1. Pharmacy Technician Programs Offer Fast Certification
Many careers in healthcare can require several years of education. In less than one year, however, you can complete your pharmacy technician training and be ready to take your pharmacy technician certification exam.
2. You Will Have a Portable Career
A career as a pharmacy technician is one you can take with you anywhere. Many employers who hire pharmacy technicians have locations across the United States. Your pharmacy technician certification is national and transfers to all states.
3. You Will Have Multiple Options for Employment
As a pharmacy technician, you have several options for employment. Each offers a different environment that may be suitable for your personality and interests. The following are a few examples of settings where pharmacy technicians work:
- Community or retail pharmacies
- Hospital pharmacies
- Compounding pharmacies
- Home healthcare facilities
- Pharmacy informatics
- Mail-order pharmacies
- Specialty pharmacies
- Veterinary pharmacies
4. You Can Have a Positive Effect in People’s Lives
As a pharmacy technician, you are often privy to people’s health and sometimes emotional struggles. You may be their only advocate in navigating a complex healthcare system. Taking a few minutes to make a phone call to a prescriber or an insurance company on behalf of a patient may be all it takes to alleviate their stress.
Working as a pharmacy technician, you will find many opportunities to make personal connections and bring about positive results in managing patients’ health. You may find that taking the time to listen attentively to patients’ concerns will do wonders to lighten their load.
5. Pharmacy Technicians Have Opportunities for Career Advancement
As you gain experience as a pharmacy technician, you will have opportunities for advancement. You can move up to positions such as lead technician, technician trainer, or medication inventory specialist. You may also find that you are interested in pursuing specialized areas of pharmacy technician work, such as the following:
- Compounding drugs
- Chemotherapy
- HIV medications
- Preparation of IV (intravenous) medications and other sterile products
- Vaccines
As healthcare evolves, so do the roles of pharmacy technicians. In the past, pharmacy technicians performed mostly clerical and cashier work. Now they are a more integral and supportive part of the pharmacy team. Responsibilities include filling prescriptions, compounding and mixing medications, and communicating with prescribers and insurance carriers.
As healthcare continues to change and pharmacists move to more clinical roles, new opportunities will open for technicians, such as roles in clinical settings or medication therapy management. As a pharmacy technician, you will be at the forefront of these exciting changes.
