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Becoming A Pharmacy Tech
Skill Sets
Job Duties
Choosing A Course
Choosing A School
Study Online
Financial Aid
Scholarships
Increased Qualifications
Pharmacy Test
Taking The Exam
Getting Registered
Salary Information





Choose a good certified pharmacy technician program
If you have decided to attend a program (which is, as we said, in your bets interest), here are some tips to help you choose the best one:

  • Location of the school: The location of the school can be a very important determinant in whether or not you are able to attend it. Transport costs may prevent you for attending schools that are far away.
  • Tuition fees: The cost of the program will also affect your ability to attend, but try not to make this your main criterion for selection. Percentage of exam passed candidates from the school in previous years: It is very important that you only attend a program where the students in past years have passed the program adequately and consistently.
  • Length of the program: The length of the program will affect whether or not you will be able to commit the time necessary for completing the program, so is an important criterion.
  • Courseware: The content of the course needs to be of good quality so as to adequately prepare you.
  • Clinical facilities and exposure: As you are attending a course mainly for the hands-on experience it is in your best interests to consider only those programs with good facilities.
  • Reputation of the college: The reputation of the college is also important. You can find out about this by searching the web and by speaking to past students.
  • Financial aids: If you need financial aid to study you will want to move programs that offer this kind of assistance to the top of your consideration list.
  • Guidance provided by the school for the exam: If you are not being properly prepared for the exam, then the program is a waste of your time.

Get the necessary hands-on training

There are two parts to most courses that you can undergo to become a certified pharmacy technician. The first part will involve theory work and this is what you will be tested on in the examination. It is important that you study this hard and know what you are talking about. The second part of the qualification involves hands-on training. It has been mentioned already that this is not a requirement. However it can help you a lot in terms of your success in the certified pharmacy technician examination. If you have worked in a hands-on situation with the various drugs that you will have to deal with on a daily basis, you will be able to better remember the details when it comes time to answer the exam questions. This kind of experience is the best way possible for you to prepare for the exam as it is a lot easier to remember things if you have actually worked with them. Some employers will only employ those certified pharmacy technician who have taken the time to get the hands-on experience that they see as absolutely necessary for being successful in that line of work. You may in fact improve your career opportunities by getting this kind of experience, and you may be limiting your future options if you don’t. There are a number of places where you can work as an intern, and a number of the certified pharmacy technician training programs referred to above are great places to receive your hands-on training if you are willing to do what it takes.

Study for the certified pharmacy technician exam
It is suggested that you study for the certified pharmacy technician exam before you register for it. This is because you do not have to prove that you have graduated from a program in order to write the exam. The exam date could be extremely soon, so you want to study before you register for the exam. Make sure that you meet the requirements for the exam. This includes things like how old you have to be and what state your background check must be in. The next step is to create a study plan. To do this it is suggested that you actually purchase study guides that are aimed at helping students prepare for these tests. As you are not required to attend a formal course, these study guides are likely to be your best source of reliable information for the exam. You can also attend courses, as has been mentioned above. Another good way to prepare is to discuss the exam with certified pharmacy technician that have already written and passed it to see what their take on the whole thing is. The study plan that you prepare is essential for helping you get through all of the work that you have to know for the exam. You should be sure to carefully follow all of the steps that you have laid out. It often helps to get a pharmacist to help you create your study plan in the first place so that you can get some inside tips on what areas of the work to concentrate on the most. There are also free practice exams to be found online. Doing practice exams are potentially one of the best ways for you to prepare for the pharmacy technician test. There is nothing better than actually answering exam-like questions in order to get an idea of what is coming.

In summary, although it is not a requirement, hands-on training is highly recommended for anyone hoping to become a certified pharmacy technician in the future.