A Pharmacy Technician assist the pharmacist in running all the clerical and routine tasks needed in a pharmacy. The value of this profession has gained wide recognition recently and their existence has been deemed as inevitable. Below please find some key tasks of this profession,
-monitor and manage all clerical works in the pharmacy
-check and monitor the stock level for all the different types of pills and medication, and ensure that they get replenished as and when they should
-check and monitor the stock level for the containers and bottles needed for the prescribed medicine
-Receive and fulfill the prescription drugs by counting, weighing, and fill up the prescribed bottle/container with proper labelling
-explain the usage of the medicine and how/when each of them need to be taken as well as receive payments from the patients
-fill up patients personnel info and records for each visit
Though there is no official education required for one to be qualified as a pharmacy technician, however it is never bad to get some kind of certification or training before hand. Currently there are lots of formal training which are available on laboratory, in classroom, and hands-on pharmacy experience. At the end of the program, the student is necessitated to pass the certification test to testify their skills.
According to the Occupational Employment Statistics survey programme, average pay ranges from $10.20 to $11.50 an hour for a beginner. For those who have more years of experience, and with relevant certifications will definitely get higher pay ranges from $ 15.00 to $ 18.00 an hour, with yearly wages of approximately $35,000.
Here's some quick glance of how this profession is paid in these several industries as of May 2008,
- General medical Hospitals with employment number - 54,350 with an average hourly mean wage of $ 15.5
- Grocery Stores with employment number - 20,120 with an average hourly mean wage of $ 13.70
- General merchandise Stores - 19160 with an average hourly mean wage of $ 12.80
- Department store - 16090 with an average hourly mean wage of $ 12.50
And
The Top paying industry for this occupation are :
- Offices of dentists - with an average hourly mean wage of $ 21.12
- Scientific Research and development services - with an average hourly mean wage of $ 18.20
- Medical and Diagnostic laboratories - with an average hourly mean wage of $ 17.75
There are many factors which may affect the salary of a pharmacy technician,
- Education level - the higher the level of education, the more attractive candidate you will be
- Certification -certification may qualify you for better pay and easier recruitment.
-Geographic location - employers in some area willing to pay more due to the local economy and the cost of living
-Type of employer - If you work at a hospital or a large retail chain, they are able to pay higher pharmacy technician salaries than some smaller independent pharmacies.
-Length of experience - With substantial years of experience, one will be paid better and with a better promotion opportunity
In the near future, the salary for a pharmacy technician is expected to increase gradually. Any career related to the healthcare field is a good career and will continue with this trend for the foreseeable future.
For more information about pharmacy technician careers and pharmacy technician study guides, visit PharmacyTechnicianEssentials.com.