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“How to become a Pharmacy Technician in the UK ?”- is a question many youngsters are interested in now. Making a career choice is always puzzling. To pick the one that pays the best? Or to choose the one that’s the most comfortable? And sometimes, finding the right balance seems like the ultimate ordeal. So if you are looking for a career that comes with a combination of the most common factors, Pharmacy Technician should get a chance now.
Who Are Pharmacy Technicians?
Before asking how to become a Pharmacy Technician, we need to know first who Pharmacy Technicians are. Pharmacy technicians are well-trained professionals in Pharmacy. Their expertise adds valuable support to a Pharmacist’s office. And the kind of that support varies from place to place, but in general, these are some of the everyday duties that a Pharmacy technician is seen to fulfil.
The Duties of a pharmacy technician are listed below:
These are just a few of the typical jobs of Pharmacy technicians. As you gain more experience the roles keep varying and expanding every day. Some of these tasks are pretty overlapping with the responsibilities of Pharmacists. And that makes the service of Pharmacy technicians more valuable in the Pharmacy workforce.
Without proper training, these services cannot be provided just by anyone. Hence, the exclusive support that Pharmacy technicians have to offer are gaining more demand with time.
Where Do Pharmacy Technicians Work?
The most common work setting for Pharmacy technicians is a Pharmacist’s office. But there are a lot of other areas that need the services of Pharmacy technicians. And this is an important thing to know. That’s because sometimes what you want to do depends a lot on where you will end up working.
Two other popular job places for Pharmacy technicians are hospitals and pharmaceutical factories. Pharmacy technicians also provide customer services at insurance companies, medicine manufacturing companies, pharmacies, and drug stores. And lastly, traditional schools and grocery stores require the skills of a certified pharmacy technician too.
How To Become A Pharmacy Technician?
Becoming a Pharmacy Technician consists of several steps. But if you follow them with clarity and determination, the question will hopefully not puzzle you anymore. So take a look for gathering your cues on what to do for becoming a Pharmacy Technician.
What Qualifications Does A Pharmacy Technician Need?
The best part about preparing for a Pharmacy Technician is that it doesn’t require a prolonged time investment like a Pharmacist’s degree does. So the time you need to kickstart your career is much less than that. Hence, if you are short of time when it comes to becoming financially independent, a Pharmacy Technician job can be your go-to option.
If you want to become a Pharmacist, in the long run, you can fund your degrees later and become one without wasting your journey as a Pharmacy Technician. There’s more on this below.
But by becoming financially independent faster as a Pharmacy Technician, you can take care of your financial issues. So when the time comes, just set your foot on your way to becoming a Pharmacist. All these years of experience as a Pharmacy Technician will ultimately add up. After all, the works of a Pharmacy and a Pharmacy Technician have a lot in common.
Here is a step-by-step list. This list should suffice as the answer to your question:
Schooling And Education
Becoming a Pharmacy Technician is a lot faster than many other work routes out there. And that doesn’t need to compromise with the prospects of earning a higher degree later. So the versatility of this profession leaves you enough room to add a college degree later on. And then you can just build on top of your existing experiences.
A significant reason why becoming a Pharmacy Technician isn’t a slow process is this- it doesn’t demand an extensive college education. However, you do need to have your high school completed. After that, you will require earning some form of academic credential. Such courses usually range from a few months to two years. And such credentials can be Diplomas or Associate degrees.
The Diploma or Associate degree course works for Pharmacy Technician jobs come in many forms these days. Of course, the traditional brick and mortar institutions are there, where you need to complete one module to reach the next and complete your credit count. And some institutions have adopted the mixed approach of combining offline and online learning, which can be equally effective, if not more.
Training And Development
Besides your Associate or Diploma degree, there are other pathways for self-development as a Pharmacy Technician. For example, investing in Training and Development packages is one of the better ways for this.
These pieces of training cover both theoretical and hands-on course works. Modules commonly focused on include- medical terminologies, basic Physiology and Anatomy, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical laws, Administrative skills, chemical calculations, Health support systems, etc.
After completing training, you will have to earn membership in the government-approved regulatory bodies for attaining legitimacy as a professional Pharmacy technician.
Internships
The job of a Pharmacy technician involves a lot of hands-on tasks. So what that means is- just bookish knowledge at school won’t suffice in making you a fantastic Pharmacy technician. The best way to pave your way towards a promising career as a Pharmacy technician at this stage is to do an internship. So after receiving your training and membership (or before earning membership), take one more step.
Managing an internship as a Pharmacy technician will supposedly be easy. Because which pharmacy, drug store, hospital, grocery store or school doesn’t need a Pharmacy technician? Just get in touch with the best local option you have and keep grinding there for a few months. And you’ll learn more than you ever could by taking in all the books in the world!
Memberships, Registrations, And Credentials
The recognised body for Pharmacy technicians in the UK is the Association of Pharmacy Technicians or APTUK. After completing the steps mentioned above, an APTUK membership will seal the deal for your earning legitimacy as a Pharmacy Technician.
The APTUK offers a collaborative environment where you can access many other opportunities to add to your professional growth. And better networking opportunities is a given! Here is a step-by-step list of all the things you need for getting registered with the APTUK.
Why Should You Become A Pharmacy Technician?
That was a lengthy discussion on becoming a Pharmacy Technician! So now, let’s move to the why.
Becoming a Pharmacy Technician requires less time, effort and degrees than many other similar-paid jobs do. And if becoming financially independent faster is an essential factor, this should be one of the go-to options.
The growth opportunity from a Pharmacy Technician to a Pharmacist is also a significant pro of this job. It is because many technical jobs don’t create the avenue to escalate to a higher degree job down the line. But the job of a Pharmacy Technician does. So opting for a Pharmacy degree later is a viable option that many Pharmacy Technicians choose.
A Pharmacy Technician job is entirely on-demand all the time. Furthermore, a Pharmacy Technicians ‘ demand is constantly rising with the increasing demand in the healthcare sector. Hence, if you are in this profession, you hardly need to worry about staying unemployed.
Moreover, the pay scale for pharmacy technicians is quite lucrative, but there are some challenges too. Let us have a look at this in detail now.
Pay And Benefits Of Being A Pharmacy Technician
According to Payscale, the average annual pay for beginner Pharmacy Technicians in the UK is around £23,000. While, for senior Pharmacy Technicians, it is usually approximately £27,000 per year. However, depending on the skill and expertise of a Pharmacy Technician, the pay scale can widely vary. So how you ultimately perform in your profession will be the marker for many things.
Another great benefit of being a Pharmacy Technician is this. You can branch out to professions with more opportunities. For example, many Pharmacy Technicians work their way up to become Pharmacists in their later years. And we have discussed more on this later in this write-up.
Challenges Of Being A Pharmacy Technician
Pharmacy Technicians are usually relatively straightforward. And the rewards aren’t worth undermining, either. But is it a profession devoid of challenges? Not so much.
Being a Pharmacy Technician will sometimes require learning skills to steep learning curves. And the people who consult with Pharmacy Technicians aren’t always the easiest to deal with. Also, some days will probably be more hectic for Pharmacy Technicians than others.
The economy is not always kind to all professionals. Sometimes that is true for Pharmacy Technicians too. But all these challenges are situational. They are not present in everyone’s work life. So the challenges are worth taking up! And more importantly, becoming a Pharmacy Technician indeed comes with many rewards.
Can A Pharmacy Technician Become A Pharmacist In The Long Run?
After successfully becoming a Pharmacy Technician, you’re probably worried about the long-term career growth opportunities.
By now, you know that a Pharmacist’s and a Pharmacist Technician’s jobs are highly correlated. And in most cases, there are overlaps. So you are probably also interested in learning whether you can become a Pharmacist some time down the road.
Becoming a Pharmacy Technician takes a lot less time, but the pay is much less. On the other hand, becoming a Pharmacist demands a lot more investment. But the professional credentials come with a much better paycheque.
So the obvious question to ask here is, is there any way to transition from a Pharmacy Technician to a Pharmacist? And the answer is yes. And the best part? You don’t need to consider your experience as a Pharmacy Technician as some form of loss in the way of your long-term career!
The experiences as a Pharmacy Technician will genuinely add to your credentials later as a Pharmacist. And potential employers will certainly buy that.
However, this discussion comes with a disclaimer. Many Pharmacy Technicians who happened to become Pharmacists later have reported that it wasn’t easy besides their regular moderately-paying jobs as Pharmacy Technicians. But completing their Pharmacy degrees was usually a great decision.
Pharmacy Technicians know better than others while signing up for a Pharmacy degree what they are signing up for. That’s because they have seen most of it before already. So this usually makes them better Pharmacists in the long run. And like everything else, becoming a Pharmacist from a Pharmacy Technician does come at a cost. But the price seems to be well worth it.
Closing Note
So that was quite some discussion on how to become a Pharmacy Technician. Being a Pharmacy Technician truly comes with many opportunities. Learning, growing and even evolving into a more advanced profession are common scenarios here. So if this profession is intriguing you, don’t delay rolling up your sleeves and learning more. It could be a game-changer for your coming life!
