A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

Thinking of going into pharmacy tech... - Needing change

Posted: Mar 05, 2014

So, I have been thinking about changing careers. I did go to school (Andrews) in 2010 for coding, but decided that's not really for me. I did well, just don't know if I would like to do it day in and day out. I will be 43 this year, and I'm not afraid to go to school, I just have NO clue what I want to go for. I thought about nursing, but with my schedule it would be so hard. I work third shift, have children ages 12 and 3. My husband is on disability for severe anxiety and I know I can't do transcription forever. We barely scrape by.

So, my question is do any of you know any pharmacy techicians, or have any of you started training to be one or started and didn't like it? I know we are all in kind of the same boat with not knowing what to do next as far as transcription.

I did it for a while last year. - (see message)

[ In Reply To ..]
Hi, I worked as a pharmacy tech for a while last year. I was hired and trained on the job, without the schooling. Had I stayed with it, I would've needed to study the textbook and take the exam to get certified within I think it was 1 year. If you're a smart transcriptionist, I think it's very do-able to study on your own and pass the exam. It's a lot of info, but I didn't find it all that hard.

I didn't like it enough to stay with it. I loved the customer service aspect of the job, but I felt that the amount of responsibility they put on the techs was quite high. We did basically the full filling of the Rx, from taking (and interpreting) the Rx, entering everything into the computer, retrieving the drug from the shelf, and filling the Rx. The pharmacist then verified and double checked our work and was freed up to answer customers' medical questions.

The work itself wasn't bad (or even that hard), but when things were REALLY busy (walk-up customers, phone ringing, Rx faxes coming in from dr's offices, and auto-refills spewing into the queue, all at the same time), I found that pretty stressful--esp. at times when there was only one pharmacist and one tech on duty.

Keep in mind that you'd be on your feet for pretty much your whole shift, and some people have trouble with that. I didn't find it impossible, but it's definitely a big change from sitting all day. I only rarely worked the longest shifts, but those long shifts could have you on your feet up to 9-1/2 hrs. Of course, you could work shorter hours if that's your agreement with the manager, but the full-time people (a tech and the pharmacists) worked long days at my store.

You might also have some trouble finding a pharmacy that would hire you for full-time. I think there was only 1 FT tech at the store where I worked, and all the others were PT. Some weeks, I only got 15-20 hours of work. You might have better luck getting a FT position at a hospital pharmacy, though.

In the end, I really felt I was wasting all my medical terminology knowledge, and I managed to find a job at a medical clinic, working with the electronic notes.

Hope this helps a bit! Good luck.

Thank you so much for your experience - Need a change

[ In Reply To ..]
I really do thank you for taking the time to answer my question! It doesn't sound like something I would really enjoy, as I, too, don't want to waste my medical termiology experience. I don't think techs make that much where I am, either. But, I did want to get some opinions on the job itself.

I went from casino work for 13 years, to transcription for the last 9 years and now I just don't know where I want to go.

Thank you again for your input! :)

Hey, Need a Change! - (see message)

[ In Reply To ..]
You're very welcome! I know how you feel. It's very tough to make the transition. I've been an MT for about 20 years now, and, like I said, I feel I have a vast amount of "medical language" knowledge, so using that in some way made sense...at least for me.

I was being paid $11/hr as a pharmacy tech, which seemed like an improvement over what I had been making for an MTSO when I was NJA so much of the time. I don't want to say which one, but I worked at a big-box store pharmacy.

Anyone considering a switch to pharm tech work...I'd suggest trying to read some chat rooms/ bulletin boards on-line where you can get other feedback about what the work is like. It might be just the thing for some people; it just wasn't right for me.

Maybe something in the hospitality business (hotel-related, maybe) would be up your alley, unless you've really just had your fill of that from your casino years(?)! :-) Good luck in your decision...I wish you well.

Wasting medical terminology - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
The entire field of health information management makes use of that medical terminology, along with your knowledge of medical records, the way they are structured, reports and their contents, surgical operations, lab & path, imaging, pharmaceuticals and therapies, computers & Microsoft software, and transcription technology.

Transcription is a part of that field. I don't understand why so many of you can't see that. Maybe you know and about it but don't like that field, but most of you sound as though you aren't even aware that it exists. It is like you think the work you do now goes directly back to the doctors or something.

If you are already IN that field, why not check out the options for some of those better jobs than looking to retrain in yet another limited field like pharm tech?

Try looking at the career map and salary survey here: http://www.ahima.org/careers.

The nice thing about those jobs is that they all require just what you already have. You can build on that very easily through online programs. There is a list of accredited schools there, too. Some of them, like San Juan College in New Mexico, are really inexpensive. There are other really great options if you already have a bachelors (in anything) or are interested in doing a degree in informatics.

There are also lots of jobs in medical front office that you can do with minimal additional training. A part of that is medical billing and coding. You can start there.

I started in a low HIM position, then moved to coding, and eventually got an RHIA. I have a job I am happy with now, and there is still room to grow.

One HIM job you are already qualified for is transcription coordinator. You can also do any of the clerk jobs, as well as release of information, scanning, and record analysis. A lot of hospitals with EHRs now need to review documentation for completeness and accuracy, and to make sure doctors do it at all, and you can do that.

Another good resource is www.aapc.com. They have a salary survey and you can see typical training courses there, too.

Very good points - xx

[ In Reply To ..]
It always puzzles me why so many MTs considering different careers seem to focus on low-paying jobs with limited opportunities for advancement. If MT is not paying the bills, why not seek training in something with better pay and the chance for advancement?

PHARMACY TECH TRAINING - Jasmine 215

[ In Reply To ..]
Hi Change,

You really hit the nail on the head for me!

I would very much like to return to school for this, to be a Pharmacy tech.

I know there is a CVS Pharmacy down the road from me a couple miles away, they are looking to hire a "Pharmacy Tech Trainee" whatever THAT means! (I guess you train on-the-job without formal schooling, but you need to pass the Certification exam). I do know a girl who worked for about 3 years as a Pharmacy tech, was going to school majoring in Chemistry and now works as an Analytial chemist (did not want Pharmacist training, I guess)

I have a hard time with multi-tasking, going to school and working. Now if I could just quit for a couple of years and re-educate myself......

I was a pharmacy tech... - pharmalisa

[ In Reply To ..]
...for about 5 years in a very busy retail pharmacy. I found it to be a high-stress job with not-so-great pay ($11 an hour at no more than 32 hours a week). I doubt there are many full-time pharmacy tech jobs anywhere. This was just my experience, and what didn't work out so well for me may be perfect for others.

Hi, pharmalisa... - (see message)

[ In Reply To ..]
My experience was almost identical to yours, including the pay grade and high stress. (I'm the other poster who worked as a pharmacy tech.) It almost seems like the techs now take on the job the pharmacists used to do years ago, at much lower pay. I was actually kind of surprised at how much we techs were allowed to do whereas years ago, we were only allowed to type the labels for the bottle and ring up the purchases.

One thing that I found overwhelming was the MYRIAD of insurance plans that had to be searched within the system to find the appropriate coverage. There are literally thousands of plans out there, it seems, and the store I worked for had an antiquated computer system that made it very cumbersome and difficult to operate.

Pharmacy Tech - gltrgrami

[ In Reply To ..]
I think this is a pretty good choice. The outlook is promising for pharmacy tech. The pay, not so good. It depends on where you live. I live in California(one of the highest paying for this profession) and they only make about $9-15 an hour. I too had this same idea a few years ago and signed up with Career Steps (very reputable company.) After about 2 months into the course I did great.... until I got to pharmacy calculations. Dead stop! You MUST know algebra really well to do this pass this course and do this job. Something they don't tell you before you pay (I paid $1400), and yes I lost my money. I am 62, and we didn't have to learn algebra when I went to school, and I am horrible in math, so I had to drop out after about a month with my teacher and husband doing their best to teach me. It was brutal. But, if you are good in algebra, it will be a breeze for you. There are modules that you go through, unfortunately the pharmaceutical calculations is the largest. Good luck to you. I hope this helped.

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