How to Get a Job as a Pharmacy Technician
There are several avenues job-seeking pharmacy technicians can take. “First of all there’s advanced certification programs, some of which our association offers, where a technician can get specialized in different areas and go into specialized practice areas,” Johnston says. Students contemplating pharmacy school should consider part-time careers as technicians. “Before they commit to a six-year college education program, it’s always a great opportunity to get some experience and make sure that is a career path that you are interested,” he says. “And it also provides a great job while you’re in school, so you’re studying and learning that material in a practical setting as well.”
What is the Job Like?
A pharmaceutical technician’s work might vary from day to day, and Johnston says the job offers a great deal of flexibility. Technicians could work nights or weekends, full-time or part-time. “There are a lot of pharmacies that operated 24 hours a day—both retail and institutional-based pharmacies—and then there’s also a great amount of flexibility as far as working part-time and full-time,” he says. “So really, whatever an individual’s desired schedule is, there’s a potential to find that type of schedule working as a pharmacy technician.”
The job has its share of stresses. “It’s a very demanding job. It’s a very serious job that requires a lot of accuracy,” Johnston says. Still, the profession comes with its share of rewards. Pharmacy technicians play an active part in helping a patient take better care of his or her body. They make a noticeable difference in the lives of the people they serve, and Johnston says there is a specific segment of pharmacy technicians who use their careers as stepping stones.
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