| Pharmacy Technician- a Career Option
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| | be formally educated and certified. Many
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| Becoming a pharmacy technician can be a
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| | employers offer to reimburse the cost of
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| rewarding career choice. This field has
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| | the examination as an incentive. Formal
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| good career prospects, monetary benefits
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| | education programs are offered by the
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| and rewards. Pharmacy technicians assist
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| | military and some hospitals. Proprietary
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| licensed pharmacists in providing health
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| | schools, community colleges and
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| care products and medications to
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| | vocational or technical colleges also
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| patients. They routinely prepare
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| | offer education programs.
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| prescribed medicines for the patients;
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| | Place and Nature of Work
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| for example, counting the tablets and
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| | Pharmacy technicians generally work in
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| fixing labels to bottles. The pharmacy
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| | hospitals, general medical and surgical
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| technician refers questions regarding
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| | stores, health and personal care stores,
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| drug information, prescriptions or health
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| | and retail or mail order pharmacies.
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| matters to the pharmacist.
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| | Their job responsibilities differ
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| Certification
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| | accordingly, and are dependent on
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| A National Pharmacy Technician
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| | applicable laws and other regulatory
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| Certification Examination, conducted by
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| | mandates of the state. They receive
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| the Pharmacy Technician Certification
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| | prescriptions in writing and requests
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| Board, which is held at various
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| | from patients for prescription refills. A
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| examination centers at a national level,
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| | doctor's office may also send a
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| has to be passed in order to become a
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| | prescription electronically.
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| Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).
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| | The pharmacy technician has to verify the
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| Candidates are required have a high
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| | information in the prescription, for
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| school diploma/GED, and must not have any
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| | completeness and accuracy. The
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| record of felony. Once qualified,
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| | preparation of the prescription requires
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| pharmacy technicians need to be
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| | the pharmacy technician to retrieve,
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| recertified every two years.
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| | count, pour, measure, weigh and
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| The eligibility criteria for
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| | occasionally mix the required medication.
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| recertification is to have completed
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| | They have to select the type of
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| twenty contact hours of pharmacy related
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| | prescription container, and create and
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| topics, within the two-year certification
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| | fix the labels on it. After it is filled,
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| period. Attending lectures, college
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| | they price the prescription and file it.
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| course work and on-the-job training are
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| | The pharmacist then checks this before it
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| all considered for awarding contact
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| | is given to the patient. Pharmacy
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| hours. It is mandatory to have a minimum
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| | technicians may be required to prepare
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| of one contact hour in pharmacy law.
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| | insurance claim forms, maintain patient
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| Flexibility allows contact hours to be
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| | profiles, and take an inventory of
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| earned from different sources. Up to ten
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| | over-the-counter prescription
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| contact hours can be earned by working
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| | medications.
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| under the direct supervision of a
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| | They must be aware of the latest
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| pharmacist.
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| | medicines and their availability. At
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| Other sources are attending pharmacy
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| | times, they also need to advise the
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| colleges, belonging to pharmacy
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| | patient about diet and health
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| associations, and pharmacy technician
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| | requirements. According to available
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| training programs. However, presently,
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| | records for 2004, pharmacy technicians
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| there is no federal requirement for
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| | earned median hourly wages of $11.37. The
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| formal training and certification of a
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| | highest figure was $16.61 and the lowest
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| pharmacy technician, although there may
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| | was $7.96.
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| be some states that do have such a
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| | A career as a pharmacy technician can be
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| requirement. Many employers provide
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| | pursued even without formal certification
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| on-the-job training to people and recruit
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| | in most states, and allows working in
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| them as pharmacy technicians.
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| | clean, organized work areas. It offers a
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| As reliance on pharmacy technicians
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| | reasonably good salary and benefit
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| continues to grow, more states and
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| | package.
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| employers require pharmacy technicians to
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