On-the-Job Pharmacy Tech Training

Pharmacy technicians receive on-the-job training in customer service.

Although pharmacy technicians (PTs) usually acquire formal training through a vocational school or community college to work in the field, there are aspects of the job that are not learned in the classroom. Under the guidance of a pharmacist, technicians are trained in customer service, cash register operation and filling prescription requests.

Features

Retail pharmacy chains such as CVS and Walgreens provide PTs with pre-employment training in customer service, cash register operation, prescription order processing and proper phone skills. For PTs who are not certified, the on-the-job training received through their employer makes them eligible to sit for the national Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) exam to become a certified pharmacy technician (CPhT).

Benefits

When PTs obtain their basic training in a pharmacy setting, they are usually paid an hourly wage and some of the costs of certification exams are picked up by the employer. Walgreens, for example, pays for the cost of up to two technician exams. Also, on-the-job training allows PTs to immediately use the latest technology.

Function

Training for PTs varies according to the work environment. A PT employed in a hospital pharmacy is more likely to train in IV admixture and compounding.

References

• Walgreens Careers: Employee Training Programs
• CVS Caremark: Pharmacy Technician
• Allied Health World: Pharmacy Technician Training