Phoenix College has started a program to train pharmacy technicians. The course, which was held for the first time last semester, aims to fill a growing need in the Valley.
As baby boomers age, demand for pharmaceuticals will increase, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. As a result, employment of pharmacy technicians is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations.
That report is especially ominous for the Valley, which is home to a large elderly population.
Kendra Charts, a Phoenix College training coordinator, told the Arizona Republic, the course is coming at just the right time because of the plans for a University of Arizona pharmacy school in downtown Phoenix.
“The key here is our phenomenal population boom,” she told the Republic. “We need to help prepare people to fill those (pharmacy technician) jobs.”
Pharmacy technicians assist pharmacists by filling, packaging, and distributing medications and maintaining patient records and inventory. Starting salaries are $9 to $13 an hour. Certified technicians can earn 20 to 30 percent more.
Those who finish Phoenix College’s program receive a certificate of completion.
For more information:
“PC offering pharmacy tech classes,” Arizona Republic, 01/27/2006