How to get Pharmacy technician certification?

Should I be a Dental Assistant or a Pharmacy Technician?

• Considering the economy and the demand for both professions, which one should I go for? Im going to get my training and certification at a specialized school. I was thinking CHI Institute. Do I also have to complete any college courses to do these jobs after I took the specialized training? Because I'm planning on doing this training first, getting, a job, then going to college for other studies. Or should I take the pharmacy technician program through my college(I'm past the deadline for applying to the dental assisting classes)? Sound like a good idea?

• Answer:

  First of all, do NOT waste your money on classes if you don't have to. Most states don't require any schooling past a HS diploma/GED. Find out the requirements to become a tech in your state; Google "[your state name] state board of pharmacy". I'm sure that you can do the same for your state board of dentistry. Being a pharmacy technician is NOT a glamor job. It is hard and very stressful. The most stressful thing about the job is the customers. You must be 110% prepared to not take anything personally; you need to have a very tough skin for this job. 9 out of 10 customers are already angry when they come to the pharmacy, either because their insurance company won't pay for anything or their doctor wouldn't prescribe them what they wanted or their prescription wasn't filled fast enough or. . .a million other things. You WILL get yelled at by customers *every day*. You WILL get called every name in the book. These people are brutal. The pharmacist also WILL NOT back you up or come to your aid in these situations; you are totally on your own to diffuse the angry customer. Also, there is a reason why most of the pharmacy techs that you see are college students: this is an entry-level, dead-end job with terrible hours, terrible pay, and virtually no advancement opportunities. If you think that you can buy a car, buy a house, get married, support your kids, and live for the rest of your life on close to minimum wage, then go for it. Most pharmacy technicians are only in this job for 5 years or less, simply because the pay is so bad. Hospitals pay well, but most ask for at least 3+ years of retail pharmacy experience. When you are first starting out, it is almost guaranteed that you will be exclusively working nights and weekends. You will also be mostly operating the cash register and answering the phone (doesn't matter if you are certified or not for this part!). Of course, you will also be working holidays. The national exam (I took the PTCE) is fairly straightforward and is an excellent way of showing that you are serious about your job if you are a pharmacy technician. Any tech that has worked in a retail setting for a few months should pass with no problems. The cost is $129, so you better hope that you get it right the first time! With all of that said, I hope that I didn't *completely* discourage you from looking into becoming a pharmacy tech. It is a perfect second job for someone who wants to work nights/weekends. I am a 20 yr old CPhT (Certified Pharmacy Technician) and I don't mind the job. It's something that you need to get used to. However, with dental assisting the hours would be more stable, the pay will probably be better, and there might be more room for advancement.