If you’re looking for a healthcare career that doesn’t require clinical responsibilities simply y'all want to aid people, becoming a chemist's technician might be the path for you lot. It’s a field that’southward known for job security, constant learning on the job, and steady earnings that average more than $sixteen per hour or around $34,000 per yr. The U.s.a. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects faster than boilerplate job growth for pharmacy techs, making it a good option for anyone looking to break into the healthcare field.
Yous’ll be even more competitive in the field if you become certified. If this path sounds like something you’re interested in, learn about the main steps you demand to take in order to become certified as a chemist's tech and start working.
Check Off the Educational Requirements
You don’t need a college diploma to go a pharmacy technician, but you do need to have a high school diploma or your GED. Additionally, to become certified, you demand to complete an accredited training plan in chemist's engineering. This is a plan that’s typically available at local vocational schools and community colleges, merely you can also find them online.
You’ll have to cull between certificate and degree programs. The length of a certificate program is typically 1 twelvemonth or less. An associate caste program lasts longer, usually around two years. Both types of formal training programs cover topics like pharmacy law, ethics, medication dispensing methods, and medication names and uses. Many pharmacy technician programs too give students a run a risk to earn easily-on experience while completing clinical hours in a chemist's shop.
The Chemist's Technician Certification Board (PTCB) is the governing organization that awards credentials to pharmacy techs, and it’s likewise the entity that provides accreditation to school to verify that their courses meet certain standards. To utilize for your certification, you need to run into the PTCB’south eligibility requirements, which include completing a PTCB-approved preparation program. There’due south also an option for technicians who weren’t able to complete a PTCB-approved plan just have worked for at least 500 hours as a pharmacy technician.
You’ll also need to exist licensed in your land if you live in one of the states that crave information technology, and it’southward vital to look into this earlier pursuing certification. Your schoolhouse will likely discuss the licensing process with you if your state requires pharmacy techs to earn them.
You can apply for PTCB certification online. If canonical, you’ll get an e-mail assuasive you to schedule your test date and time. The certification test is given throughout the year at Pearson Professional Centers across the country. Keep in mind that, during the application process, you lot’ll accept to disclose whatever criminal by you lot may take or whatsoever deportment that were filed confronting your country-issued license.
Prepare for Your Certification Exam
In that location are resources bachelor to help you go ready for the test. Pearson VUE has a tutorial that lets you become more than familiar with how the exam itself works. You can too access practise exams and prep materials through the PTCB.
On the day of your scheduled exam, expect to spend around two hours taking the test. Y'all’ll need to go to the testing center around 30 minutes earlier your appointment. Make sure you lot bring valid photo identification for the bank check-in process. This computer-based test has 90 multiple-option questions, and your official score will be available inside three weeks or and so. If you pass, yous’ll be able to download your document or order a newspaper re-create. If you neglect, you’ll be able to retake the test after 60 days.
Maintain Your Certification
The PTCB requires yous to renew your certification every two years to keep the credential. You’ll be notified near your renewal date and tin can apply for renewal inside 60 days of your certification’s expiration engagement. If you miss your window for renewal, you’ll have to apply for reinstatement of your certification before you’ll exist able to resume your status equally an actively certified pharmacy technician.
To renew, you’ll need to consummate at least 20 hours of continuing education by attending in-person courses or activities or past completing online courses that meet recertification requirements. These include hourlong modules on both patient prophylactic and pharmacy law.
