Choosing to specialize in one area can broaden your professional horizons. Demonstrating mastery through pharmacy technician specializations can offer increased earning potential and new job opportunities.
It can also provide a pathway for career advancement, allowing technicians to take on advanced responsibilities and showcase their expertise.
Common Pharmacy Technician Specializations
As a pharmacy technician, you can take your career in a variety of different directions. Consider how the following pharmacy technician specializations can enhance your career and create new opportunities for learning and growth.
Compounding Technician
Compounding technicians are responsible for combining ingredients to formulate customized oral and externally applied medications (such as creams and ointments) that meet patients’ unique needs. Nonsterile compounding certification helps you expand your knowledge as a pharmacy tech and ensure you fully understand safety regulations.
Sterile Products Technician (IV Technician)
Sterile products technicians prepare and dispense medications in a sterile environment to prevent contamination and ensure safety. Medicines that require sterile compounding require preparation by a certified professional who understands the importance of maintaining strict, controlled conditions.
Nuclear Pharmacy Technician
Nuclear pharmacy technicians prepare and dispense radioactive drugs and medicines, many of which are commonly used for diagnostic imaging and special therapies. This certification qualifies you to perform quality checks and functional testing to ensure the efficacy of the drugs and adherence to safety standards for those handling them.
Oncology Pharmacy Technician
In becoming an oncology pharmacy technician, you will have the skills to work with medications commonly used to treat cancer patients. You will likely be handling chemotherapy and other potentially hazardous drugs, so you must have proper knowledge of safety protocols for yourself and the patients you serve.
Medication Therapy Management (MTM) Technician
Medication Therapy Management (MTM) represents a range of services designed to optimize medication therapy, improve patient outcomes, and ultimately reduce healthcare costs. As a pharmacy technician specializing in MTM, you may assist with medication reconciliation, documentation and record keeping, adherence monitoring, and patient education and communication.
Long-Term Care Pharmacy Technician
As a long-term care pharmacy technician, you will work directly with patients in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. You may fill, label, and pack medications, manage inventory, and reconcile medication histories to identify potential errors or interactions. You will also work with other in-house healthcare professionals to ensure accurate medication administration.
How to Choose the Right Specialization for You
Before you invest in certification, it’s important to ensure you’re choosing pharmacy technician specializations that align with your passions, talents, and professional goals. First, it’s essential to assess your interests and strengths. For example, if you are highly organized and efficient at documentation and record keeping, an MTM specialization may be a good fit.
Still, you should also give consideration to the local job market. It’s crucial that you select pharmacy technician specializations in which you are likely to find a suitable role, as this will ensure you can put your new expertise to use.
You should also take inventory of the required certifications and training programs for your chosen pharmacy technician specializations. You’ll want to ensure that you know what the road ahead of you will look like and that you have the proper prerequisites to ensure success. For example, you may need to hold an active certification to earn a credential in your specialty, even if your state doesn’t require an initial certification.
Steps to Become Specialized
Working in pharmacy technician specializations typically requires you to earn certification. The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) offers several credentials, such as Medication Therapy Management (MTM) and Nonsterile Compounding. Organizations like the National Community Oncology Dispensing Association (NCODA) offer a Certified Oncology Pharmacy Technician (COPT) exam.
Be aware that some organizations, such as PTCB, require you to hold a general pharmacy tech certification and complete a training program in the area of your specialty before you can sit for the qualifying exam.
To prepare, it’s often a good idea to review the test content outline (usually provided by the certifying organization) and inquire about books and other supplemental resources to review critical information.
After earning your specialty certification, it’s vital to make yourself aware of any special requirements to renew your credential. Some organizations may have continuing education requirements, which means you must take courses regularly to maintain your certified status. Even if the certifying body does not require renewal, continuing education courses can help you stay on top of new developments in the field.
Unlock Your Pharmacy Tech Potential: Specialize and Advance With RxCe
RxCe provides quality resources to help you earn and maintain credentials for pharmacy technician specializations.
We offer continuing education credits on various topics to help you meet state requirements or certification renewal criteria. This also allows you to pursue education on topics that pique your interest, ensuring you develop a broad range of knowledge to help you excel professionally.
If you’re on the path to specialization, RxCe also has courses to help you prepare for your certification exam in nonsterile compounding. For those looking to become certified as a diabetes pharmacy tech, our course offerings can help you get there.
Best of all, you can access all of our courses and learning resources via our affordable and convenient membership. Contact us today to learn more about our membership options and see how RxCe can provide you with what you need to enhance your career as an in-demand pharmacy tech.
