Best Pharmacy Technician Schools in South Dakota
South Dakota, the "Mount Rushmore State" is home to 1,250 salaried pharmacy technicians and continues to offer ample job opportunities for aspiring pharmacy technicians.
Becoming a pharmacy technician in South Dakota is a relatively quick process. There are two options individuals can take: complete a formal training program or obtain on the job training from a licensed pharmacist.
If you decide to complete a formal training program make sure it is ASHP approved. The most common PhT training program is a certificate program (typically less than a year) followed by a diploma program (typically one year) and finally a more in-depth associate degree program (typically two years long). The latter is the most comprehensive program and is one that can help secure more senior positions such as supervisory/management roles in a pharmacy. Courses consist of a mix of classwork, labwork followed by clinical pharmacy training in a hospital or community pharmacy.
Upon completion graduates are prepared for entry-level employment in retail, nursing homes and hospital pharmacies and pharmacies within medical and doctor's offices and even pharmaceutical sales as well able to sit the national certification exam.
Find the Right South Dakota Pharmacy Technician School For You:
The Southeast Technical Institute in Sioux Falls offers a Diploma Pharmacy Technician Program consisting of classwork, labwork and experiential training of 160 hours spent in a hospital setting and 160 hours in a retail setting. Intakes are in August and January and classes are held full-time during the day. The program features financial aid, assistance with state registration, preparation for certification, preparation for certification examination and experiential training which will prepare graduates for entry-level positions as pharmacy technicians. For more information, contact the program director at (605) 367-5743.
The Western Dakota Technical Institute in Rapid City, SD offers an eleven month pharmacy technician diploma program and associate degree programs and trains students to work in hospital, community, and home care pharmacies. The program offers classwork, labwork and clinical rotations in hospital, retail, and home care settings. Upon completion graduates are prepared to sit the national certification exam and obtain assistance with job search. For more information, contact the program director at (605) 718-2906.
South Dakota Pharmacy Technician Certification Requirements
Certification is now currently required in order to work as a pharmacy technician. Being certified means you can command higher wages, able to progress further and gives you the flexibility to work in another state as it is nationally recognized. The two most common certifications are the PTCE and ExCPT. As of 2017, there were 1186 actively PTCB CPhTs (certified technicians) that currently reside in this state.
South Dakota Pharmacy Technician License Requirements
Registration/Licensure with South Dakota Board of Pharmacy is required prior to taking up employment or completing experiential training as part of a formal training program.
What does a Pharmacy Technician make in South Dakota?
The *average South Dakota pharmacy technician salary is $15.12 per hour or $31,450 per annum.
An entry level pharmacy technician in SD earns an average of $10.27 per hour whilst an experienced and/or certified pharmacy technician can earn upwards of $21.98 per hour depending on years of experience and work setting.
Figures courtesy of the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Employment & Wages database.