I’ve got a question!
Ok, I am still working on my Pre-pharmacy classes at the moment, and will be basically until Summer of 2005. In other words I just started. (Summer semester '03 was my first semester) I currently work at Hy-Vee selling Pizza’s, which is a bit humbling since I was making twice the pay at my old factory job. It pays the bills while I search for a part time flexable job elsewhere though.
The thing is, a coworker told me today that a Pharm Tech at our store told him some things about Pharm Tech jobs. She is in her Final year of the PharmD program at UMKC apparently, and she has been a Pharm tech for several years I guess. He got the impression from her that schooling to be a Pharm Tech was not necessary, only a registration (and registration fee) at the police station complete with fingerprints and background check was all that was necessary. Apparently they will provide training. Sounds almost too good to be true. I wasn’t planning on even trying to be a Pharm tech untill I was a year or two into my PharmD program. (or more)
Is this true in your state, I couldn’t find any references online with a quick check, though I did see that Pharm Tech requirements are not strictly regulated.
I hope it is this easy. It would pay much more than fixin pizzas, be something I would take a bit more pride in, and give me valuable experience that will come in handy in my future career as a Pharmacist.
Another quick question- Is it necessary to go this route? Do most, if not all, pharmacists do the Pharm tech thing?
I found some of the techincian requirements for MO on pages 34 and 35 of this pdf file:
http://www.sos.mo.gov/adrules/csr/current/4csr/4c220-2.pdf
I wouldn’t bet on it necessarily paying more than a pizza place, but if you’re pre-pharmacy you’re absolutely right that the experience will be valuable. I was a tech for about 10 years before I made it into pharmacy school. It is by no means necessary to be a tech, but I would recommend it if you can swing it.
miatachris, R.Ph.
Many years ago, I was a pharmacy tech in Mass. I worked both retail and Hospital gigs. No qualifying test, background check, or random drug tests at either job.
I read and filled scripts and even “compounded” special meds such as progesterone suppositories, IVs, and custom ointments.
At both jobs, a registered pharmacist checked everything that went out the door. At the time I worked in the field, a full-time pharmacy tech made about the same salary as a full-time Burger King employee. I doubt things have changed much.
I decided, after a few short years of part-time pharm tech-ing, that a job as a pharmacist was not for me.
Wow, I think you guys all got screwed. 
I have been told Pharm techs make 12-15 dollars an hour, and have found several places (none in missouri though), paying just that. I only make 7 dollars an hour at Hy-vee.
Texas- 12-15 per hour, of course they require some experience. I am going to talk to some Pharm Techs myself at the place I work, and even see if some will talk to me at a local drugstore or two.
Thanks for all the information though, btw Stan, why did you not feel being a pharmacist was for you?
I was a pharmacy technician in a hospital while I was in high school. So you can tell, at least at that time, that not a lot of education was needed. They gave me the training. This was in Ohio. And while the pay was above minimum wage, I wasn’t exactly rolling in the bucks either. Since that time, some states have started to require more education/training, which might explain higher wages in some areas.
I’m in NC now and work for a state university with a medical center. The starting wage for a pharmacy technician at our hospital is $21,750. You must have a high school diploma and either go through a 9-month training program or already have one year of pharmacy experience. That’s about $10.50 an hour, which ain’t much in this area.
Another complication is my current full time schooling. While it may be possible for me to find a job as a Pharm tech, 9-5 with full training, It might be a bit harder to find a 20-25 hour a week job with most of the hours on the weekends.
I worked relief shift, which was 8-4 Saturday, 10-4 Sunday and 10-4 on holidays, so you wouldn’t get 20 hours that way. Our current hospital part-time jobs here are 3:30-midnight. You might want to look at your closest hospital for something like that - you might be able to do Friday-Sunday, for a total of 24 hours.