Pharmacy Technicians in Veterinary Medicine
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Historically, veterinary pharmacy has been a division of the hospital that has been overlooked - although it has a profound impact on patient care and potentially the hospital's financial bottom line. Today veterinary pharmacy is going through an evolution. Having licensed pharmacy staff is attracting top human medicine talent as well as offering an new career path for associates that want to stay in medicine, but can not (or do not) want to have to participate in the physical aspect of being a veterinary assistant or veterinary technician.
Veterinary hospitals play an important role in the health and well-being of pets. They provide medical care, surgery, diagnostics, and medications to help pets recover from illnesses and injuries. As part of the medical plan and treatment, veterinarians and veterinary hospitals rely heavily on trained and licensed pharmacy technicians to dispense medication to animals accurately, and quickly.
In the last few years, veterinary hospitals have recognized the value of hiring and utilizing Certified Pharmacy Technicians (CPhT) and Registered Pharmacy Technicians (RPhT). Pharmacy technicians have a unique set of skills that can benefit the hospital. Pharmacy technicians are trained to dispense medication, manage inventory, maintain compliance with medications and controlled drugs, as well as provide customer service. These skills are directly applicable to veterinary medicine, where accuracy and efficiency are essential.
Many veterinary hospital workers are eligible to sit for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Boards. There are a couple paths to sit for the exam. One involves schooling - but the second (and more popular route for veterinary team members) only requires that they have a high school diploma and 500 hours in pharmacy (veterinary pharmacy counts). This has opened up an alternative career path for veterinary assistants, veterinary technicians who need/want a less physically challenging job but want to stay in medicine. Becoming a pharmacy technician can provide a great opportunity to further your education and career in a different but related field. Compared to a veterinary license, this can offer more opportunity as this license can be utilized in veterinary and human medicine industries.
Interested in becoming a Pharmacy Technician? Visit the PTCB site for more info: https://www.ptcb.org/i-want-to-be-a-cpht
Looking for study resources for the exam? Amazon has a BUNCH! Here are my favorites. Click on the title to get taken directly to the book on Amazon.
Compensation for CPhT and RPhT is also equivalent to Registered/Certified Licensed Veterinary Technicians, which means rates are also competitive with the human medical industry in relation to pharmacy technician pay. This helps to attract highly qualified individuals who are passionate about pharmacy, patient care and have the necessary skills and training to excel in their role. While there is a learning curve for pharmacy technicians entering veterinary medicine from human, they bring a valuable skill set with them that will be more utilized than in human medicine. For example, they can counsel pet owners on medication, which can help improve medication safety, compliance and outcomes.
From an operations standpoint, pharmacy technicians are also uniquely positioned to improve the hospital's finances with inventory control, medication rotation, nutrition consultation, and ability to drive online pharmacy sales for their veterinary hospital too. By managing inventory more efficiently, they can reduce expired waste and ensure that medications are always available when needed. This, in turn, can help to improve the bottom line for the hospital.
Every veterinary hospital should consider hiring and utilizing CPhT and RPhT. These professionals have a unique set of skills that can benefit the hospital. This is an exceptional career path for existing veterinary assocaites that are looking to grow their knowledge and career too. Being a pharmacy technician provides a great alternative career path in veterinary or human medicine. With the training, expertise, and dedication, pharmacy technicians possess, they can help to improve patient outcomes, customer service, and the bottom line for the hospital.
Pharmacy Technicians in Veterinary Medicine
Improving patient care and safety with licensed pharmacy staff in veterinary hospitals.