In the United States, pharmacy tech programs are becoming more common as time passes. This is due to the high demand for experienced professionals, as well as the development of technology. These people are primarily health-care workers who work at retail stores, medical facilities, and pharmacies. Their job often includes talking to patients about their prescriptions and reviewing them. The pharmacy tech training programs usually take about 1 to 2 years, which could also include practical work. The following are some of the best Pharmacy Technician Schools in Miami, which offer this program.
Fortis College
The Fortis College is located in eight different states across the United States. These include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. The Pharmacy Tech program offered in Florida focuses on preparing students to take the PTCE exam to earn a certificate. The duration of the course is 45 weeks but may be extended by the individuals. The tuition fee of the Fortis College might be a little too much for some candidates as the college charges $20,585 for the whole program. An additional $700-800 may be spent on books and course related materials. However, Federal Student Loans of up to $10,700 are available to encourage students towards this program. At the completion of the 45 weeks, the graduates would have learned the following:
- Handling prescriptions
- Keeping a record of inventory
- Pharmacy calculations
- Drug interactions and their side effects
- Legal responsibilities of a pharmacist
Graduates of the Fortis College have a placement rate 73.58% within the state, which is considerably high. Therefore, it is one of the best places in Miami, FL to pursue pharmacy tech education.
Website: http://www.fortis.edu
Contact: 1.855.4.367847
Barry University
At Barry University, the pharmacy technician program lasts for 10 weeks. A 50-hour program, which provides students with the necessary knowledge to become pharmacy techs. Throughout the course, students work in different organized environments that are designed to provide a realistic experience of a real world pharmacy and hospitals. The course work includes the following:
- Medical Terminologies
- Human Anatomy
- Basic Pharmacology
- Pharmacy Math
- Dosage Calculations and Repackaging
- A Review of State and Federal Law
- Patient Interaction and Privacy
- Frequently Prescribed Medicines
The university charges the small amount of $1,195 for the whole program. In the 10 weeks, students are prepared to take the ExCPT exam by the National Healthcare Association (NHA) or the CPhT exam, through the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). However, the fee for these exams is not included in tuition and students have to register for the exam separately. After completion of the program, graduates could move on to work at community pharmacies, military, health care facilities, hospitals, or even at research facilities. The growth prospects for Pharmacy Techs seem to be bright in the United States as during in the ten years starting from 2010 and ending in 2020, the job market for this profession is expected to grow by 32 percent.
Website: http://www.barry.edu
Contact: 1.305.899.3352
Miami Dade College
The Medical Campus of the Miami Dade College offers Pharmacy Technician education. Their program takes a period of two to three semesters to complete in which the students take 35 vocational credits. However, the competition in this college is tough and not only do students have to satisfy conditions regarding age and high school education for eligibility, they are also required to complete the Test of Basic Education (T.A.B.E). Even the T.A.B.E does not guarantee admission at the college. For providing meaningful practical experience, the college assigns each student to a clinical facility within the Miami Dade County. The program prepares students for all the responsibilities of a Pharmacy Tech and covers the following topics in its course work.
- Introduction to Health Care
- Introduction to Pharmacy Practices and Medical Terminology
- Applications of a Pharmacy Practitioner
- Classification of different Drugs
- Dosage Calculations
There is a considerable concession at the Miami Dade College for in-state students, as they are required to pay a tuition fee of only $3,300, while aspirants from other states have to pay over $12,000.
Website: http://www.mdc.edu
Contact: 1.305.237.4296
Florida Education Institute
The Florida Education Institute is located in West Miami and is considered a vocational training and technical school. The school has a program for Pharmacy Tech aspirants, offering them a diploma. The duration of the program is one year; however, a large number of students take an extra semester to finish their education. Throughout the program, the education is provided in a mixture of classroom lectures, exercises, and hand-on experience in the laboratory. The labs of the institute are designed to simulate the environment of a real world retail pharmacy or a health care facility so that the students are completely prepared when they start working in the practical world. The coursework includes topics that prepare students for the following Pharmacy Tech responsibilities:
- Processing prescriptions
- Providing assistance to the pharmacist
- Monitoring and handling inventory
- Filing insurance claims
- Understanding the interaction and side effects of different drugs
However, even after completing the course work, the program is not over as the students are required to take part in an externship as part of the institute’s curriculum. The graduates of this program can register themselves with the Florida Board of Pharmacy, which in return provides assistance in finding jobs. In addition, the students are ready to take the CPhT exam right after graduation.
The Florida Institute is among the slightly expensive options in Miami as it has a tuition fee of $15,000 for the program. However, the placement rate of their graduates is over 79%.
Website: http://www.fei.edu
Contact: 1.305.444.1515
Regarding the employment outlook of Pharmacy Technicians, the Department of Labor Statics reported:
“Employment of pharmacy technicians is expected to grow by 32 percent from 2010 to 2020, much faster than the average for all occupations. Because of advances in pharmaceutical research, more prescription medications are being used to fight diseases. Also, the number of older people is growing, and older people use more prescription drugs than younger people.”
Therefore, in order to improve one’s earning potential and for opening the doors towards career advancements, the institutes mentioned above are some of the best places in Miami to pursue Pharmacy Technology education.