Pharmacy Technician Training and PharmD Programs
Degree in pharmacy or certification as a pharmacy technician prepares you for a career working in pharmacy, dispensing prescription drugs to patients as prescribed by physicians. The requirements for a job as a pharmacy technician vary from state to state, with some requiring taking a test and also acquiring formal pharmacy technician training. Many pharmacy technicians choose to earn certification from an accredited college or university, where they learn medication dispensing methods, recordkeeping and pharmacy laws and ethics. Pharmacists generally earn a degree in a science discipline – biology, for example, or chemistry – before earning a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Pharmacists also are required to be licensed and pass two exams before working in their field.
Explore Career Opportunities in the Fast-Growing Field of Pharmacy
Whether you decide to become a pharmacy technician or a pharmacist, you’ll enter a rapidly-growing field. The number of pharmacists is expected to increase 25% by 2020, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS projects that the number of pharmacy technicians will increase at an even faster rate, growing by 32% this decade.