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Pharmacy Technician CTE Externship Orlantha F. Nin, M.Ed. Saddleback College Note: Photographs were not taken inside the Kaiser facility, photos inserted.

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Presentation on theme: "Pharmacy Technician CTE Externship Orlantha F. Nin, M.Ed. Saddleback College Note: Photographs were not taken inside the Kaiser facility, photos inserted."— Presentation transcript:

1 Pharmacy Technician CTE Externship Orlantha F. Nin, M.Ed. Saddleback College Note: Photographs were not taken inside the Kaiser facility, photos inserted from Google Images.

2 Externship Location, Mission Viejo Kaiser Pharmacy Community Partner Clare Adams Doctor of Pharmacy

3 Occupational Outlook

4 Career Outlook Career Outlook Source Occupational Outlook Handbook 2009 “Job opportunities are expected to be good, especially for those with certification or previous work experience.” Source: Bureau of Labor & Statistics, OOH (2008)

5 Where are the jobs?  326,300 pharmacy technicians jobs in 2008  A majority of the positions were in a retail setting (75%), and about 16 % of positions were in hospitals.  Employment of pharmacy technicians is expected to increase by 31 percent from 2008- 2018. Source: Bureau of Labor & Statistics, OOH (2008)

6 Preparation Requirements

7 Training Training Employers prefer pharmacy technicians with National or State Certifications  Locations: community colleges, vocational schools, hospitals, and the military. Depending upon the program, students may receive a diploma, certificate, or an associate’s degree.  Time: From 6 months to 2 years and include classroom and laboratory work.  Internships: Many training programs with internships.  Subject Areas: medical & pharmaceutical terminology, pharmaceutical calculations, pharmacy recordkeeping, pharmaceutical techniques, & pharmacy law / ethics.  Additionally: Technicians are required to learn the “names, actions, uses, and doses of the medications they work with”. Source: Bureau of Labor & Statistics, OOH (2008)

8 National Certification  The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) and the Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ICPT) administer national certification examinations.  Continuing education required to keep certification.  State certification varies state to state. Source: Bureau of Labor & Statistics, OOH (2008)

9 Personal Qualities  After observing three pharmacy techs at Kaiser, I found that those considering this profession should be:  Self-Directed  Direct and clear communicators  Patient  Team Players  Able to multi-task  Flexible  Precise and detail oriented

10 Technical Skills Needed  They should also possess or be able to learn the following:  Math & measurement skills  Computer proficiency  Type approximately 45-60 wpm  Accuracy with numbers and letters  Reading & spelling

11 Work Environment  The staff of this pharmacy included pharmacy assistants, pharmacy technicians (referred to as “techs”) and pharmacists.  The staff worked closely in a team environment in constant communication with one another.  The staff were on their feet and were busy for their entire shifts with very little downtime.  The environment was fairly fast- paced with patients in line, telephone calls and pages between the pharmacy and the physicians.

12 Schedules  In this facility, the pharmacy is open from 9 AM to 9 PM. Pharmacy techs may leave much later than the closing time if they have customers/patients waiting.  Pharmacy Techs were scheduled in varied shifts and may include weekend and evening hours.  Other facilities may offer more of a daytime schedule or operate in a 24 hour capacity.

13 Hourly Compensation  2008 Median hourly wage-- $13.32  2008 Middle 50 percent ---Between $10.95 and $15.88.  2008 Lowest 10 percent less than $9.27  2008 Highest 10 percent more than $18.98.  Some Pharmacy Technicians belong to unions. Source: Bureau of Labor & Statistics, OOH

14 California among the Top 3 in Salary for Pharmacy Techs Source: Bureau of Labor & Statistics, OES (2008) Alaska570$17.42 California27,470$17.36 Washington5,790$17.29 State EmploymentMean Hourly Wage

15 Career Paths  Many of the pharmacy technicians at this facility started their careers in a retail pharmacy (such as CVS or Rite Aid) as a pharmacy assistant.  Some were sent to training to become a pharmacy technician. The training was provided by their employer.  Others sought training on their own prior to seeking employment.

16 Duties of a Pharmacy Technician

17 Typical Duties  Communicating over the phone with patients, doctors, insurance & pharmaceutical companies.  Reading codes and entering information onto the computer  Filling prescriptions  Mixing or “compounding” medications and creams.  Quality control and inventory activities  Note: Prescriptions cannot be given to a patient or customer without a Pharmacists final review and approval.

18 Tools & Equipment  Pharmacy Technicians use the following tools & equipment:  Computer  Phone  Calculator  Scales  Compounding Equipment  Some pharmacies are more automated than others


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