Pharmacy Technician Schools in Mississippi (Top Programs)

There are many positions in the healthcare industry for those who are interested in joining the medical field

If you’re one of these people but don’t want to spend a lot of money and time enrolled in a school, becoming a pharmacy technician is the easiest route.

Read on to learn more about this occupation and how to get started!

General Requirements

In Mississippi, the most basic requirements for becoming a pharmacy technician, are:

• Being 18 years old
• Having a high school diploma or an equivalent

Other requirements include:

• Registering with the Mississippi State Board of Pharmacy
• Paying the registration fee – $50
• Provide a passport-style photo
• Passing a background check

The registration has to be done about a month before starting working.

Individuals renew their registration every year before March 31, with a fee of $50.

Those who are late with their registrations will have to pay an additional $50.

Certification Requirements

Certification is not needed to start working as a pharmacy tech.

However, individuals are expected to pass before the first renewal, either:

• The Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination (PTCE), or
• The Examination for Certification as Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT)

The PTCE is offered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board while the ExCPT is offered by the National Health career Association (NHA).

Furthermore, each time you renew your registration in Mississippi, you’ll have to prove you passed one of these exams.

Training Programs in Mississippi

To ensure you pass the exam, you can first enroll in a training program.

These programs don’t last for more than 2 years, and it’s best to enroll in an accredited program.

The programs lasting for 2 years award an Associates’s degree which is best for those who want more employment and career options upon graduation.

Some of the classes need to be attended full-time, though you might be able to find part-time or online classes as well.

It’s important to check out the acceptance requirements, as not all the schools have the same ones.

Salary Expectations

Knowing how much you’ll earn on any position, beforehand, is usually a good thing when you want to plan your budget ahead of time.

On average, pharmacy technicians in Mississippi earn $30,553 per year, though those with more experience and more formal education will earn more than this.

Regional Salary in Mississippi

Other Job Details

You should know that as a pharmacy technician you can work full and part-time and that working evening, night, and weekend shifts are very common.

These technicians work while being supervised by a pharmacist, and they need to wear a tag with their name at all times while at work.

Their tasks include:

• Maintaining inventory
• Checking out prescriptions and releasing the correct medicine
• Preparing the medicine

It’s also common for these technicians to have to make deliveries.

Although the most common places hiring pharmacy technicians are pharmacies and hospitals, there are other institutions that need personnel with this type of training, such as nursing homes or mail-order prescription services, and not only.

Pharmacy Technician Schools by State