Pharmacy Technician Pay: Is It Worth The Trouble?

The health care industry is thriving and the main force behind it is the aging US population. It's no big secret that as the population ages, more and more health care are needed by everybody. That's the main thrust behind the nursing profession boom. Nurses get paid well. Of course, other professionals who are properly trained to provide health care services will also do very well financially.

Additionally, with the election of President Obama, health care reform will be on the agenda. Americans have needed and President Obama has promised that health care is to be available to those who need it the most. What does this mean to a healthcare professional? It means jobs because their services are needed by millions.

Already we are seeing money flow in from the stimulus that Congress passed in February 2009 and signed into law by President Obama. It starts out as part of the stimulus plan to bring back the US economy. But more are coming as part of the President's budget.

What is a pharmacy technician?

One such group of service professionals are pharmacy technicians. They are an important piece of the puzzle. Pharmacy technicians are the main source of help for licensed pharmacists in providing medicine and other prescribed medical products to patients.

Pharmacy techs work in various type of health care facilities and service providers:

* In retail (such as WalMart or Rite Aid), pharmacy techs typically provide the customer service, the stocking of medicine and medical supplies, answer the phone, and other tasks.

* In hospitals and physicians offices, pharmacy technicians check prescriptions for accuracy, prepare the proper dosage of medicine, and maintain medicine data on the patients. They also assist as required by the licensed pharmacist.

What else is available for a pharmacy tech?

Aside from helping out licensed pharmacists, pharmacy technician careers are lucrative because they have plenty of options to move up within the financially rich health care or pharmaceutical industry.

From pharmacy tech school and other certified pharmacy training programs, students gain knowledge of the basics on sterilizing products, procedures and operations of hospitals and pharmacies, pharmacy law, and pharmacology. These are highly specialized skills needed by pharmacies, hospitals, and similar establishments. Coupled with a few years of experience, a trained pharmacy tech can truly become valuable and should be more promotable to higher positions.

For example, someone who's waiting to get into pharmacy school can work as a pharmacy technician in the meantime and learn the trade. The more you know about the industry and the practice, the better chances you have of getting into your school of choice. Hence, pharmacy technician training on-the-job can be very helpful.

Additionally, certified pharmacy technicians can move on to other positions in retail establishments or online pharmacies. They can become purchasers, inventory specialists, and technical sales representatives. Customers are always in need of advice. Since pharmacy techs deal with pharmacists and pharmaceutical products on a daily basis, the the ones who develop their business acumen will be in the best position for management and top administration.

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