What are the pros and cons of being a pharmacy technician?

The pros of being a pharmacy technician relate to minimal education requirements, the potential to continue education to become a pharmacist, while the cons include low average compensation. Here are the top pros and cons of being a pharmacy technician:

• Minimal education requirements

Pharmacy technicians attend training schools to become skilled and qualified in the field. This training normally takes between one to two years.

• Simple on-the-job training

On-the-job pharmacy technician training consists of a wide range of pharmacy-related tasks. In broad terms, you shadow a professional pharmacist to gain knowledge, skills, and professional experience. Many pharmacists start out as pharmacy technicians to gain the proper level of experience before receiving the superior title of a pharmacist.

Some of the main tasks and responsibilities include:

• Helping pharmacists fill prescriptions

• Assisting with administrative duties

• Entering customer information into databases

• Offering customer service to shoppers

Depending on the pharmacy, the on-the-job training may vary to different degrees. However, there are some standards that are universal.

• Potential to continue education to become a pharmacist

For those looking to advance on this career path to becoming pharmacists, pre-pharmacy courses in college are required, and there are many more educational requirements. There are two college tracks you can take to become a pharmacist. The first involves completing an undergraduate degree before moving into a pharmacological graduate program.

The second option is a combined one that incorporates all of the relevant coursework into one program. Recommended courses and majors for the first pharmacist educational track:

• Biology

• Chemistry

• Microbiology

• Human physiology

• Biochemistry

• Calculus

• Organic chemistry

For those interested in these areas this can be an exciting prospect.

• Wide variety of places to work

Pharmacy technicians can work in retail settings, chain or individual pharmacies, physicians' offices, and hospitals, but can also work specifically in these environments:

Cons:

• Low average compensation

The average wage of a pharmacy technician in the United States is just $18.96 per hour. This is one of the biggest drawbacks of being a pharmacy technician, however, you still have the opportunity to continue your education and become a pharmacist, which is a position that garners high salaries.

• The work can be repetitive

Another negative aspect of being a pharmacy technician is the work can get too repetitive, and even boring for some. Most pharmacy techs repeat the same job duties over and over each day, such as filling prescriptions, entering data into a computer, and dealing with customers.

• Stressful work environments

While one of the pros related to the wide variety of working environments, a con concerning all pharmacy working environments is that they can be busy and stressful. Many customers can come in at one time, and sometimes they can be rude when waiting for their prescriptions.