How to Become a Pharmacy Technician: You Can Do It Faster Than You Think
Are you searching for a rewarding career that involves helping people every day, without needing years of training? Consider working as a pharmacy technician! For aspiring pharmacy techs, Unitech Training Academy’s Pharmacy Technician program, offered at campuses across Louisiana, helps teach the skills you need in as few as nine months. Explore our program and what else is needed to become a pharmacy technician.
Key Takeaways
- Pharmacy technicians are healthcare professionals who prepare prescriptions, manage inventory, and interact with customers.
- This career path offers various work environments, from retail pharmacies to hospitals.
- Becoming a pharmacy tech doesn’t take years of schooling – our program is a great alternative to college and can be completed in as few as nine months.
- The benefits of working as a pharmacy technician include helping others, strong job security, and versatile work environments.
- Our Pharmacy Technician program provides aspiring pharmacy techs with a comprehensive education, complete with hands-on externship opportunities.
What Is a Pharmacy Tech, and What Do They Do?
When you go to pick up medications from a pharmacy, a pharmacy tech is likely the person you interact with. These medical professionals work alongside pharmacists, helping them provide care to patients. As a pharmacy tech, some duties you’ll take on daily are:
- Answering customer questions and addressing their concerns
- Answering phone calls
- Preparing prescriptions sent electronically or by phone from doctors’ offices
- Verifying prescription information is complete and accurate
- Helping with insurance claims
- Managing inventory
- Looking into prescription histories and other important documentation
- Supervising other staff members
Pharmacy techs can work in neighborhood pharmacies, hospitals, compounding pharmacies, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and mental health facilities. Those who work in hospitals will take on different duties, including sterilizing items in a lab, maintaining drug-dispensing machines for nurses, and more, while those who work in facilities such as nursing homes or mental health centers may be tasked with delivering medications and keeping patient charts up to date.
How to Become a Pharmacy Technician
Let’s face it: not everyone who wants to work in healthcare wants to go through years of schooling and degrees. The good news is that you don’t need a college degree to enroll in our Pharmacy Technician program. If you have a high school diploma or an equivalent degree, that’s enough. You also don’t need to spend years in school – the program can be completed in as few as nine months.
Once you’ve completed the training program at Unitech Training Academy, you will be eligible to meet the licensure and certification requirements for the pharmacy technician license in Louisiana. You’ll then need to pass a board-approved pharmacy technician certification exam, submit a criminal background check, and complete an application certificate for a fee to obtain your state license.
Why Is Being a Pharmacy Tech a Great Career Path?
If a career as a pharmacy tech sounds enticing, there are even more reasons to look into this profession:
- Versatile work environments: Because pharmacy techs can work in a multitude of environments, you’re sure to find something that grabs you. And, given that everyone needs medicines, you can find work opportunities across the globe.
- Strong job outlook: Another benefit to this career is that pharmacy technician jobs are projected to continue to grow into the future. This is because there is a large aging population and, as medicine continues to advance, new prescription drugs will be produced.
- Personal satisfaction: You’ll get to help people. This is one of the main reasons people typically go into any healthcare field. Knowing your work can help people of all ages be happy and healthy can be extremely rewarding.
Launch Your Future at Unitech Training Academy in Louisiana
If the thought of helping people get the medications they need sounds like a good career path for you, consider enrolling in the Pharmacy Technician program at Unitech Training Academy. This program is available at our Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Houma, Lafayette, New Orleans, and West Monroe campuses.
This extensive pharmacy tech training program requires students to complete 9 courses including Pharmacy Practice Settings, Administrative Skills, Pharmacy Calculations, Pharmacology, and more! The program also includes an externship that helps the students get firsthand observation at a real pharmacy, providing invaluable real-world experience.
Our program also provides flexible hybrid classes, meaning students will learn both in the classroom and through online assignments. We also use PioneerRX to help simulate real-world pharmacy management solutions, helping students prepare for whatever lies ahead. Financial aid is also available for students who qualify to help make education more accessible. If you’re interested in enrolling, get started now.


