(ThyBlackMan.com) If you’ve been considering pharmacy tech school, you’re on the right track to a rewarding career. Pharmacy technicians can find work in a variety of settings, from retail pharmacies to hospitals to long-term care facilities and more, and the education can take as little as 10 months to complete. Interested?
Here, we’ll cover five reasons why you might want to enroll in pharmacy technician school. If there’s one thing COVID-19 has shown us, it’s that our medical system is not equipped to handle such a crisis, which means the need for medical professionals will likely grow in the coming years.
Let’s look at why you should consider enrolling in pharmacy tech school in 2020.
1. The Field Is Growing
According to the BLS, the pharmacy tech field is expected to grow by about 7% in the coming years. This data was created during the pre-COVID era, however, so there’s a good chance the outlook is even higher now. Either way, 7% is still faster growth than the national average, and there are already about 420,000 pharmacy technician positions in the US.
Why does the job outlook matter? If you’re training to become a pharmacy tech, you want to be sure there are plenty of employment options available to you once you graduate. The higher the growth rate, the more likely you’ll find a good career as soon as you graduate. It also means that jobs will expand to areas that may not have previously held such positions.
A growing field means the job market is healthy. As long as you do well in your program, obtain all necessary credentials, and work hard, you should be able to set yourself up with a rewarding career in no time. Some schools even have ties to hospitals and other medical institutions that can offer employment post-graduation.
2. Work Options
One of the great things about becoming a pharmacy technician is that you’re not limited to one job or environment. When you become a pharmacy technician, you have several options available to you, including:
Hospitals: You can work in the hospital’s pharmacy, providing life-saving medication to patients and making a huge difference in the suffering of the ill. Hospitals usually have good benefits packages and competitive salaries as well.
Retail: You also have the option to work in a retail pharmacy environment such as CVS, Walgreens, Rite-Aid, etc. This is the most popular option among new pharmacy technicians, simply because these jobs are usually abundant. However, some retail pharmacies choose their pharmacy techs from in-house programs.
Mail-Order Pharmacy: Online pharmacies offer a convenient alternative for the disabled or people who don’t have access to a physical pharmacy location. You can work behind the scenes, never interacting with patients (except maybe on the phone). This is a good option for those that don’t want the fast-paced action of a hospital or the dread of retail work.
3. Flexible Education Options
A pharmacy technician certification can be obtained in as little as 10 months, depending on the program you choose. You can attend an in-person program or complete your degree completely online. If choosing the latter, make sure to search for online pharmacy technician programs with financial aid like UMA. There are thousands of programs to choose from all over the country, so you’ve got plenty of options available to you.
There are also work at your own pace programs, so you won’t be under any time constraints. You can complete your education when you’re ready!
4. Rewarding Career
The medical field requires a certain kind of personality. Medical professionals are compassionate and care for their patients, and this offers a certain reward of its own. You’ll be helping patients obtain their medications, which can often mean the difference between life and death or the worsening of health complications.
You’ll be fulfilling an incredibly important role in our society. Without access to a pharmacy, the process of obtaining prescriptions might be overly complex and expensive.
5. Salary
Pharmacy technicians can benefit from a competitive salary for an associate’s degree program. You can make up to $16 per hour in some cases, with the average salary falling in at around $41,000 per year. In addition to the benefits package you should be receiving from your employer, you can make a decent living without going into too much student debt. Most programs cost anywhere from $3,000-$10,000! That’s far more affordable than a four-year degree and won’t leave you feeling overwhelmed with student debt.
Final Thoughts
A pharmacy technician program can get you fast-tracked into a growing field with flexible job options, good benefits, and a competitive salary. You’ll spend a few thousand dollars on your education and you’ll be in a field that plays a vital role in society. Need we say more? Sign up today and begin your journey toward a more rewarding career!
Staff Writer; Roy Brown