Below are the 3 most recent journal entries recorded in mia319's InsaneJournal:

Tuesday, April 17th, 2012
2:37 am	Why Choose To Be a Pharmacy Technician So you are interested in working within the field of pharmacy. You have several career choices in pharmacy field and one of the good careers to pursue these days is pharmacy technician. You may have your own reasons for doing so, but to help you in your career decision, get to know more about the pharmacy technician career and know the reasons why this is the right career for you. There are many rewards and benefits by working as a pharmacy technician. Read on below and know the reasons why you should become a pharmacy technician. The pharmacy technicians provide assistance to the licensed pharmacists in taking over their most important role of dispensing medications to clients while giving them medication instructions. They are a part of the pharmacy team and some of their basic tasks include filling prescription by properly measuring the dosage, mixing the ingredients, and packaging the medication. Some of their tasks also include attending to the questions of patients regarding their medications or health concerns. They operate on the cash register, perform inventories, as well as cleaning and the pharmacy equipments. With the expanded roles of the licensed pharmacists, the pharmacy technicians are expected to take over some of the basic pharmacy tasks of the pharmacist. One good reason why you should pick the pharmacy technician career is because of the relatively short educational training required. The least education level required to become a pharmacy technician is a high school diploma or GED. On-the-job training is offered by some employers while some may be formally trained in programs which can be completed in one year or less. Certification is also not mandatory but there are states and employers that require their pharmacy technicians to be certified. There are two organizations that award the certification and they are the Pharmacy Technician Certification (PTCB) and the National Healthcareer Association. The pharmacy technician profession also provides a decent income. The median pay as of 2010 is $28,400 per year. This is enough to pay the bills. The working conditions of where the pharmacy technician work is clean, well ventilated, and well lighted, so the area is comfortable for the pharmacy technicians. While many pharmacy technicians work on a full-time position, they receive full benefits from their employers. Some of the benefits of working full time include medical insurance, dental and medical conditions, and failed vacations. If you decide on going for a career as a pharmacy technician, then you are in for a great ride in your career. You get to be in a stable profession that pays well and you get to help the clients in every way you can. It is a lucrative profession that you can never go wrong with, especially if you are looking for a fast and easy way to enter the healthcare field. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, April 2nd, 2012
9:16 pm	How to Become a Pharmacy Technician Being in one of the pharmacy careers gives you the opportunity to be a part of one of the fastest growing fields in the healthcare industry today. One such career in pharmacy that is very much in demand these days is the pharmacy technician. The pharmacy technicians work under the supervision of the licensed pharmacists and they help them fill prescription medications. Qualified pharmacy technicians should be well adept in many pharmacy skills other than just knowing how to count and measure medications. This may be a fast-track career in the healthcare industry that requires minimal training but the more qualified the candidate is, the more benefits and opportunities they can receive. Pharmacy technicians work in retail stores hospital pharmacies, and other medical facilities. They help the licensed pharmacists in dispensing prescription medications. They stand behind the pharmacy counters attending to customers and their prescription needs. They computer, count, measure, and weigh the medications, pack and label them, and then present it to the pharmacist for verification. They also accept the payments for the medication as well as fill out insurance claims. Some of their routine and administrative pharmacy tasks include answering phone calls, operating the cash register, and answering the patient’s queries. For other questions, the pharmacy technicians are the ones who arrange for the customers to speak with the licensed pharmacists. Becoming a pharmacy technician is rather easy compared to other healthcare careers out there. Usually, the needed requirement is a high school diploma or a GED. Other requirements may vary according to state. With a high school diploma, the pharmacy technicians may learn pharmacy skills through on-the-job training offered by employers. Aside from on-the-job training programs, candidates may obtain post-secondary education in pharmacy technology. Such program may last up between one to two years and can be taken from vocational schools and community colleges that awards certificates. Pharmacy technology programs basically include coursework in record keeping, medication dispensing, pharmacy law and ethics, and mathematics. Training programs often include hands-on internship at real pharmacies. Certification may be required from the pharmacy technicians but the requirements for certification may vary according to the state’s Board of Pharmacy. While not all states require their pharmacy technicians to be certified, most employers prefer hiring those who are certified pharmacy technicians. Certification can be acquired after passing the certification examination administered by either the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) or by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA). Aside from the education and licensure requirements, the rightful candidate to work as a pharmacy technician should have other necessary skills as well. The pharmacy technician should be detail oriented because one single mistake in filling prescriptions can lead to serious health conditions. Even though it is the pharmacist’s job to look after the safe dispensing of medications, the pharmacy technicians should be detail oriented and accurate in their work. They also deal with different kinds of people every day that they should have great customer service skills. Pharmacy technicians should also have organizational skills as their work involves a variety of tasks and responsibilities that being able to organize their works can help satisfy their customers and lessen the stress of their job. Current Mood: cheerful (Comment on this)
Monday, March 19th, 2012
9:15 pm	The Pharmacy Technician Career When choosing a career, oftentimes people look at the how much the potential salary is. Although it is indeed very important to have a job that can pay the bills and provide for you families, you need a job that you love and which will also provide you with the benefits you deserve. There are many jobs in the healthcare industry that offers numerous benefits and good salaries. One of such jobs is in the field of pharmaceuticals as a pharmacy technician. The pharmacy technician career is one of the fastest growing careers today which makes it all the more a popular choice. The pharmacy technicians are the ones you see and interact with every time you come to the pharmacy. They help the licensed pharmacists in providing us with the medications and other health products. They perform routine tasks such as filling prescriptions, labelling medication bottled, and counting and measuring medicines. The pharmacy technicians work under the supervision of the pharmacist and they refer any prescription questions, drug information, and other health matters to the pharmacist. Their duties and responsibilities may also vary from the facility where they work. In some pharmacies, they may perform other additional duties such as operating on the cash register, stocking shelves, and answering calls. You can find them working in hospital pharmacies, retail drug store, patient care facilities, and in mail-order pharmacies. If you feel like this is the kind of job that you enjoy doing, then you would be very glad to know that you only need to obtain a short amount of training in order to qualify for the pharmacy technician position. There are some employers that even offer on-the-job training for the pharmacy technicians and you only have to have a high school diploma for that. Another training path is through formal programs from community colleges, vocational schools, hospitals, and the military. These training may take between six months up to two years to complete. Formal training may lead to a certificate, diploma, or an associate’s degree. To start working as a pharmacy technician, you may have to be registered with the state board of pharmacy. To be certified, you should pass the national certification exams provided either by the Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ICPT) or the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). Completing the certification program offered by these two organizations will be able to increase your future job prospects. The job growth for the pharmacy technician profession is expected to be good, especially if you are certified and if you have prior work experiences. Within a ten-year period from year 2008 through 2018, the job growth is expected to increase by around 31%. This growth rate is incredibly fast as compared to other jobs in the United States. The job growth of the pharmacy technician profession is due to the fast aging of the baby boomer generation who will need the most prescription medication. Also, the pharmacy technicians are expected to perform tasks which are previously done by the licensed pharmacists so that the pharmacists can focus working on more important duties. Working as a pharmacy technician requires commitment and dedication but it will be able to reward you with a rewarding career. This is an ideal career choice for those who want a fast-track career within the healthcare field. (1 Comment |Comment on this)