JoshA pharmacy technician career can offer a fast-track to the medical industry and plenty of opportunities to help others and advance in your career path. With a growing job outlook, decent wages, plenty of options for employment, among others, there are plenty of reasons to pursue a pharmacy technician certification.
In this short guide, we’ll cover some of the most compelling reasons to start on the path towards a pharmacy tech certification. If you’re compassionate, patient, and willing to learn, you’ll find plenty of fulfillment in this growing field!
1. Quick Certification
Sometimes, you just need a career change as quickly as possible. Maybe you’re not happy with what you’re doing, or you just don’t feel like you went down the right path to suit your needs as a person. Whatever the reason, there’s no better time to switch careers than right now. Don’t put your personal happiness and fulfillment off another day; take the reins and start working towards something better!
The best part about pursuing a pharmacy tech certification is that you won’t have to spend years in school to do it! UMA has a pharmacy technician school that can get you certified in about two years, keeping your wallet full and getting you started towards a new career as quickly as possible.
Not to mention, you’ll receive over 180 hours of hands-on experience in an actual pharmacy, so you can get a 100% accurate picture of how a pharmacy functions and what your role will be in it.
2. Good Job Outlook
The healthcare industry as a whole is adding thousands of new jobs every year, with projections sitting somewhere in the one million jobs range for the next decade or so. As far as pharmacy technicians go, the job outlook is expected to sit at about 7% growth for the next decade. In 2018, there were over 400,000 jobs in the industry alone!
In a time when finding a job after graduation isn’t guaranteed, it’s nice to know that some industries are still growing and offering plenty of opportunities to new grads. Since you’ll need hands-on experience to earn your certification, you’ll be working at a pharmacy anyway; which could potentially open the door to work once you’ve graduated.
3. Decent Salary
The average national salary for an entry-level pharmacy technician is around $16 per hour, but this, of course, depends on location, experience, as well as what kind of pharmacy you’re working in. Overall, for an entry-level position, this is a decent wage; amounting to around between thirty and thirty-five thousand per year on average.
Salaries can range anywhere from $9-$10 per hour on the lower end to around $18-$20 per hour on the higher end. Either way, you’re getting into a career that can provide a decent wage as well as advancement opportunities.
4. Challenging Work
If you’re looking for a career that’s challenging enough to keep you busy, you’ve found it. You’ll be under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist, and accuracy is something of a necessity as a technician. You’ll be performing duties assigned by the pharmacy that may fall outside the traditional job description of a pharmacy tech, so get ready to learn something new each day!
You’ll also have to work with people if you’re in the retail environment. You’ll likely be operating the cash register, accepting payments, and providing excellent customer service.
5. Helping Others
According to Bloomberg, around half of US citizens use or have used a prescription medication in the last thirty days. With a population of 328 million as of May 2020, that’s about 164 million people who need prescriptions on a monthly basis! These medications help with everything from pain and soreness to more serious conditions like heart disease, cancer, mental health conditions, and more.
As a pharmacy technician, you’ll make sure that these people get their prescriptions when they need them. The career can be very rewarding when you realize just how important your job is to the patients themselves.
6. You Won’t Rack Up A Ton Of Student Loan Debt
If you’re worried about student debt, don’t worry. Most pharmacy technician programs have a fixed cost, and since you’re not spending over four years in school, your student loan debt should be minimal, if you have any at all.
This is a good option for people who want to try out the medical field without spending 8+ years studying to be a specialist. Once you get a better idea of what the position entails, you can further your education and become a pharmacist yourself!
7. Options
Pharmacy technicians are in demand all over the country. This means you’ve got plenty of options if you don’t want to work in your hometown. Additionally, you can choose between retail, hospital, nursing home, and mail-in pharmacy options for employment. Retail isn’t for everyone, so having options available means you’re not stuck with something you hate.
Conclusion
Becoming a pharmacy technician offers flexibility, the chance to help others, plenty of options, and a short-term schooling path that can get you to work quicker than most other programs and degrees. The industry is expected to keep growing over the next decade, so you should have no trouble finding a job once you graduate!