Pharmacy Techs? Help a brotha out

[StereoInstaller1]

Hey R3V, my GF wants to become a PT.

Can anyone shed some light on this profession?

Please discuss.

Thanks!
Luke

[GarrettM]

I know you make a really good amount of money, 140k a year isn't out of the question with running your own store. Not even owning it..
My friends sister did it, Walmart offered her a management position at a store starting at 120k a year!

[iwantone]

no, pharmacists make that much.
pharm techs are basically interns, students working at a pharmacy.
they do pretty basic stuff, fill prescriptions, count meds, call insurance co., etc...

my gf is a pt for right aid, does not make much, a lil more than minimum wage...
once she is through pharmacy school and is a "Doctor of Pharmacy,"
then she will be making much more.

[Tavern Gnome]

My old roomate was a tech. I think she made $16/hr at Bartels.

[bolognablake]

We pay our Pharmacy Tech $19.50 an hour right now at Costco.

[GarrettM]

DO you have to go to school/college just to be a tech?

[Turf1600]

DO you have to go to school/college just to be a tech?

Pretty sure you do.

[bolognablake]

Pretty sure you do.

In the state of TN, you just have to pass a test. I don't think it's that easy, because most people study for a month or two.

[StereoInstaller1]

To take the test, you must have either 1 year of school (50 weeks) or 2 years working experience. State level certification exists in all states except Texas as of 10/08. There is already a shortage of PTs, I am assuming it will be worse after cert goes into place, and that all the techs (just like Legal Secretaries) who aren't certified, got their job because they knew somone or got "promoted" from cashier or intern, or whatever will shake out, leaving even more of a lack of certified techs.

We aren't young, you know. She is 47. a career change at this time really means this is the last shot...if this sucks, basically all is lost.

I am just hoping she gets excited enough about pills to get going on a degree and become a Pharmacist. IMO, Pharmacist is the best field to get into for best time/money return on your investment.

[trashcop 80s 80s]

I guess I am kind of a pharmacy tech. I compound the IV solutions and deal with the narcotics in a hospital pharmacy.
Retail (CVS, Rite-Aid, Wal-Mart, etc....) is mostly shitty pay, like $7-$9 an hour. Those jobs are given to high school kids or people that aren't smart enough to do much else. There is no test or experience needed to work in those situations.

Hospital pharmacies are a completely different job, but with the same title. We must deal with compounding IVs, chemotherapy, narcotics, as well as the basic retail stuff, there is more responsibility and therefore more pay. I make $16hr, which is about average in a hospital. I got the job because I have an associates of science and I passed some little math test that makes sure you aren't an idiot. I had no previous pharmacy or healthcare experience.

The CPhT test is a joke. Anyone with high-school level math and chemistry skills can pass it. I didn't study at all, but I am a Biology/Chemistry student, so I already know the stuff. Questions are like... If a drug contains 50g of Mg++ per ml, how much should be added to a 250ml saline bag for a concentration of .2g per ml.... or, a patient needs 750mg of Xdrug and the drug is only available in 500mg or 1000mg tablets, what do you do? It is all basic math, but with drugs involved.

[StereoInstaller1]

I guess I am kind of a pharmacy tech. I compound the IV solutions and deal with the narcotics in a hospital pharmacy.
Retail (CVS, Rite-Aid, Wal-Mart, etc....) is mostly shitty pay, like $7-$9 an hour. Those jobs are given to high school kids or people that aren't smart enough to do much else. There is no test or experience needed to work in those situations.

Hospital pharmacies are a completely different job, but with the same title. We must deal with compounding IVs, chemotherapy, narcotics, as well as the basic retail stuff, there is more responsibility and therefore more pay. I make $16hr, which is about average in a hospital. I got the job because I have an associates of science and I passed some little math test that makes sure you aren't an idiot. I had no previous pharmacy or healthcare experience.

The CPhT test is a joke. Anyone with high-school level math and chemistry skills can pass it. I didn't study at all, but I am a Biology/Chemistry student, so I already know the stuff. Questions are like... If a drug contains 50g of Mg++ per ml, how much should be added to a 250ml saline bag for a concentration of .2g per ml.... or, a patient needs 750mg of Xdrug and the drug is only available in 500mg or 1000mg tablets, what do you do? It is all basic math, but with drugs involved.

Thanks for some real info. As of 10/08, Oregon requires certification for anyone who does more tahn cashiering in all retail pharmacies. The Walgreen pharmacist who is a friend of ours tells us that the techs at her store are making about $15/hr, and that is expected to go up when certification is mandatory.

I think it is a good gig for my GF. She needs constant "busy" and the techs at Walgreens are certainly busy.

[trashcop 80s 80s]

The pay is better in other states, probably due to the mandatory CPhT. I know a few retail techs and they never make more than $10 here unless they have been there a while. I think it will go up eventually as they start giving them more responsibility to help lighten the workload of the pharmacists and to make it a more efficient environment.

Tell her to try to shoot for a hospital job. They can make over $20hr when envolved in high risk areas like surgery, chemotherapy, labor and delivery, etc... The websites that quote average salaries are not very accurate because the bulk of people that are considered pharmacy technicians work in retail and don't make much. I know one of the techs I work with makes $60K a year b/c she is involved with the ordering and supplies for the department.