Pharmacy Technician Classes

What to Expect from Pharmacy Technician Training

Looking to earn a living while making a positive difference in your community? As a pharmacy technician, you’ll assist pharmacists, organize your pharmacy, and make sure all patients can get the drugs they need as soon as possible. To do this job effectively, you’ll need a detailed understanding of the science, economics, and customer relations skills required to run a pharmacy. Look for pharmacy technician classes that provide:  

Scientific Studies

With the progressive aging of the population and the increase in chronic diseases in the United States, the demand for pharmaceuticals is on the rise. Pharmacists cannot fulfill this demand on their own, so they are increasingly turning to pharmacy technicians to fill patients prescriptions. This means that pharmacy technicians can no longer rely on pharmacists for detailed guidance, and must thus be able to perform basic pharmaceutical functions on their own. Choose pharmacy technician classes that teach you how to calculate doses, evaluate the basic properties and side effects of medications, and compound and measure those medications. The more you can do on your own, the more valuable you will be in the coming world of “telepharmacies.”  

Expert Education

The modern economy is rapidly changing, and pharmacies are no exception. Pharmacy technicians must be able to respond to shifts in technology, security protocols, medical science, regulations, and a myriad of other factors that define the way they do their job. To prepare them for these changes, pharmacy tech schools must bring in experts from all of these subjects. These should include not only experienced pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, but also researchers who study the pharmaceutical industry and make predictions for the future. The best classes will not only teach you all modern pharmacy facts and practices, but will also instill the skills to stay up to date on these facts and respond to future changes in the industry.  

Competent Customer Service

Patients are no longer content to passively follow instructions from their pharmacists and care providers. They want to understand the drugs they are taking, why they are taking them, and what alternatives there are. As a pharmacy technician, you’ll be in charge of most day-to-day interactions with patients, meaning you will have to answer the bulk of their questions. You must break down complex medical terminology, helping patients to understand how the drugs they’ve been assigned will treat their illnesses and make them feel better. The ideal pharmacy technician classes will teach you these customer relations skills, allowing you to give patients the information they need in a respectful manner.  

Savvy Shadowing

Formal classes can teach you the math and science knowledge, customer service practices, billing methods, and other skills needed to work in a pharmacy, but they can’t teach you how to put all of those skills together in practice. On a busy day, when all the staff are occupied and dozens of customers are asking for prescriptions, even the best pharmacy technicians may have trouble remembering everyone’s orders and filling them in a timely fashion. The only way to develop the necessary memory skills and good work habits to meet this challenge is to work in a pharmacy. By watching experienced technicians and gradually learning how to imitate their work, you’ll be able to ease your way into a perennially hectic field. Look for pharmacy technician classes that offer job shadowing opportunities and other internships.   Studying to become a pharmacy technician can be a great opportunity for anyone looking to find a great career. Despite that, you’ll want to know what you’re getting into. While these can be summed up as 4 crucial points to a great education, the most important point is to know your objectives before starting any program. By knowing your life goals, as they relate to your career, you can make sure to achieve your goals as efficiently as possible.   To learn more about the Southern Careers Institute pharmacy technician program click here.