Although most pharmacy technicians receive informal on-the-job training, employers surely favor those who have completed formal training and are certified. Formal pharmacy technician education programs require some classroom and laboratory work in a variety of areas, including pharmaceutical and medical terminology, pharmaceutical calculations, pharmaceutical record keeping, pharmaceutical techniques, and the law and pharmaceutical ethics. Technicians are also required to learn the names, actions, uses, and dosages of the drugs. Many training programs include internships, in which students gain hands-on experience in real pharmacies.

How to be a good Pharmacy Technician? What kind of criteria are needed to be a good pharmacy technician?

1. Prospective Pharmacy Technicians gain their work experience as an aide at a community pharmacy or as a volunteer at a hospital prior to actual employment. Applicants with massive experience managing drug inventories, tablet counting, dose measurement, and using computers as well as skilled in most administrative work are definitely an added bonus.

2. To learn and grasp the knowledge of the pharmacy technician quickly, it can be beneficial to have a background in chemistry, English, biology, chemistry and health education of any kind.

3. Get certified and other qualifications. Both the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board and the Institute for Pharmacy Technician Certification administer national certification exams. To be eligible for either exam, candidates must have a high school diploma or GED, have no felony convictions of any kind within 3-5 years of applying, and have no prior conviction history. for drug or pharmacy felonies. Employers, often pharmacists, know that people who pass the exam have a standardized set of knowledge and skills.

4. One must recertify every 2 years with 20 hours of continuing education within the 2 year certification period and at least 1 hour must be in pharmaceutical law. Continuing education hours can be obtained from a number of different sources, including universities, pharmacy associations, and pharmacy technician training programs.

5. Strong customer service and teamwork skills are needed because Pharmacy Technicians interact with patients, co-workers, and healthcare professionals 98% of their time.

6. It is necessary to have good skills and a strong background in math, spelling and reading as a prerequisite to be a good pharmacy technician. Successful pharmacy technicians are alert, observant, organized, dedicated, and responsible. They must be willing and able to follow instructions, but be able to work independently without constant supervision or instructions.

7. Someone who is familiar with medical terminology and well aware of all drugs, pills, injection fluids found in the pharmacy in their scientific terms as well as simpler names.

8. Good interpersonal skills to deal with a wide variety of people in a team. Must be a team player and blend in well with the rest of the teammates.

9. It has to be someone who adapts to multitasking. You need to be able to handle all kinds of instructions given by pharmacists at any time. You also need to be computer savvy to use the best of the computer to complete your tasks accurately and in the shortest possible time.

10. A pharmacy technician must be precise when handling medications and the necessary doses for different patients, which will cure or kill the person who consumes them; therefore the details are sometimes a matter of life and death. Therefore, the responsibility of pharmacy technicians is very important in dealing with medications.

11. Candidates interested in becoming a pharmacy technician cannot have a history of drug or substance abuse.

12. A good pharmacy technician deserves a good professional promotion. In large pharmacies and healthcare systems or even in public hospitals, pharmacy technicians with significant training, experience and certification can be promoted to supervisory positions, mentoring and training less experienced pharmacy technicians. Some may even advance to specialized positions, such as chemotherapy technician and nuclear pharmacy technician.