Detailed Information on Pharmacy Technician

By Subodh Maheshwari

Job, Jobs, Career

Who are pharmacy technicians? Pharmacy technicians can be termed as working professionals, who are well trained through education, training and numerous degree programs to work and assist pharmacist to carry out various functions in a pharmacy settings. They work under the direct supervision of pharmacist and provide quality and safe service to patients and public for their numerous daily medication requirements.

Job Duties

The basic duty of technicians is to assist pharmacist in preparation of prescriptions. They provide safe and effective services to customers for their different everyday medication needs. Other duties of these professionals include, labeling bottles, arrange, measure and mix medications in the right proportions as per patient requirements.

They also carry out various administrative functions, together with numerous other pharmacy works. On few occasions, they inform the customers about the use and misuse of drugs, their interrelated reactions and effects on the body. They also make customers aware of pre-cautions that are necessary for taking specific medications. It is also their duty to get well versed with state and federal pharmacy laws to carry out safe and effective customer services.

Degrees and Certifications

Diplomas, Degrees, Certificates and Certification are essential for a technician to avail better job with lucrative salary. There are many online and local community colleges, schools and trade schools that provide different courses to train and widen the medication knowledge of Pharmacy professionals. The courses also prepare technicians for PTCB Certification test.

Wages

Wages of a technician varies as per his/her job location, working experience, odd hour duties, trainings, educations and size of a pharmacy. The average salary of a pharmacy professional is around $25,000 per annum to $40,000 p.a. and per hours pay scale comes to nearly $ 9 to $17.

The rapid advancement in medical science and discoveries of many innovative life saving drugs have led to mushrooming of innumerable number of pharmacies all over the country, which have also started stiff competition and better salary for a Technician.

Therefore, future bodes well for pharmacy professionals and, future career in this field offers, better job and higher salary prospects.