Online Pharmacy Technician Associate’s Degrees

Earn Your Associate's Degree in Pharmacy Technology Online

Those who decide to earn an associate’s degree in pharmacy and become pharmacy technicians are entering an occupation with a bright future. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects 32% growth in the field, meaning that 108,000 people will take a job as a pharmacy technician by 2020.

What is a Pharmacy Technician?

Pharmacy technicians work under the direct supervision of pharmacists, filling prescriptions as ordered by physicians, fielding customers' calls and performing other administrative duties. They work wherever retail pharmacies have been located to offer customers better service and more convenience: healthcare facilities, drug stores, grocery stores and department stores. While many pharmacy technicians work full-time, this is an occupation where there is also ample opportunity for part-time work.

Pharmacy technicians often interact with customers. They can serve as the primary contact with patients, scheduling appointments with the pharmacist only as needed. Typically, they perform duties such as taking whatever information is required from a patient in order to dispense them drugs, measuring amounts needed for prescriptions (including counting tablets) and mixing or compounding medications under the direction of the pharmacist. Pharmacy technicians may also take payment from customers, answer incoming phone calls and process insurance claims.

How to Become a Pharmacy Technician

After earning an associate’s degree, most would typically then receive pharmacy technician training, learning the ins and outs of job by working in an actual pharmacy under close supervision and direction. Most states also require pharmacy technicians to be licensed and certified.