Career Colleges » Florida » Health, Medical, and Nursing » Pharmacy Technician, Assistant
Looking for accredited career colleges, technical schools, and universities in Florida offering Pharmacy Technician, Assistant degrees. Pharmacy technicians and pharmacists are in continued demand, as drugstores and healthcare continue to expand.
Florida colleges are some of the most popular in America: more than 600,000 students are enrolled in its nearly 200 post-secondary institutions. The attraction is obvious: this consistent tourist destination has 663 miles of coastline dotted with theme parks, resorts, and nature preserves. The weather is warm and sunny year-round, and students intending to make their careers in the hospitality or culinary fields should find many opportunities for on-the-job experience.A pharmacy technician (also known as a pharmacy assistant) helps the primary pharmacist measure out doses, research various drugs, and fill out prescriptions. Currently, there are very few formal requirements for this particular occupation, and many pharmacy technicians get started with only on-the-job training. But increasingly, many clinics and pharmacies are beginning to gravitate towards those who have graduated from pharmacy technician programs. Because there are so many new drugs on the market, it's imperative that patients receive proper dosages of prescribed medicines. This additional attention to detail sometimes necessitates a firm grounding in pharmaceutical medicine, chemistry, anatomy, and physiology.
Although pharmacy assistant programs might vary from state to state and region to region, the basic curriculum is pretty much the same all across the country. Whether one wants to secure a certificate, associates degree, or bachelors degree, most pharmacy assistant programs provide extensive training in the above-mentioned disciplines. Hospital ethics, business ethics, and privacy are also areas that many programs stress.
Like most other positions in the health-care industry, pharmacy assistants will enjoy tremendous growth in the coming years. According to the US Department of Labor, job opportunities for this particular occupational group will grow faster than national average for most other occupations. This is in large part due to increased medical technology that brings newer and more effective drugs to the market every day. In addition, baby boomers are getting set to retire in unprecedented numbers. As they transition into old age, they will also create more demand for pharmaceutical services.
Source: US Department of Labor