The salary in pharmacy technician jobs ranged between $8 and $14 per hour in 2008. However, 10% of people in pharmacy technician jobs earned more than $18 per hour during the same period. Generally, certified candidates earn more than uncertified candidates in pharmacy technician jobs. Since, pharmacy is a 24-hour occupation, pharmacy technician part-time jobs are as common as full-time jobs for a pharmacy technician.
Pharmacy technician jobs: Educational requirements
As mentioned above, certification from formal technical educational programs help to add job security and greater earnings to candidates aspiring for pharmacy technician jobs. Though most part-time pharmacy technician jobs do not have any standard training requirements, most States and full-time employers require a high school diploma or equivalent. The greater percentage of people in pharmacy technician jobs receives informal training on-the-job, and work-experience has great value in this occupational field. Usually, informal training ranges between 3 and 12 months, while formal certification programs can range from 6 months to 2 years.
Pharmacy technician jobs: Working conditions
In most states, a person needs to be registered with the State board of pharmacy in order to be eligible for pharmacy technician jobs. There are few opportunities for advancement in designation, though in large companies, promotion from dealing in counters to supervisory levels is not unheard of. Advancement through subject specialization like chemotherapy or nuclear pharmacy is also available, though not common, as few people want to leave the security of working in the job of a pharmacy technician at the base level.
Pharmacy work is exclusively in-house unless there are exceptional emergency field requirements as during natural calamities like tsunamis or hurricanes. People working in jobs as pharmacy technicians usually enjoy well-ventilated and well-lighted working environments. Varying time-schedules are one of the reasons of the high percentage of part-time pharmacy technician jobs as work schedules may fall on any time of the day or night and also on holidays. Pharmacy access is related to the right to life of citizens and major facilities need to be manned 24 hours a day, and 365 days a year. So, working in shifts and rotating between employees engaged in full-time and part-time pharmacy technician jobs is the only option for the industry.
Responsibilities in jobs of pharmacy technicians
People in pharmacy technician jobs usually involve working under a licensed pharmacist. Pharmacy technicians in smaller organizations help pharmacists in dispensing medicines and supplemental health products to patients. The jobs of pharmacy technicians may involve both administrative duties like maintaining inventories or handling customers, and technical tasks like preparing prescribed medications.
