Curt Bielski and Kari Teel have at least two things in common: Both, as baby boomers, enrolled in college pharmacy technician programs. They are not alone as more and more individuals in their 50s and older are going back to school in order to start new careers, either out of necessity or because they are [...]
Trident Technical College in Charleston, South Carolina, offers a one-year pharmacy technician program that is accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Trident accepts 24 students into its pharmacy tech program each year. PharmacyTechSchools.com recently caught up with one of this year’s students, Rosie Crawford. In this interview, Crawford discusses her inspiration for [...]
Mayra Ruiz Gallegos is a pharmacy technology student at Carrington College’s Mesa Campus in Arizona. She started her program, which trains students to become successful pharmacy technicians, in November 2013. She has been blogging about her experiences, from her enrollment interview and first day of class to how the pharmacy tech core class has gone [...]
On December 27, 2013, the National Association of Professional Women announced they named Jillian Hernandez a Professional Woman of the Year (2013/2014). Specifically they were honoring her with this title “for leadership in long term care consulting” as a pharmacy technician. Pharmacy Technician Jillian Hernandez Hernandez first started working as a pharmacy technician in 2001 [...]
Last year, patients at a number of Canadian hospitals (four in Ontario and one in New Brunswick) were given diluted forms of chemotherapy drugs. When it was discovered that bags containing the drugs cyclophosphamide and gemcitabine were watered down, more than 1,200 patients had already been administered incorrect dosages of the medications. As a pharmacy [...]
If you have been looking into taking a pharmacy technician education program, you may have heard the term “accredited” thrown around. Since 1982, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) has been accrediting pharmacy technician programs. Accreditation refers to a school’s program meeting specified standards in such areas as administration, faculty/directors, educational components and more. [...]
Combined with recent career projection reports outlining promising growth for the healthcare industry means a positive outlook for pharmacy professionals, including pharmacy technicians.
Recently compounding has been making a comeback so that pharmacies can cater to patients with individual requirements. Before mass manufacturing became the mainstream source of prescription drugs, most medications were compounded.
Talk to the guidance counselor/career coordinator at your school to find out which applicable courses and programs are available.
It’s a running joke that doctors have sloppy handwriting. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are among those professionals who have adapted to physician penmanship. However there are times when handwritten ‘scripts’ are just too puzzling for pharmacy staff to decipher. (For fun, check out Pharmacy Times’ “Can You Read These Rxs?” to get a taste!) Eye-Opening [...]
Last month, the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) named Linda Henson one of its CPhT of the Year finalists! “PTCB’s CPhT of the Year© Program honors and recognizes individual achievement in patient care, leadership, service, and mentorship as a way to encourage excellence and innovation among pharmacy technicians,” states PTCB’s press release (October 22, 2013). Linda is [...]
Tomorrow, October 22nd, 2013, is National Pharmacy Technician Day. The annual event is endorsed by the American Association of Pharmacy Technicians (AAPT) and the Pharmacy Technician Educators Council (PTEC). This year’s theme is “Pharmacy Technicians: Trusted, Trained and Educated”. This is the 23rd year Pharmacy Technicians are honored with their own national day. The first [...]
Often to be admitted into a Pharmacy Technician Program you must fulfill certain prerequisite courses (or demonstrate that you have applicable knowledge and skills in these areas). Depending on the college, such courses may be from high school and/or college. However, prior healthcare experience or training may waive some or all of these prerequisites. Examples [...]
If you read the latest News Alert we posted on PharmacyTechSchools.com, you know that the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) recently announced that they have certified more than 500,000 pharmacy technicians! According to their October 2nd press release, 503,620 individuals have passed the PTCB’s Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) as of June 30, 2013! This [...]
The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) has updated its certification exam (called the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam or PTCE), which is delivered at test centers nationwide. The revised PTCE will become effective November 1st, however, those who apply to write the exam prior to this date will write the current PTCE. How Were the PTCB [...]
More and more pharmacies (including retail chain, independent and online) are dispensing pet medications. Traditionally, this niche was filled primarily by veterinarians, but now a growing number of pet owners are choosing to fill their animal companion’s prescriptions at the same pharmacy where they get their own personal medications or from online retailers. Price savings [...]
According to the American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC), “Specialty drugs represent the fastest growing sector of pharmacy spending today.” What are Specialty Drugs? The AJMC article from February 18, 2013, (“The Growing Cost of Specialty Pharmacy—Is it Sustainable?”) states that, while there is no universal definition for specialty pharmaceuticals, common criteria include drugs that [...]
Up to three billion medications are prescribed per year in the United States, states the FDA’s Drug Safety and Availability “Safe Use Fact Sheet.” The Fact Sheet adds, “The Institute of Medicine (IOM) estimates that at least 1.5 million preventable adverse drug events occur within the healthcare system each year.” Fortunately, medication reconciliation procedures are [...]
Typically to become a pharmacy technician, you would take an accredited education or training program, become certified or licensed (depending on your state) and start working at a local pharmacy, hospital or another setting requiring your specialized services. An alternative route is to apply for a Pharmacy Specialist position (MOS 68Q), which is categorized as [...]
Pharmacy technicians are multi-taskers and multi-talented. They are communicators, providing patients with quality customer service, conferring with other healthcare departments or organizations, not to mention the pharmacist (whose job they make so much easier). They are knowledgeable in their field and their roles of dispensing medications with 100% precision, maintaining inventory, updating electronic files and [...]
Most of us have been subject to spam selling everything from Viagra to baldness cures, many of them sold under the guise of “Canadian pharmacies”. These fraudulent online pharmacies pose a real risk to our health when they promote and sell illegally made drugs and market them as FDA approved. The FDA recently announced that [...]
Pharmacy technicians play a valuable role in helping ensure a pharmacy’s operations run successfully and efficiently and make the life of a pharmacist so much easier. The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) encourages pharmacy techs to embrace another important role during the course of their day in its recent news article “Pharmacy Technicians Can Be [...]
Ordering meds online is becoming increasingly popular. But is it safe? Nearly every major pharmacy and department store has an online pharmacy, giving consumers the flexibility of buying prescription and over-the-counter medication from the comfort of their home, and often at discounts of up to 30%. However, as legitimate pharmacies have appeared online, so have [...]
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and participating local law enforcement are coordinating the annual nationwide drug “take-back” day on April 27th, 2013 from 10 am to 2 pm. This one-day event will provide residents with no cost anonymous collection of unwanted and expired medicines. Collect your medications Protect our kids, families and environment by properly [...]