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Apply to Walgreens or CVS as a service clerk and then get to know the Pharmacy Manager there and maybe she/he can hook you up with a Tech job or let you know whenever there is a Tech opening 
Pharmacy Technician Questions Thread
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Why are people so down on pharmacy tech programs?
The program I was in we did class work, labs (where we mixed IV bags, compound different drugs, etc), and we had to do 3 rotations. I had to do 500 hours of rotation before I could graduate. This gave me a chance to get to know different pharmacists, and show them that I was serious about being a pharmacist. This gave me the experience, since I was doing real pharmacy tech work. It also gave me a list of pharmacists I could call on for LORs. I was offered a job at all 3 locations I worked.
The program I was in we did class work, labs (where we mixed IV bags, compound different drugs, etc), and we had to do 3 rotations. I had to do 500 hours of rotation before I could graduate. This gave me a chance to get to know different pharmacists, and show them that I was serious about being a pharmacist. This gave me the experience, since I was doing real pharmacy tech work. It also gave me a list of pharmacists I could call on for LORs. I was offered a job at all 3 locations I worked.
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Because you're spending money on a class for something that doesn't need a class.
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Pharm techs who go to a formal class don't get paid anymore than a tech who did not attend a class.
Many people get a tech position by first taking a cashier/clerk etc position in the same store. Many stores will give priority to current employees.
Many people get a tech position by first taking a cashier/clerk etc position in the same store. Many stores will give priority to current employees.
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The pharmacy technician programs are, by and large, extreme wastes of money.
You can intellectualize it however you may like, but $13,000 or more for a program that essentially gives you the same end product that someone like me or anyone else on SDN simply registered for, took, and passed.
If you had a special cert. from the program, something someone else could not get, I could see MAYBE how it'd be worthwhile.
Yeah, you get some hands-on experience from these Marick type programs. But I dunno about anyone else, that stuff was taught to me OJT. Even if I came into the pharmacy having all that knowledge under my belt, my pharmacist still was going to show me how to do everything, irrespective of how I obtained my CPhT.
For the average user, it's a complete frikkin' waste and a huge racket. But hey, if you're happy you did that program, no one's putting you down for it.
You can intellectualize it however you may like, but $13,000 or more for a program that essentially gives you the same end product that someone like me or anyone else on SDN simply registered for, took, and passed.
If you had a special cert. from the program, something someone else could not get, I could see MAYBE how it'd be worthwhile.
Yeah, you get some hands-on experience from these Marick type programs. But I dunno about anyone else, that stuff was taught to me OJT. Even if I came into the pharmacy having all that knowledge under my belt, my pharmacist still was going to show me how to do everything, irrespective of how I obtained my CPhT.
For the average user, it's a complete frikkin' waste and a huge racket. But hey, if you're happy you did that program, no one's putting you down for it.
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It's not that I'm downing them at ALL. I think it's a great way for people to get their foot in the door; however, I'm just not going to pay a large sum of money for a certification when I can just take the test. I don't really have the time or the money to do both. And I know that I want to be a pharmacist so I feel to go through all of that (while useful) is not the best allocation of money.
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Hmmmm. I guess I see where many of you are coming from. For me it was a good decision because I tried to work as a tech, but found it hard to get hired as a pharmacy tech or a pharmacy clerk.
I think at the end of the day, it's about who you know for the most part.
I don't know about other pharm tech programs, but the one that I was enrolled in basically helped me get a job by requiring rotations.
I do agree about cost, but I didn't pay a dime. Since I'm a Ga resident I was able to let the Hope grant pay for it (Thank God for the peo who play the lotto).
I think at the end of the day, it's about who you know for the most part.
I don't know about other pharm tech programs, but the one that I was enrolled in basically helped me get a job by requiring rotations.
I do agree about cost, but I didn't pay a dime. Since I'm a Ga resident I was able to let the Hope grant pay for it (Thank God for the peo who play the lotto).
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I"ve been certified and licensed here in California for about a year now and I still have not been able to secure pharm tech position. I'm not going to even bother anymore for now. I'm looking for a regular job and simply going to volunteer at a private pharmacy. Experience is experience. The schools don't necessarily require that you be employed as a tech. Simply having certification, a license with your state, and volunteer experience will satisfy the school's recommendation/pre-requisite that you have pharmacy experience. Don't forget to ask the pharmacist if you can shadow him/her for several days that way you can also put down that you shadowed the pharmacist aside from simply working behind the counter. Good luck.
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Just have patience and apply to as much places as possible. It took me a few months to receive a call after I applied and by then i had already forgotton if not given up on getting a call. If you don't hear anything then simply volunteer even if it's once a week and work somewhere else at the same time so you can earn money.
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Yeah, that's rare to me, most of the programs I've seen/heard of are $10k+. I've heard of some regional occupation/development programs offering them for free, but you have to prove hardship and/or unemployment. By and large, they're a total waste of time/money. In your case, though, with those inpatient rotations and additional skills being taught, $1.5k seems to be worth it.
Again, your situation is the exception, not the rule. But if one aspires to be a retail tech, that would have been $1500 too much. Also, if one is just trying to get work experience for admission into pharm school, it's a total waste of money. Work experience is not that important, and even at $1.5k, you'll never "recoup" the cost of the program back assuming you get admitted within a year or two...the intern license you'll be issued supersedes the tech certification.
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I see what you are saying, but I feel that people in my area who want to be pharmacist techs should enroll in the program if they can't find a job. It places you right behind the counter and they will do real pharmacy tech work, and more than likely get a job offer if they show they are hard workers.
I wonder why one can't volunteer at retail stores because of HIPPA, yet my pharmacy tech program put me right in the heart of the action. I find it strange that people are told they cannot volunteer, yet through the program I was able to volunteer there, enter patients' data, do refills over the phone, type up rxs, fill prescriptions, help patients find supplmentals on the store shelf and run the cash register.
In the hospital, people who volunteered mainly kept the floor clean, and shread paper. I was able to walk in and start restocking carts my first day. Later I was trained to do data entry and IV bags.
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It's not HIPAA, it's a liability/insurance issue. I mentioned this in another thread, when you're a big hospital/organization, you're liable under the legal doctrine of respondeat superior. There needs to be some account of who should and shouldn't be in that space (patient, employee, volunteer, etc...) as insurance premiums are often tied to this number--obviously, having 400 people in a building will incur more liability than having 200.
Thus, insurance companies will charge XYZ Hospital with 400 employees $A in premiums while DEF Hospital with 200 employees only pays $B. So an insurer "won't allow" extra people (aka extra liability) into the picture without getting compensated more for the extra risk (via premium).
It's like adding extra drivers on your car insurance policy...you end up paying a little more due to the added risk. In some cases, if you specifically EXCLUDE people in your household from the policy, you can get a discount.
So, unless a hospital exists with a formal volunteer program (ie they are counted/included in the liability policy, which sounds like what you had since you were in a formal program), chances are nil that you get to volunteer. Yes, you can sneak in somehow as I'm sure there are pharmacists/MD's that will let you shadow them without regard to the policy....but the moment someone in management finds out, you'll be asked to leave.
I think that going to school to get your tech certification is a waste of time. I work with someone who went and he came out not knowing much and spent unnecessary money that he could of saved. Keep your head up experience isn't everything!
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rphfan2009
I got blown off a lot too. Right now, I am trying to escape my tech job and go to another pharmacy (I have only been here 1 month and hate the pharmacy staff, etc). It's really tough trying to find a tech job--period. My advice to you is to keep applying and hopefully you will land something in the next 6-12 months. I'm going to stay at my pharmacy until I find something else
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rphfan2009
Thats a good idea...take a crap job until you land a tech job. I did that before I got hired.
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rphfan2009
They are a waste of money! I had some trashy girl come through my line yesterday and she thought that techs made so much money, etc. Then she sat there and talked to me about getting CPHT certified...I told her it was a flat out waste.
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I got blown off a lot too. Right now, I am trying to escape my tech job and go to another pharmacy (I have only been here 1 month and hate the pharmacy staff, etc). It's really tough trying to find a tech job--period. My advice to you is to keep applying and hopefully you will land something in the next 6-12 months. I'm going to stay at my pharmacy until I find something else
I am in a similar situation. I have been with my Pharmacy for 6 months and I can't stand this particular Pharmacy. It's horrible, no one knows what to do. There's no pharmacy manager. The lead tells us one thing but another thing happens. It's such a mess. I just want to go to another place that's more organized. Also, they always screw up my hours.
There are definite advantages to graduating from a pharmacy tech program. I decided to just take the exam to be certified to save the time and money.
However, when I got hired (without experience), I realized that technicians that went to school know a TON of stuff that I never learned just reading the review book. They've gone through many labs and rotations and they even interned as a pharmacy tech!
Either way, I'm a technician just like they are. And I saved the time and money, whereas they received a more thorough training in the field. You just have to decide which route is right for you.
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That should've ended your post.
You didn't pay 9-13K (or more...) for a pharmacy tech program and you got hired.
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Chances are they're getting paid just a bit more than you are, and if you stay this route, you'll pick up the same skills.
Guess what, you just paid $125 to take a test and GOT PAID to learn those skills. They shelled out $10k and worked for free (rotations).
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If you get CPHT certified they start you out with ONE WHOLE Dollar MORE an hour!!! Don't forget that now!
Thats min wage + a buck!
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I think that's what I'm going to do...if any current techs or RPh's have advice for people pursuing tech positions please feel free to share.
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That makes sense. I assumed it was a HIPPA issue because that's what a tech told me when I asked her why I could not volunteer at CVS.
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Honestly, if I had to do it over again I will still do the program. I can't speak for every program, but the program I graduated from taught me a lot. I was able to walk on the job and impressed the pharmacists and the staffed who worked there. I walked in already knowing the top 150 generic and brand names of drugs. I knew how to calm patients down before they got upset (most times), I knew to wipe down my tray when using sulfa drugs to prevent cross contamination. I knew how to interpret sigs. The only thing that took some time for me to get used to was the insurance and learning some of the doctors hand writings.
In addition, I had to take classes that included: pharmacology, pharmaceutical calculations, medical terminology, anatomy and physiology 1 & 2, and general chemistry. These course prepared me for the science classes I have taken in college. Pharmacology prepared me for microbiology; a&p 1 & 2 prepared me for a&p 1&2 and some general bio in college; and of course general chemistry prepared me for both general chemistry, since the one I took at the technical school was a combination of both. At the university I attend, I also tutor nursing students who are taking drug calculations and helped them as best I can with pharmacology.
Because of this program, I was able to establish a network with pharmacists who helped me by talking to their friends to allow me to shadow them. It also helped with LORs.
In terms of the cert test, I had the best of both worlds because the program trained me to the retail and hospital environment.
In addition, I had to take classes that included: pharmacology, pharmaceutical calculations, medical terminology, anatomy and physiology 1 & 2, and general chemistry. These course prepared me for the science classes I have taken in college. Pharmacology prepared me for microbiology; a&p 1 & 2 prepared me for a&p 1&2 and some general bio in college; and of course general chemistry prepared me for both general chemistry, since the one I took at the technical school was a combination of both. At the university I attend, I also tutor nursing students who are taking drug calculations and helped them as best I can with pharmacology.
Because of this program, I was able to establish a network with pharmacists who helped me by talking to their friends to allow me to shadow them. It also helped with LORs.
In terms of the cert test, I had the best of both worlds because the program trained me to the retail and hospital environment.
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this took me <2 weeks working part time, didn't need to pay tuition for that.
but glad it worked for you anyway
But the only reason I got hired was because I knew the supervisor, who recommended me to the director. I wouldn't have gotten hired without experience had I didn't know the supervisor. The other techs who went to technician school got hired without an internal contact.
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That maybe so, but before the program I didn't have a job. I was filling out applications, talking to the store manager, and to the pharmacists. I still had no luck. I believe in my area if you want to work as a tech it's about who you know. That's why I said earlier people in my area should enroll in the program. In fact, I know several people who dropped the program and took the test but can't find jobs; however, the people who stayed in the program are working as techs thanks to the required rotation.
Same in my area; you really need to know someone to get a technician position.
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Seriously? A tech job? A tech job is very low pay and extremely stressful, I can't imagine anyone would be crazy enough get it unless they want to attend pharmacy school and need a LOR.
I got both of my tech jobs in a few days and I didn't have any experience or certification. I figure it was b/c the pay was so low that no one was willing to do it.
You're in ATL, very different from Los Angeles. Technicians where I work make a little below $20 to start. The experienced ones are in the mid 20's/hour.
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General response to those discussing tech programs:
Some hospitals here in California actaully require that their techs have a certificate from a tech program. I think hospitals here really dislike temp techs who are pre-pharmacy students. Their requirements for employment ensure this.
Some hospitals here in California actaully require that their techs have a certificate from a tech program. I think hospitals here really dislike temp techs who are pre-pharmacy students. Their requirements for employment ensure this.
I live in a state (MT) where I think there might be more jobs, but it was still an effort for me to get hired. I also self studied and passed the exam. Then I opened up the phone book and called EVERY pharmacy in town. Then I went around to EVERY pharmacy in descending order of interest dropping off resumes. I even went to the ones that said they were definitely NOT hiring. One of the pharmacists there liked me and faxed my resume to the head retail pharmacists of a group of chain stores and she found me a part time position.
I won't claim that you aren't working hard enough to find a position, but work harder!! If you really want the position you will find one. Especially as school starts when people stop interning for the summer.
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Some, definitely not all. 4 hospitals in northern California, and I'll be happy to PM you the names, don't have such draconian requirements.
Alright, so you ardent defenders of pharmacy technician programs have a leg to stand on there. They give you hands on experience and something you can leverage against other possible applicants, but everyone here has eventually been able to find a spot somewhere sans a $13,000/1 year education that essentially was paying 13 grand for job placement assistance, and learn everything through OJT.
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The answers are in the back of the book. (2005 edition, at least.)
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rphfan2009
I'm not learning jack$hit at the pharmacy that I'm currently at...I can't wait to get into pharmacy school, because I'm going to tell all the interns and pharmacists not to work for this hell hole!
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rphfan2009
If you do get into a pharmacy somewhere, I hope you get into a good one...a place that you can actually learn.
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Thank you! Actually I have I got offered a position at a Rite Aid, and the pharmacist said I would get to code, and dispense and not be a glorified cashier. I'm really excited to start working. Thank you all for your advice and good luck to those looking for positions.
I can say it took a long time for the big chains like CVS and Walgreens to get back to me more than a month I would say
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heh, i had a once-walmart technician walk up to where i was working and ask me if i was cpht certified. I said yea, he said to "get out of this ****" and go to a hospital so i won't "deal with these bull**** customers"......while customers were standing RIGHT NEXT TO HIM.
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LOL! Oh wow...I wish I could get into a hospital that would be the best. But a lot of the hopsitals like someone had previously said look for people who aren't temporary techs
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LOL! Oh wow...I wish I could get into a hospital that would be the best. But a lot of the hopsitals like someone had previously said look for people who aren't temporary techs
Probably VERY true. All the techs in the hospital where I am are definitely lifer types.
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I did the same thing this summer and had a fantastic experience. Most of the volunteers there were there just to get their "one year of experience."
I just studied the Mosby book for a couple weeks and passed the PTCB this week.
If you're interested, call your local Red Cross to find out how to volunteer at a military hospital. Good luck!- Joined
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This might have been said already but I didnt read all the post. I on a whim stopped in a small privately owned pharmacy and got the job the same day without any experience, training or certification. I was previously a real estate broker, so I think they knew I was a serious person, but that still has nothing to do with a pharmacy.
My suggestion: find all small privately owned pharmacies, take in your college transcripts, and let them know you are serious about becoming a pharmacist. Most of these owners have a soft heart for serious students, and remember that they were helped somewhere along the way. Tell them that you would like the opportunity to even work part time. Out of all the ones that you find, I am sure one of them will give you a chance!!
My suggestion: find all small privately owned pharmacies, take in your college transcripts, and let them know you are serious about becoming a pharmacist. Most of these owners have a soft heart for serious students, and remember that they were helped somewhere along the way. Tell them that you would like the opportunity to even work part time. Out of all the ones that you find, I am sure one of them will give you a chance!!
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This is very true. However, I went to a big chain. The pharmacist was a very caring foreign woman (I couldn't tell you where she was from but she had an accent) and she just listened to me and Hired me TODAY. Telling them your plans really can help you out
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Thank you...I hope so. I need a job after school is finished.
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Its suppose to be back to normal next year (2010).
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I doubt it'll EVER be back to "normal", if by "normal" we mean the free credit of 2000-2006... I don't think, in this country at least, we'll EVER see that kind of free money available, ever again.
I'm pretty happy overall. My family has a good deal of disposable income (pensions and retirement, sweeeet) so we came out on top of this recession. Due to the easy credit, I was able to get my FICO almost to 800 with only a few years of credit history, since I could get 9 cards and use them on rotation.
That'd never work now. I don't know how an 18 or 19 yearold kid will be able to get enough credit to raise his or her credit score to a level good enough for the best mortgage and auto loan rates. Therein lies the rub of credit...
However, if by normal we mean not absolutely crappy, then I'm happy.
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