How to Choose the Best Pharmacy Tech College Near Opelika Alabama

Having decided to earn your pharmacy tech certificate or degree near OpelikaAL, you may be pondering how to choose the ideal school to receive your education and training. Usually the initial step is to locate colleges that offer the degree or certificate that you are interested in. A number of prospective students begin by looking for colleges that are within commuting distance of their residence, and then comparing the tuitions. While cost and location are critical factors when selecting a school, they are not the sole ones. Qualifiers including reputation and accreditation should be taken into account as well. And if you are interested in studying in your home in front of your computer as opposed to in a classroom, then searching for an accredited online school will also be part of your vetting process. We will cover these qualifiers and some others that you will want to include when comparing pharmacy technician schools. But to begin with, let's take a look at what a pharmacy tech does, the diploma and degree options available, and the benefits of online courses.

It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Pharmacy Tech Career Below

The Function of a Pharmacy Tech

Pharmacy techs have multiple job duties, but their main duty is to dispense prescription medications. Since they are not licensed, when filling prescriptions they must operate under the management of a licensed Opelika AL pharmacist. They must also have excellent customer service skills because they will be dealing directly with customers. Their attention to detail must be accurate when filling prescription medicines per the pharmacist's directions. And they need to have an in-depth knowledge of pharmaceutical terminology so that they can assist customers with understanding directions for their prescriptions in addition to other pharmaceutical information and literature. However, under no circumstance should they ever offer medical advice pertaining to prescriptions or anything else. All such questions should be handled by the pharmacist. Several of the common daily functions a pharmacy technician might perform are:

• Greet and assist customers with prescriptions and other questions
• Fill prescription medicines under pharmacist direction
• Input customer and prescription information into pharmacy computer system
• Contact customers when their prescriptions are ready for pick-up
• Prepare and submit customer insurance claim forms
• Stock shelves and audit and control inventory

As a consequence of their job, pharmacy techs will spend most of their working day on their feet. And working evenings and weekends is also very common, particularly for newer techs with low seniority. But the reward for occasional tired and aching feet or at times having to work off-hours is an extremely satisfying career assisting customers with their health and well-being.

Pharmacy Technician Degrees and Certificates

Individuals wishing to enroll in a pharmacy technician college are qualified as long as they have a high school diploma or equivalent. There are basically 2 alternatives to training to be a tech regardless if you enroll in a community college or a vocational school. The first is to attain a diploma or a certificate, which usually can be completed in a year or less. These programs offer an overview to the various facets of pharmacology and pharmaceutical technology and usually include lab and classroom training. Many programs also require an internship at an approved Opelika AL pharmacy or similar facility. The second option is the Associate Degree program which normally involves about 2 years of studies. Although not needed for most entry level positions, it does furnish a more in depth education and opens doors to more advanced positions or education in the future. Each program can provide the proper amount of training to pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination should the graduate decide to get certified.

Pharmacy Tech Certifications

It is not required to earn certification in all states, but numerous graduates of pharmacy technician schools opt to get certified in order to be more qualified in the job market. Additionally, a number of Opelika AL pharmacies will only hire a tech that has earned certification. There are two organizations that offer certification:

• National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
• Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB)

The NHA requirements are that the applicant be 18 years or older, has graduated from high school, has completed a training program, and has one or more years of work experience. The PTCB just requires that the candidate has a high school diploma and passes their examination. Recertification is required every two years by both programs, which may be met by performing 20 hours of continuing education.

Pharmacist Tech Classes Online

Before deciding on a pharmacy technician online training program, it's important to understand that the majority of programs do require a portion of the training be completed in a clinical environment. This is typically fulfilled in an area Opelika pharmacy or hospital by means of an internship program. Students in most cases will have the opportunity to work under a seasoned pharmacy technician so as to acquire some work place experience. Fortunately the non-clinical portion of the training can be taken over the internet in your Opelika AL home or via any available computer. This alternative is more accommodating for most students, especially for those who keep working while acquiring their degree or certificate. And online schools are often less expensive than classroom options. Tuition and expenditures for driving and course materials may be decreased significantly. With both the online and the clinical training, a complete education is provided. But not all online colleges are accredited, which is essential for securing employment and certification (more on accreditation later). So verify that any online school you are reviewing is accredited by a recognized accrediting organization, such as the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). If you are dedicated enough to learn with a less supervised form of education, then online classes might be the ideal solution for you.

Questions to Ask Pharmacy Tech Schools

After you have determined whether you want to attain a certificate or degree, and if you want to enroll in an online school or attend classes on campus, you can begin to narrow your school options. There are many pharmacy technician programs to pick from in the Opelika AL area and throughout the USA, so you must develop a list of qualifying questions so that you can compare community colleges and trade schools. As we addressed in our introduction, you will most likely first start looking for colleges that are within both your financial resources and commuting distance from your Opelika home. If you are willing to relocate or are going to enroll in an online pharmacy tech school, then location may not be important. But there are a number of other factors that you must consider in order to effectively compare schools. The following questions will help you in collecting that information and help you to make your final selection.

Is the Pharmacy Tech College Accredited? The majority of pharmacy technician programs and trade schools have earned a national or regional accreditation. One of the most respected accrediting organizations is the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Colleges earning accreditation from the ASHP have been evaluated and certified to provide a comprehensive quality education. Online programs may additionally earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which deals only with distance or online learning. Be sure to check that the degree or certificate program together with the college you choose are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education sanctioned accrediting organization. In addition to helping ensure that you receive a superior education, it can assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Also, certification might mandate that the program of training is accredited. And a number of Opelika AL pharmacies will only hire entry level employees that have graduated from an accredited program.

Does the College Ready You for Certification? Certification is not required in all states, but many employers desire that the techs they hire be certified. The pharmacy tech program needs to ready its students to pass the PTCB or the NHA examination. Students interested in obtaining NHA certification will additionally need one year of professional experience. This condition may be fulfilled by entering a college sponsored internship program.

Does the College Sponsor Internship Programs? As we previously covered, the NHA mandates 1 year of experience for certification, which can be met by means of an internship program. One of the best ways to acquire practical clinical experience as a pharmacy technician is to train out in the field. Most pharmacy technician certificate or degree programs also require practical training in order to graduate and an internship is a great way to satisfy the requirement. Ask if the schools have associations with Opelika Alabama area pharmacies, clinics, or hospitals for internship programs.

Does the College Offer Job Placement Help? Securing that first job in Opelika AL upon graduation, especially with no prior experience, can be a challenging task without any help. Find out if the colleges you are researching have job assistance programs. If so, find out what their job placement rates are. A higher job placement rate is an indication that the school has a good reputation within the profession creating appeal for its graduates. It also indicates that it has a sizable network of pharmacy contacts where it can refer graduating students.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the school they decide on will need to be within travelling distance of their Opelika AL home. Students who have decided to attend classes online obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. One thing to keep in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges often charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of student that prefers to sit far in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will probably prefer a smaller class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the schools you are considering what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you a chance to talk with several of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the pharmacy technician program you finally pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you decide to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Opelika AL area, make certain that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would need to enroll in. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss due to illness, work or family obligations.

How to Learn to Become a Pharmacy Tech in Opelika

Enroll in the Right Opelika Pharmacy Technician Program

Finding the ideal pharmacist technician training is an important first step to beginning your career in a gratifying profession where helping people with their wellness is your purpose. Traditionally, most pharmacy techs were taught "on the job". These days, the majority of pharmacies can no longer afford to do this and place a higher importance on hiring formally trained technicians. Training is offered by vocational and trade schools, technical colleges as well as community colleges. Many pharmacy tech schools incorporate both classroom and laboratory work. As we have covered in this article, it's important to choose a school that is accredited and will prep you for certification. This is true both for online classes and for those attended on campus. If you follow our additional tips you will be able to compare schools so that you are certain to make the ideal selection. With the right education and dedication you can realize your goal to become a pharmacist tech in Opelika Alabama.

 

Opelika Pharmacy Technician Schools | Opelika Pharmacy Technician Training