
How to be a good pharmacy Technician? What kind7. Someone whom are familiar with medical
of criteria do one need to be a good pharmacyterminology and well aware of all the medications,
technician?pills, injection fluids which are in the pharmacy in their
1. Prospective pharmacy technicians gain their workingscientific terms as well as more layman names.
experience as an aide in a community pharmacy or8. Good interpersonal skills to deal with a wide variety
volunteering in a hospital before the actualof individuals in a team. He should be a team player,
employment. Applicants with mass experienceand mix along well with the rest of the team mates.
managing medicine inventories, counting tablets,9. He needs to be someone who is adaptable to
measuring dosages, and using computers as much asperforming multiple tasks. He need to be capable to
skillful in most of the clerical work is definitely anhandle all kinds of instructions given by the
added bonuspharmacists at any one time. He needs to be
2. To learn and grasp the knowledge of pharmacycomputer savvy as well to utilize the best of
technician's fast, a background in chemistry, English,computer to complete his tasks accurately and in the
Biology, Chemistry and Health education of any typeshortest time.
may be beneficial.10. A pharmacy technician must be precise when
3. Gain the certification and other qualifications. Boththey deal with medications and the necessary doses
the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board and thefor different patients, which will either heal or kill the
Institute for the Certification of Pharmacyone who consumed them; therefore details are
Technicians, administer national certificationsometimes a matter of life and death. Thus, the
examinations. To be eligible for either exam,responsibility of the pharmacy technicians is very
candidates must have a high school diploma or GED,important as they deal with medications.
no felony convictions of any kind within 3-5 years of11. Candidates interested in becoming pharmacy
applying, and no drug or pharmacy related felonytechnicians cannot have prior records of drug or
convictions history before. Employers, oftensubstance abuse.
pharmacists, know that individuals who pass the12. Good pharmacy technician deserve a good career
exam have a standardized body of knowledge andadvancement. In large pharmacies and health-systems
skills.or even government hospitals, pharmacy technicians
4. One should get recertified every 2 years with 20with significant training, experience and certification
hours of continuing education within the 2-yearcan be promoted to supervisory positions, mentoring
certification period and at least 1 hour must be inand training pharmacy technicians with less
pharmacy law. Continuing education hours can beexperience. Some may even advance into specialty
earned from several different sources, includingpositions such as chemo therapy technician and
colleges, pharmacy associations, and pharmacynuclear pharmacy technician.