The Absolutely, Positively Best Way to Become a Pharmacy Technician
When searching for the best way to become a pharmacy technician, you are likely to be bombarded with conflicting information from schools, programs, and online classes, all of which say that they alone have the perfect solution. In fact, the best way to become a pharmacy technician is simple: you just need to look for a course that covers the following criteria.
Certifications
To work as a pharmacy technician in Texas, you need a Pharmacy Technician Certification (PTCE). The education you receive during your course should be designed to cover everything you need to pass the certification exam, including pharmacology, medication safety, sterile and non-sterile compounding, pharmacy quality assurance, medication order and fill process, pharmacy law and regulations, billing and reimbursement procedures, inventory management, and the use of pharmacy information systems. Some courses also offer preparation for other useful exams as a bonus, such as for the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS): Word certification.
Badges
As a pharmacy technician, you will also need to possess additional skills that are not tested in the PTCE, such as keyboarding, patient care, and proficiency with computer applications. The fastest way to let potential employers know what essential knowledge you acquired during your course is to achieve badges, which are offered by many Texas vocational schools. Your pharmacy technician program should allow you to achieve at least some of the following:
- Anatomy
- Medical terminology
- Diseases of the body
- Basic compounding
- Medical law and ethics
- MS Word
- Customer service
- Professionalism
- Communication
Program Length
Program length is another important consideration. The course should be short enough to prevent you from spending a long period in school, but not so short that it is unable to cover all the aspects of the PTCE and the other skills you need to work efficiently as a pharmacy technician. An ideal length is around 40 hours — the number of weeks this takes will vary depending on whether you study full time or part-time.
Internships
A final requirement of the best pharmacy technician courses should be the chance to participate in an internship. All employers want candidates to be experienced, meaning that the best way to be prepared for a job is to receive hands-on practice in a real work environment. Look for programs that offer internships in some of the top pharmacies in Texas to gain valuable experience. Pharmacy technician courses are offered in many places, but the best tend to come from vocational schools, due to their high-quality of education, reasonable course lengths, and opportunities for internships. When searching for trade schools in Texas that offer pharmacy technician programs, consider only those that fulfill all of the above.
