Best Pharmacy Technician Schools in New York
A skilled pharmacy technician is able to work independantly, prioritize tasks and stay organised within a pharmacy setting. Your role is to achieve specific outcomes that improves a patient's quality of life, under direct supervision of a pharmacist. In order to become a pharmacy technician, you have a couple of ways to study the pharmacy technician program in many of the New York pharmacy technician schools: online, on campus or via distance learning.
It is not absolutely necessary to have a degree to work as a pharmacy technician in NY, as it may be more expensive than other options, and the NY State Pharmacy Board does not require a degree in pharmacy technology to register or to get a license. What employers will in most cases seek are candidates with relevant experience or graduates who have completed a Pharmacy technician training program.
A one-year pharmacy technology program offered by vocational schools or technical colleges leads to a Certificate of Achievement and prepares students for employment as entry-level assistants to a licensed pharmacist in various fields of practice of which includes: hospital and retail pharmacies, mail order service, home IV therapy and even pharmaceutical manufacturing.
The program combines lectures, lab work and clinical training in various settings including a community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy or managed care facilities allowing students to acquire the necessary skills to seek entry-level employment as pharmacy technicians.
Popular employers include: CVS/Pharmacy, Rite Aid Pharmacy, Walmart Stores and, Walgreen’s Pharmacy, However, hospital pharmacies offer not only better salary prospects with added fringe benefits but also job-growth opportunities.
Below is a list of schools in NY offering pharmacy technician programs both online and on-campus.
LIU Brooklyn, 1 University Plaza, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Ph: 718-488-1011
Bronx Community College, 2155 University Ave, Bronx, NY 10453
Ph: 718-289-5100
Sanford-Brown Institute, 120 East 16th Street, 4th Floor, New York, New York 10003,
Phone: 646 313-5893
Certification requirements
The State of New York does not require certification for pharmacy technicians, it is a completely voluntary process. However, technician certification is preferred by the majority of employers and if you do decide to pursue certification some employers will pay you a higher hourly rate- see salaries below. Out of the 17,660 employed pharmacy technicians in the state of NY, 7147 of those are PTCB CPhTs.
There are two national certifications that you can choose from: PTCB or ExCPT pharmacy certification. Employers look for either, it is up to you which you decide to sit. If you decide to undertake a state approved training program you would also be able to sit the certification exams and get this process out of the way also.
Licensure/registration requirements
The State of New York does not require a license or registration in order to work as a pharmacy technician.
What does a pharmacy technician earn in New York?
The average pharmacy technician salary in New York is *$34,640 or $15.66 hourly rate according to research done by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2018). PTCB CPhTs in New York earn an average of $48,000 or $23.08 per hour. Senior and Lead Pharmacy Technicians in NY earn an average of $46,000 or $22.12 per hour. An Outpatient Pharmacy Technician earns the highest with an average of $49,000 or $23.58 per hour. (source: Indeed.com)
The surge in the aging baby boom population is responsible for the great job-growth prospects The Bureau of Labor Statistic Office has given this career. So, if you are looking for a new career with excellent salary and job growth prospects and with training requirements as little as one year, then have a look at pharmacy technicians.
*Figures courtesy of the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Employment & Wages database.
Other recommended sources:
http://www.nabp.net/programs/cpe-monitor/cpe-monitor-service/technicians
http://www.ptcb.org/
http://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/