Article Downloading Available Article Downloading Available Are you interested in starting your career in the pharmaceutical industry? Think about getting a job as a pharmacist’s assistant. You will be in charge of assisting customers, refilling the pharmacy, typing up prescriptions, and doing other administrative responsibilities.
Assistant pharmacists are not required to have any specialized training, qualification, or prior understanding of pharmaceuticals, in contrast to pharmacy technicians. By the year 2022, it is anticipated that job demand for assistant pharmacists would have increased by 11%.1 Give some thought to the expertise you’ll require to work as a pharmacist’s assistant.
How to get your Pharmacy Technician Trainee License! No School Required!
Assistant pharmacists, as opposed to pharmacists and technicians, are primarily responsible for providing customer service and doing secretarial duties. In addition, you should always strive to be exact and efficient, particularly when carrying out jobs that are repetitive, such as making up labels for medications.
- Your position will be considerably different from that of the pharmacist or the technician, but you will typically be expected to work the same number of hours each week. You should be prepared to stand for significant periods of your shift.
- It is important to be aware of the distinctions between pharmacy assistants and technicians. Technicians, in contrast to assistants, are required to have a higher level of education and certification. They are the ones who will be responsible for filling prescriptions, monitoring inventories of pharmaceuticals, and collecting information about prescriptions from patients or medical professionals.
2 Obtain a high school diploma or an equivalent credential, such as the General Equivalency Diploma (GED). In a purely technical sense, this is the only level of education needed to work as an assistant pharmacist. In most cases, you will learn on the job from the pharmacist or from other coworkers who are skilled in the field. Having a higher level of education might be beneficial. You might want to think about acquiring an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in a discipline related to business, mathematics, or public relations. Advertisement 3 Work on your math and communication abilities at a fundamental level. You will need to be able to write legibly and converse well with clients if you want to work as a pharmacy assistant. In order to estimate costs and the appropriate dosage of medications, you will also need to be able to execute math effectively. 4 Get relevant experience. Pharmacy assistants, on the other hand, do not need to have any specialized certifications or undergo any further training. However, having experience gained via voluntary work or a higher level of education will put you in a better position to get employment.
- Communication in the business setting
- Anatomy and physiology of the human body
- Medical terminology
- pharmacy law, pharmacy ethics, pharmacology, and pharmacy math (these would require advanced education)
- Experience working in a retail pharmacy, even if just on a part-time basis
- Pharmacy software, sterile product preparation, pharmacy compounding, and hospital pharmacy are all services provided by pharmacies (consider getting a pharmacy or hospital internship)
- CPR and First Aid (take a local community course)
Advertisement 1. Send your resume to a range of different places of employment. You have the opportunity to collaborate with licensed pharmacists in a variety of settings, including hospitals, community pharmacies, outpatient clinics, nursing homes, and pharmaceutical companies.
- If you have already finished some coursework or an internship, talk to your professor or the pharmacist who advised you about possible career options. They could be able to put you in touch with individuals who are looking for new employees.
- Remember to look into the available pharmacological resources. Check out the websites of local hospitals as well as the American Pharmacists Association (www.healthecareers.com/apha) for available positions.
2 Have an understanding of the needs of the location and the compensation variations. If you are just getting started in the field of becoming an assistant pharmacist, it could be easiest for you to find work in a retail setting, such as a grocery store or a health food shop.
- The majority of pharmacy assistants are employed in industries with lower average salaries. The retail industry employs seventy-five percent of all assistant pharmacists.
- Additionally requiring a number of years of prior expertise, colleges and universities often give the greatest incomes.
3 Make sure you are well prepared for the job interview. Make sure that your CV highlights the experience you have working with customers. You should also emphasize any previous work experience that demonstrates your ability to perform quickly and accurately. Because interacting with clients is a significant part of an assistant pharmacist’s job, you should elaborate on any previous experience you’ve had providing customer service. Show the person conducting the interview that you are capable of handling tasks such as answering phones, addressing problems raised by customers, and successfully interacting with the pharmacist.4 Give some thought to moving up the professional ladder. Working as a pharmacist’s assistant will allow you to see how a pharmacist performs their job, which is beneficial if you are considering a career in the pharmaceutical industry. This will assist you in determining whether or not you would like to eventually attend school to become a pharmacist.
- You should look at job advertisements and talk to local pharmacists to get a sense of the credentials that employers seek for in potential employees.
- You should also be prepared to work sporadic hours and spend extended periods of time on your feet when working in the drugstore. Entry-level pharmacy assistants frequently have to work unfavorable shifts because the majority of pharmacies remain open late in the evening and on weekends.
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How long does it take to get a pharmacy assistant license in WA state?
The Washington State Board of Pharmacy is the agency that governs the profession of pharmacy technician. There must be at least three technicians for every single pharmacist working in the state of Washington. – Although certification is not necessary to work as a pharmacy technician, the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) and the ExCPT are both recognized as valid national certification tests by the State Board.
- In light of the foregoing, it should be noted that companies value PTCB certification highly, and having it increases both job and wage prospects.
- Technicians are required to first obtain their state board registration before they may begin working in pharmacies.
- There is a necessity for training.
- There are two ways to achieve this goal: the first is through on-the-job training, and the second is through the completion of an academic program that consists of at least 520 hours of lectures, discussion, and exams.
At least eight hours of this program have to be devoted to discussing federal legislation and how it relates to the practice of pharmacy in the state of Washington. There is now a lot of competition for pharmacy technician jobs in the state of Texas.
What do you need to be a pharmacy tech in Washington state?
You need to have a high school diploma or a GED, have never been convicted of a crime, agree to abide by the standards of the agency, and pass the national test in order to be eligible for certification from either the PTCB or the NHA. In order to be eligible for the NHA, candidates need to demonstrate that they have either completed an accredited pharmacy technician training program or have at least one year of relevant work experience.
Can a pharmacist assistant administer injections?
NOTE THAT PHARMACIST’S ASSISTANTS ARE ALLOWED TO ATTEND THIS COURSE; HOWEVER, THEY WILL NOT BE AWARDED A CERTIFICATE BECAUSE THE ADMINISTRATION OF INJECTIONS IS NOT WITHIN THEIR APPROVED SCOPE OF PRACTICE. BUT THEY COULD USE THE INFORMATION TO SET UP AND KEEP RUNNING A CLINIC WITHIN THE PHARMACY IF THEY DECIDE TO DO SO.
How much does a pharmacy assistant make in Ontario?
In the province of Ontario, a pharmacy assistant can expect to earn a salary of $17.46 per hour on average. –