If you’re interested in a new career, the pharmacy industry is booming. Some people spend over a decade learning to be a pharmacist and meeting the requirements. Not everybody is prepared to make this kind of commitment. You might just be concerned about what comes next. Some people have family and other commitments. The average pharmacy student can easily pull out six figures in student loans over the course of their education. If this doesn’t sound like the right choice for you, you’re not alone.
Pharmacy technicians can train in just a fraction of the time. Many can complete a program in about a year. In today’s market, pharmacy techs command a higher wage. They can also spread their wings and do more with their training. This means getting more involved in the pharmacy. Today’s technicians can play a supporting role in every part of the process.
Once you’re certified as a pharmacy technician, you can open doors in compounding pharmacies, hospitals, and more. Some facilities require pharmacies to provide daily doses. Others distribute larger amounts on a weekly or monthly basis. The majority of professionals end up working in retail pharmacies.
What to Expect from a Pharmacy Technician Career in Retail
A pharmacy technician’s day is busy and filled with challenges. When you’re in retail, you have to deal with the demands of customers and pharmacists. Pharmacy techs in retail provide patient counseling and call insurance companies. This ensures payments are processed promptly. Sorting prescriptions and doing the regular inventory are just as important.
Pharmacy techs in retail play a diverse role. Pharmacists might fill hundreds of prescriptions in just one day. Pharmacy techs today can ease that burden by taking care of the many supporting roles. Pharmacy techs are also trained to fill prescriptions. There’s nothing in a retail pharmacy that schools can’t prepare professionals for.
First, doctors diagnose patients and prescribe medications. Then they send them to a retail pharmacy. It’s up to professionals there to recognize things like drug interactions and even drug abuse. Patients aren’t always 100% honest, and doctors don’t always have the full picture. Retail pharmacies often put things together in a way others can’t.
For some students, this provides a sense of adventure. You’re always on your feet and onto the next task. For others, it’s all about job security. Wherever you go, you’ll always find retail pharmacies full of a need for qualified pharmacy techs. Retail technicians fill a diverse range of prescriptions every day. They also have a lot of contact with the general public every day.
Should You Consider a Career in Hospitals?
If you don’t like the idea of a retail career, you have plenty of other opportunities. Pharmacy techs who don’t pursue a career in retail pharmacies often go to hospitals. They prepare and dispense medications. Contact with the general public is minimized. Instead, they interact with doctors, nurses, and other professionals. This doesn’t just mean filling prescriptions. Pharmacy technicians also prepare IVs and other treatments. Sometimes, pharmacists will even make rounds in hospitals. Pharmacy technicians can assist them every step of the way. This is essential to get the right doses and combinations of different medications.
Hospital pharmacies work with different types of medications. Some are made for acute symptoms and emergency treatment. They can even be designed to save lives during heart attacks or other extreme medical events. Whether large or small, hospital pharmacists easily fill hundreds of prescriptions every day. To minimize mistakes and offer attention to detail, pharmacists need backup. Pharmacy techs are trained to provide all the backup and support for an efficient hospital pharmacy.
Is a Pharmacy Technician Career Right for You?
If you’ve considered a career in the medical industry, there’s no shortage of options available to you. It’s up to you to decide where you fit in. A pharmacy technician career can open doors with a lower investment. Instead of spending over a decade in school and other training, you can complete your school in about a year. Once you graduate, you’ll be ready to enter the job market immediately.
Most pharmacy techs work in retail. So even if you’re considering other career options, this could help you get your foot in the door. For more information on training and all your options with FVI School of Nursing and Technology, click here.
