Yes, in 47 of our 50 states. Online ordinations are widely recognized, with Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Tennessee being notable holdouts. Check your local law. Some states require your ordination credential to be filed, so be sure to check with your county. What about other countries? At the time of this writing, online ordinations have been recognized in Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand and the UK.

Many couples are now having their ceremonies officiated by a close friend or family member, assuming their ceremony will be nonreligious. Maybe you’ve seen the ads in the back of a Rolling Stone magazine offering online or mail-in ordinations? There are plenty of celebrity wedding officiants out there.

Many times the ceremony is officiated by someone who barely knows the couple, whether clergyman or justice of the peace, and so the words are often generic and lame. Officiating a wedding is no small thing. Hopefully you’re comfortable speaking in front of a crowd, and will be able to rise to the importance of the occasion. My advice is to be careful with sarcasm during the ceremony and anything that might offend.

You may be wondering how you should dress to officiate a wedding. Men should normally be wearing a suit. I always ask the couple what their colors flowers, dresses and ties are, so I can coordinate with my tie/suit combo.

A female officiant should probably wear something a fairly conservative guest might be wearing. No hot pink or anything that shows too much skin. You don’t want to take attention away from the bride. A dark dress, accented with tasteful jewelry is a great choice. If the groomsmen are wearing tuxedos, match their vibe and dress for a charity gala. If it’s a morning or early afternoon ceremony and the groomsmen aren’t wearing jackets or ties, dress down too. If you’re appearance is markedly different from the couple and their bridal party, you’ll distract from the couple and potentially hurt your confidence and stage presence.

Officiating a wedding ceremony as a personal friend of the couple’s can be a wonderfully memorable experience. You can help make their big day even more special.

Get ordained online and become a wedding officiant at any one of these three sites, The Universal Life Church, American Marriage Ministries, or GetOrdained.org.

You might not have to buy your ordination credential after becoming ordained. Call your county clerk’s office to see if your municipality requires you to file anything. Many counties do not, so you can save a few bucks by not buying the card that says you’re an ordained minister.

Some of these online churches offer ceremony material, but the material is standard and lame. Contemporary wedding ceremony material is hard to come by, which is how I feel I’m making a difference.

Weddings and flowers are probably the most favored combination of the celebration called marriage or wedding. Any wedding ceremony without flowers seems to be incomplete. Actually, there is possibly no substitution for the flowers on such family and social occasions. The colors of these flowers make the wedding atmosphere more refreshing and full of enjoyment. These wedding flowers represent your emotions in the best way without speaking a word. They have the capacity of increasing the beauty and warmth of such an occasion more strongly than anything else does.

Rose: the most attractive part of the celebration:

To be more distinctive on this point, it would not be wrong to say that roses are the most powerful representative of your innermost feeling and they tell everything that you cannot speak. Different kinds of roses are the best gift of the Mother Nature that increase the beauty and attraction of your wedding venue manifold.

These beautiful flowers are not only used to decorate the wedding place, but also for preparing the bridal dress, centerpieces, and wedding bouquets. The soft and silken rose petals add magical touch to everything you prepare for the occasion. Due to its beautiful appearance, aroma, and softness, the rose is rightly called the “Queen of Flowers.” They create an atmosphere of romance everywhere. It is very true that roses of various colors are the most inevitable part of the wedding decorations.

Selection of Rose colors:

To decorate the wedding place, you need roses of various colors and shades. The most commonly used roses include Clear Ocean, Bianca, Vendela, Escimo, Tineka, Sahara, Virginia, and White Majolica. These majestic roses are known and accepted all over for their exotic colors and sense. The wide variety of rose colors includes colors of different shades. However, white and red are known for exotic effective up on the onlookers. The roses of these two colors are in great demand almost in all wedding celebrations. You cannot ignore the presence of rose wedding flowers in any celebration like this.

Manage the Rose wedding flowers earlier:

The red roses are chiefly used to adorn the wedding attire of the bride and the white roses are put into the bouquets. Their presence ensures comprehensive beauty of these essential parts of any wedding celebration. You must ask your florist much earlier to make available these beautiful flowers in your wedding celebration. As these rose wedding flowers are now being grown all over, therefore, it would not be a problem for him. However, make sure that they are bought for reasonable price. Remember that these flowers are inevitable on your wedding party.

Roses and their meaning:

As said, the different hues of rose wedding flowers stand for different meaning. The white rose stand for purity and innocence whereas the pink rose means grace, gentleness, and gratitude. The yellow rose stands to indicate your joy and the lilac rose means love at first sight. The rose in red and white means unity whereas the red and yellow rose signifies your happiness. As all these are special ingredients for the celebration, therefore you cannot ignore any of them.

The rose wedding flowers are essential for every wedding. Therefore, you should everything in mind and go for decorating your wedding venue tastefully.

A beach wedding is an ideal way to enjoy a fun, easy & stress free wedding. Most beaches are blessed with stunning natural beauty that result in fantastic wedding pictures. A destination wedding at the beach is a great opportunity for your friends and family to enjoy a mini vacation during your wedding week. A destination wedding may reduce your list guest. Not only will this minimize overhead, most guests who decline will still send gifts! Many couples who tie the knot on the sand conveniently combine the wedding and the honeymoon. This is a wonderful cost saving option that may free up some money to put a down payment on a house or pay off some student loans.

Speaking of saving money – can you guess the average price of a wedding in the metro areas of Baltimore, Philadelphia & Washington DC? In 2010 it was over $32,000. Recent unpredictability in the economy has prompted the modern bride to be as resourceful as possible to keep her dream wedding on budget. The beauty of the beach is that it is an inexpensive venue. Ocean City, MD is a free public beach. The wedding friendly local government has made this family resort one of the most popular destinations on the east coast to say “I do”. Beaches in Delaware and Virginia impose small beach permit and parking fees. These fees are minimal compared to what you would pay by the hour in the city for your ceremony venue. The pictures and video from a perfect day at the beach are priceless.

During the summer months the best time for your beach wedding pictures is sunrise or sunset. The skyline is spectacular at those times and there are usually less spectators on the sand. From 10 am until 5 pm the beaches can get pretty crowded. It can also be ridiculously hot in the middle of the day. Even a nice ocean breeze won’t keep you dry during a 3 pm August ceremony. Try to wait until the lifeguards vacate the beach. Families and children will usually follow soon after. After 5:30 pm, the beach is pretty sparse – a few surfers, a couple playing Frisbee and an old man with a metal detector. Early morning is the best time for exclusivity. A sunrise beach wedding is as romantic as it gets!

The beach season is traditionally from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Once the kids are back in school, the beach traffic is sparse during the week. Weekends stay very busy in the autumn shoulder months of September and October. There are usually special events during the weekends which increase traffic and occupancy. The weather is ideal in the fall. The past few Octobers have blessed us with temperatures in the low 80s here in Ocean City. Late April and May offer perfect temperatures as well, but there is an increased chance of rain in the spring. If it is scheduled to rain on your day, contact your officiant a few days before to make the necessary changes. Sometimes we move the ceremony a few hours up or back to avoid the storm. If it’s a warm, light rain it may not be an issue- most beach ceremonies only last about 10 minutes. In a worst case scenario, you can always have the ceremony under cover where you are staying. I’ve never had one bride who came to the beach to get married leave without tying the not due to weather. Relax- spot of rain is nothing to lose sleep over.

An off season beach wedding has plenty of perks. Hotel rates drop significantly in the winter. The top venues have more availability. Parking is plentiful and traffic is minimal from New Year’s until St. Patrick’s Day. If you have a winter beach wedding, schedule it between 12-3 pm to get the most warmth from the sun.

Once you choose your ceremony spot, it’s time to think about your decorations. In a perfect world, your friends and family will have the time and resources to help you create a theme and haul the supplies down to the beach with them. Then they’ll set everything up perfectly prior to the ceremony and pack everything up and cart it away after your “I dos”. The modern bride on the go doesn’t always have that luxury. Renting may be the practical part of the equation. Unless you have access to a flatbed truck, I would let the professionals worry about the archway,tables, chairs, runners, palm trees, columns, tiki torches and music.

These can take quite awhile to set-up and break down. Exert your creative influence on the ceremony with decorative ribbons, flowers and shells that match your color scheme (and fit easily in your trunk).

A nice touch is a sand unity ceremony. Similar to a candle lighting ceremony (difficult to perform in the wind), two vials of different colored sand are poured into an empty vial to symbolize your new union. Add additional colored vials for each child you would like to include in the ceremony. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can add a butterfly or dove release. There are a lot of variables that can go wrong with a release, but if luck is on your side it will be an amazing spectacle.

Music adds a sophisticated dimension to any ceremony. Most public beaches have regulations that restrict amplification of music. You can usually have a self contained portable unit. We use a white” Ka-Boom Box (about $360)” for our ceremonies. I consider it the Rolls Royce of boomboxes. At the water’s edge, a high quality sound system is necessary to compete with the crashing waves.

If you have the cash, an acoustic musician is a nice touch. A string trio, harpist, violin, steel drum or bagpipe can make your ceremony even more memorable.

If you use a DJ, either send him your requests in advance or bring a CD/MP3 with you. This should include the music to be played while your guests are seated, your wedding march and your processional music. Recessional can be a traditional march. It can also be Dave Matthews, Michael Buble, Beyonce or Led Zeppelin- whatever floats your boat. I had one couple walk out to AC/DC Thunderstruck during Bike Week. They had a blast!

Now that you’ve got your dates and venues set, it’s time to tackle the paperwork. You will need to acquire a marriage license from the clerk of the county you are getting married in. County rules vary from state to state, but tend to be pretty similar. The quickest way is to apply in person. You will need to provide proof of identification. This can include a copy of your birth certificate, drivers license or passport. You will also need the contact information and social security number of you and your spouse. If this is not your first marriage you will need to provide either a decree of divorce or a death certificate. Some clerks will allow you to file through the mail (especially if you are out of state). Your license will be temporary and may have restrictions. I have included a complete directory of the Delmarva peninsula clerks and requirements on page (?) to make it as easy as possible for you.

You’ve started working on your license. Now it’s time to find the right officiant for your ceremony. Parents, in laws, religious and cultural differences make it difficult to please everyone. At the end of the day, the only votes that count are you and your future spouse. It should be someone you are both comfortable with. I like to give my clients creative control of the ceremony of their ceremony. I give them a ceremony framework and they fill in the details. I’ll e-mail them a copy of their ceremony to look over and make changes. That way you know exactly what I am going to say before it comes out of my mouth (I find that brides tend not to like surprises on their wedding day). Sometimes there is a lot of pressure from family (especially grandparents) for a more “traditional” ceremony. That’s when you need your officiant to act as a “referee” and call it right down the middle. A good beach officiant shows up on time, dresses appropriately, projects his voice over the sea and orchestrates the symphony of your wedding ceremony.

Choosing a wedding photographer can be difficult. If you’re having a beach wedding, I’d recommend a photographer who lives at the beach. Not only are they familiar with the lighting and the angles, if their car breaks down they can catch a taxi to you wedding. I have heard the horror stories about out of state vendors breaking down on the highways and arriving late for (or missing) their events. If your photographer is an import, make sure they arrive the night before. The closer your team lives to your venue, the more likely they are to show up on time. They also won’t need to tack on a travel charge. That being said, compare local vendors for price and quality of work. I would also choose a non smoking photographer- you’d be amazed how many shots are missed while vendors are on a tobacco break. The evolution of digital cameras has leveled the playing field. You may have a friend or relative willing to shoot your wedding. If you take them up on the offer, have a back up plan. At least hire a professional for the ceremony, the introductions and the cutting of the cake. “Uncle Buck” may do a reasonable job with his Powershot, but 10 years down the road you don’t want to have any regrets. Having friends and family “shadow” the photographer may seem like a good idea, but can have disastrous results. I’ve seen that trend a lot lately and the subjects in the photo get confused which camera to look at. People look in all different directions and detract from the quality of the photos you are paying the professional to take.

Another decision is whether you would like video of your wedding. Video is wonderful. It’s a wonderful way to relive the moment on your anniversary. A highlight video of your ceremony and reception is priceless. Video can be expensive. Your best bet is to shop around and find a package that includes photo and video. All in one shops are becoming popular because you can arrange all your shopping with one phone call. It’s also easier to track down your merchandise after the wedding when its all through the same company.

Entertainment may be the most important part of your reception. If your guests are bored, they may leave early. If you want your guests to still talk about your reception 5 years down the road, you’ll need to keep them entertained. A great band can really get the crowd involved and liven up a party. The drawbacks are that they take up a lot of space, take long breaks and cost a lot of money. A DJ is the most practical solution for the bride on a budget. There are a lot of “clowns” out there. Do your homework before hiring your DJ. What does he look and sound like? A facial tattoo or squeaky voice may not be what you’re searching for. Does he use tobacco? A DJ that smokes takes too many breaks. A DJ that chews tobacco may offend your guests. The ideal wedding DJ will be close to your age. They’ll have grown up listening to the same music as you. They’ll know what to play to get you and your bridal party up and dancing. Remember- its YOUR party. Speak with them on the phone to make sure you connect. Make sure they’ll play the music you want to hear. If you have Spanish speaking guests, you may want a bilingual DJ. A reputable DJ offer you a reception planner to customize your special songs. Your DJ should definitely live close to your venue. If the DJ’s van breaks down, they won’t be able to put their equipment in a taxi. If you need to bring in a DJ from out of town, have them arrive the night before or make sure you have a back up plan.

Sample Beach Ceremonies

Hello and Welcome.
Today we are here to celebrate the uniting in marriage of ______ and ________.
This is the first step of their new life together. It is the beginning of an exciting new journey that will change their lives forever. These two free spirits have chosen each other to complete their lives. You have been invited here to day to celebrate this union and share in their joy.
God, we ask that you bless this couple and smile upon them throughout all the years of their marriage. May your love radiate upon them, may your wisdom guide them may and your light shine down to guide them in their darkest hours. In your presence, reflected in the ocean before us; bless this family.
Amen.
The marriage of ______ and _______ is responsible for the creation of a whole new family.
We ask that both the families and friends of ______ and _______ are committed to the prosperity of this marriage and encourage their union to blossom.
Who stands with _________ in support of this marriage?
Who stands with _________in support of this marriage?
______ and _______ are aware of the seriousness of the relationship they are about to enter. These two individual are prepared to merge for a common good. You are aware of each others differences, yet have commitment to embrace them. You have accepted each other for who you are and without intent to change each other’s spirit. Your unique personalities must shine through for a marriage to grow. Nurture each other with positivity and respect. The time for selflessness and random acts of kindness is upon you.
______, do you take _____ to be your best friend and your lover. To be your soul mate in this adventure for all your years. To kiss away your sorrows and to show unwavering support through dark times. Do you promise to stop and smell the roses, to celebrate with laughter and joy when the opportunity arises? Will you provide _____ with compassion, honor and love?
Do you _______take _______to be your wife?
______, do you take _____ to be your best friend and your lover. To be your soul mate in this adventure for all your years. To kiss away your sorrows and to show unwavering support through dark times. Do you promise to stop and smell the roses, to celebrate with laughter and joy when the opportunity arises? Will you provide _____ with compassion, honor and love?
Do you _______take _______to be your husband?
May we please have the rings?
The ring is a visible symbol of the commitment you have made on this beach. It displays your love for another for all the world to see. It is a testament to honor the vows you taken here today.
As you place the ring on ________ finger, please repeat after me:
With this ring,
My heart belongs to you. I promise to love your forever and always walk by your side.
As you place the ring on ________ finger, please repeat after me:
With this ring,
My heart belongs to you. I promise to love your forever and always walk by your side.
______ and _____, may you both be blessed on this day of love and good fortune. May you reach for the stars and live out your dreams with one another. As a team anything is possible. May you always share your thoughts and stay connected. May the spark that brought you together always remain lit. May your love triumph over adversity.
May your lives be forever enhanced by the words exchanged today.
We wish for you nothing but the best as your new life unfolds.
_______ and _________, you have spoken vows and made your promises before God and these witnesses. You have embraced your commitment with the giving and receiving of rings. It is at this time I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride!
Now, for the first time ever, I present to you Mr. and Mrs._____________________!

We are gathered here on this joyous occasion to celebrate the uniting in marriage of ____ and _______.

As you can see, Ocean City Beach Weddings are Fun, Easy and Stress Free. Beach Weddings are relatively inexpensive and the photos are amazing! Feel free to contact Rox Weddings and Events for help with your OC Beach Wedding! The next Ocean City Bridal shows are November 7th 2010 at the oceanfront Courtyard Marriott Hotel and April 10th at Lighthouse Sound. Wedding Officiant Sean Rox will be giving away a Free Caribbean Cruise for two. Hope to see you there!

Sean Rox and his wife Cassandra own Rox Weddings & Events. Located in Ocean City, Sean has officiated over 500 beach weddings since 2006. Rox provides top shelf Photography, Videography, DJ, Limousine and Beach Rental Service. Rox also produces the Ocean City Bridal show.

Rox Weddings & Events
410-289-7699 Toll Free 866-472-3012

A wedding is one of the most memorable days a person will ever have. A professional wedding video is something to cherish and relive for years to come. Every moment is captured on camera; the emotion, the joy and the I do’s. A wedding video has become a popular tradition among brides and grooms. Some people may consider having a relative or friend of the family do it. While it is a nice idea in theory, unless the person is a professional, be prepared for glitches. A professional wedding videographer will capture the aura of the special day with state-of-the art quality, clear picture and sound.

Professionalism
While the family friend might enjoy running around with his camera during the wedding and reception, a professional videographer will blend in to the event, rather than become its focal point. The professional will also show up on time, properly dressed with the right equipment, and stay until the event has ended. Planning and improvisation that only comes with experience will ensure the camera being in the right place at the right moment on the right settings.

Quality
Anybody can grab a camera, push a button and walk around a room. Of course, what will show up on the finished amateur video is anybody’s guess. The professional wedding videographer has the proper equipment and knowhow to produce a quality product with crystal clear audio and close-up images, not muffled sounds and dark fuzzy shapes from a distance. This will enhance the experience for those viewing the video later.

Discovering the Details
As the bride and groom focus on each other, the videographer focuses on all of the important elements of the day; the preparation, the ceremony, the wedding party, the guests, the reception and the departure. Special memories of the day are captured for later. The bride and groom can later watch all of the details they missed, from the nervous flower girl smelling her bouquet to the tears rolling down the face of the mother of the bride. The talented videographer may be the only one who notices the ring bearer asleep under the DJ’s table at the reception or the look of delight on the faces of guests on the dance floor.

Sharing
For those who cannot attend the wedding, the bride and groom can send them quality copies or invite them over to watch the event soon after they return from their honeymoon. Oftentimes, the wedding video done by the family friend may never find its way to the bride and groom. With a videography service, when the special day has long since passed, the video can be pulled out and watched so that the large and small details will never be forgotten.

An online or community pharmacy must be carefully managed for optimum profitability; occasionally, changes to business processes and marketing strategies should be implemented in order to open up new streams of income, while also improving the success of promotional activities. If you’re looking for ways to make more money through your drugstore, you’ll appreciate these top ten tips for managing profit:

10.) Diversify- Open up your business to new customers by adding holistic herbal products to your inventory. For example, if you currently sell OTC pain relievers, prescription medications, and conventional health aids, why not begin offering your clientele herbal supplements that treat health care conditions in a more holistic way? There is a big market for alternative medicines, and herbal remedies are now more popular than ever before.

9.) Cross-Sell -Make the most of your inventory by using cross-selling techniques to bundle related products. For example, if you’re running an online pharmacy, make sure that your checkout area is programmed with sections that show complementary items. “Bundle” vitamins with delicious herbal teas, prescription medications with special pill boxes that help people to keep their tablets organized, and so on. Offering a few percent off the total price on cross-sold goods is an excellent way to add appeal to this sales technique. People often buy impulsively at the checkout, so cross-selling is an excellent way to boost your profits quickly.

8.) Use Social Media- Create a buzz by promoting your pharmacy on the hottest social networking platforms, such as Google+, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr and Pinterest. If you promote properly, the investment of time and energy that you put into reaching out to customers at these websites will definitely pay off. Add photos, blog posts, status updates, and special offers to tempt new buyers, and always respond to any feedback as soon as possible.

7.) Analyze Your Sales- Successful health care entrepreneurs never rest on their laurels; instead, they stay on top of things by analyzing their sales numbers and figuring out exactly which products are most appealing to their clients. To offer people what they really want, check all of your sales records to pinpoint buying trends. Then, consider offering different versions of the items that people buy the most.

6.) Target Your Ideal Customer- Business research doesn’t stop with sales analyses; you must also use market research to profile your ideal customer. Knowing who’s buying from your pharmacy is the key to marketing effectively and stocking your drugstore properly. Use client information to find out where your ideal customer lives and what his or her needs are. Then, market to that demographic or segment.

5.) Become an Expert- Position yourself as an expert in the pharmacy world by writing articles about pharmacy products, offering health care advice, or speaking to your local community. Becoming an expert builds your public profile and creates more trust and rapport with new and existing clientele.

4.) Create a Smart Phone-friendly Website- Today, many shoppers check out businesses online before they buy, and they often use their smartphones to browse the World Wide Web. If your pharmacy website isn’t compatible with a range of electronic devices, including smart phones, it’s time to hire a web development firm that knows how to create a smart phone-friendly environment at your url.

3.) Freshen Your Website Graphics- Nothing is more unappealing than a dated, dusty-looking website that doesn’t have any of the bells and whistles. If you don’t freshen up your graphics to stay current, your customers will soon lose interest. The best pharmacy entrepreneurs know how to adapt to change and keep things interesting; these savvy owner/managers always outsource for the hottest new web design graphics.

2.) Build More Interactivity into Your Pharmacy Web Pages- Whether you’re selling pharmacological products from a community or online pharmacy, you must still offer a business website that acts as a virtual calling card for your company. By building more interactivity into every web page on your website, you’ll create the right atmosphere for success. Hire a web design firm and ask them to add sharing buttons for social media, comment fields, and message boards to boost the appeal and interactivity of your website.

1.) Support a Charity- Your pharmacy is all about the health and wellness of your clients; with this in mind, why not support a charity that also promotes these values? By joining with a reputable and registered charity and donating money and/or time, you will create plenty of publicity and lots of goodwill towards your company. Often, donating to charity is much cheaper than paying for ads, and it’s so fulfilling. Meet prospective clients at local charity events, or donate online and enjoy a better public image that will build your brand.

Average earning of a particular profession is perhaps one of the most important parameters that help you decide in favor of or against it. And why shouldn’t it be? Who wouldn’t like to take back home decent wages at the end of a hard day’s work? After all, money plays a vital role in shaping the standard of your life. It is important for securing your family’s and your own future. So, whoever said money should not be a consideration while choosing a career has probably never lived without it.

If you are exploring a pharmacy technician career, then this question must be at the top of your head. We’re here to help answer some of your questions regarding how much they earn on an average.

However, before we get into details about pharmacy techs pay, it’s important to understand what the job entails. Because just like money is important, so is enjoying what you do for a living!

Pharmacy Technician Career

Let’s start with what pharmacy technicians can’t do or rather are not supposed to do. They are absolutely forbidden from giving medical advice to patients who visit their pharmacies. They are not qualified to do so; hence they should resist the urge to not just offer medical advice, but also guide patients on what medication may work better for their condition irrespective of how knowledgeable and experienced they think they are.

Although the duties and responsibilities of a them may vary depending on the type of facility they’re employed in, but in general their day-to-day work involves:

Receiving prescriptions and verifying them for accuracy
Filling prescription medications and labeling them correctly
Preparing intravenous mixtures under supervision
Assisting the pharmacist in inventory management
Answering telephone queries from patients
Storing drugs in a safe and secure manner
Maintaining patient records for reference
Preparing and processing insurance claim forms
Interfacing with customers who visit the store
Operating cash register at checkout
Pharmacy Technician Training

It’s best to start training for a pharmacy technician career in high school itself by taking courses in math, biology, chemistry, computers, etc.

Once you’ve laid the ground by taking appropriate courses in high school, you can choose between a college degree and a vocational pharmacy technician course offered at career schools. A college degree will require a minimum of two years for completion, while a career training course can be completed in a matter of few months.

What’s important is to get certified at the end of your academic study or pharmacy technician training program. Although certification is a hundred percent voluntary, having it just enhances your credibility and with it your job prospects. Certifying examinations are held by organizations like the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) and the Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ICPT).

Pharmacy technician training should ideally include hands-on experience working in a pharmacy. This training could be incorporated in the curriculum of your pharmacy technician program or you may have to request for an intern position at your local pharmacy.

Pharmacy Technician Pay

The exact earnings of a pharmacy tech depend to a great extent on not just the type of facility he or she is employed in, but also other factors like:

Skill-level
Experience
Certification
Location
The average hourly wages of a pharmacy technician range from $8.03 – $15.56.1 Those who work for a franchise may earn between $7.86 and $13.87 per hour, while pharmacy techs employed in hospitals take home about $9.49 – $19.02. 2

When it comes to experience-level, pharmacy techs with less than one year of experience earn $7.68 – $13.36 per hour, while those with 5-9 years of experience make $9.17 – $17.27 per hour.3

Being a pharmacy technician is quite demanding especially since you are supposed to have enough knowledge of all the types of drugs available, including the latest ones. Also, you have to understand the current laws governing this profession. It is also a must that you understand the existing insurance practices. So, for you to succeed in this career, you have to find the best pharmacy technician training schools. Having enough training before you venture into this industry will help you to cut an edge over the others. Training is also important because it gives you enough skills to do your work well.

So if you really want to become effective in your work as a technician in the medical field, you have to study hard and acquire all the necessary skills. The good thing is that there are many pharmacy technician schools that provide quality training. But before you join any institution for a course in pharmacy technology there are several important things that you have to aware of. Once you have understood these aspects it will be easier for you to become the technologist that you have always wanted. This passage strives to provide you with some of these aspects so that your search for the right institution can be successful.

Points to Note about Pharmacy Technician Schools

• Thorough preparation: Because of the demanding nature of this job, it is imperative that you get enough exposure before venturing into the industry. You have to familiarize yourself with the requirements for this task. This can only be achieved through formal training in a good school. These institutions are important in preparing individuals who wish to venture into this challenging field of medicine. You have to note that even though pharmacy technicians are in demand, more qualified technologists are very much needed.

• Accreditation: If you wish to become a more reliable technologist, you should and must have the right accreditations. These include things like certificates, licenses, recommendations, approval, and so on. The truth is that you cannot get these accreditations without having undergone proper training. Therefore, you should always ensure that the pharmacy technician schools that you consider are credible enough to give you good certificates. Always go for the well established institutions because they are more reliable. Remember, if you do not get the right certificates you won’t the right job.

• Earn more: Having enough training in a credible institution gives you confidence to work in any kind of environment. This in turn gives you a chance to prove your experience to your employers, giving you a better chance of being promoted or given a pay increment. These schools will help you to gain experience in pharmacy technology and thus become the most sought after technologist in your state.

In many countries today, healthcare industry employment continues even while other industries falter, making a health service job a good choice for anyone considering a new career.

Pharmacy technician jobs are one of the main positions seeing drastic increases with hiring expected to increase as much as 25 percent over the next few years. This is a great opportunity for anyone with good attention to detail to consider a career as a Pharmacy Technician or `PT`, especially since it is possible to complete certification programs at reputable pharmacy technician schools in as little as two years and get into a well-paying job soon afterward.

Different Types of Pharmacy Technician Schools

In the US and Canada, some PT jobs do not require any certification or schooling although most do. Those who have schooling and certification are definitely preferable for positions, however, making schooling something that anyone looking at a career as a PT should consider very seriously.

In all likelihood, more jobs will move toward requiring certification as well, so skipping the education may reduce job hire and advancement opportunity.

Pharmacy Technician education is available in programs that last anywhere from 6 months to two years or more, depending on the depth of training.

Like many other medical training and technical programs, the shorter programs give a basic, fundamental overview of what to expect on the job and general education relating to basic pharmacology, pharmacology law, pharmacology records, inventory, labeling, ordering and many other relevant topics to working in a retail pharmacy environment.

Courses and diploma programs

Students that attend the shorter programs usually earn a Pharmacy Technician Certificate for completion of the program, but have no actual approved certifications.

Longer courses offered by schools include specialized diploma programs and Associates Degree courses that last between about 12 months to 24 months.

Diploma programs are great for students who already have some healthcare service experience and want to move into a position as a PT, as well as those entering the field new.

Study usually includes all that is mentioned above, plus pharmacology in more detail, dosage calculation, mixing medications and others, and usually includes an externship to prepare students to take the certification exam. Students completing a diploma course and passing their certification exam will earn the title of Certified Pharmacy Technician or CPhT.

Associates in Health Sciences with a PT specialty takes two years and is recommended for any individual if there is an interest in both obtaining a college degree, and being able to advance the fastest in their career.

Courses of study are much more in depth and include additional medical subjects. Externships are a required part of the curriculum, as is passing the certification examination. Those with their CPhT and an AS degree stand the best chance of being hired in non-retail pharmacy technician positions, and starting at the highest salaries.

Accredited vocational program

In the UK and many other countries a pharmacy technician is required to complete both an accredited vocational program in pharmacy services and a pharmaceutical science program, and must be registered with numerous UK healthcare organizations.

Courses of study include that which is mentioned above, as well as medicines management for patients and training in running and assisting in hospital clinics and more.

Please note however, in the UK there is a difference between a pharmacy technician and a pharmacy dispenser, with the former having more vocational and educational requirements.

Interested individuals are advised to contact local professional organizations in order to get additional details about attending school to become a PT such as which are the best courses and whether they offer job placement and financial aid.

In the US, contact the American Association of Pharmacy Technicians (AAPA) or the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), in the UK contact the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPC) and in Canada the Canadian Association of Pharmacy Technicians (CAPT) to name a few.

Employment After Attending PT Schools

There are actually many more employment opportunities for PTs than most people assume. While the majority of jobs are in retail pharmacy positions there are much more specialized career options for pharmacy techs with the right training.

Hospitals, medication manufacturing and packing companies, medication compounding pharmacies, nursing homes, psychiatric facilities and any type of medical facility that either fills medication prescriptions or dispenses medications directly to patients make use of pharmacy technicians.

These positions can be very rewarding, and tend to pay more as well. Certain qualified technicians also have the ability to counsel consumers and patients on the use of their medications, as well as answer medication questions.

In any case, attending schools that offer the most detailed training and externships, and prepare students to become Certified Pharmacy Technicians are highly recommended for anyone interested in a career in healthcare services that pays well and offers plenty of room for advancement.

Pharmacy Technicians are these individuals, who assist licensed Pharmacists to manage and run a pharmacy. Their basic job duties include, safe and effective serving of the customers, provide medications to customers and patients, inform them about various effects and side effects of the drugs, handle cash counter, label the drug bottles and perform numerous other regular pharmacy works.

They work in different types of pharmacies, such as drug stores, retail pharmacies, chain pharmacies and hospital pharmacies. They are also well versed with state and federal pharmacy laws, rules and regulations for effective and safe serving of the patients.

In order to work in a Pharmacy, formal education is not necessary and on-the job training is sufficient. But, appropriate certification, degree, certificate and diploma offer, better career opportunities and lucrative salary. Moreover, the continuous scientific advancement in medical sciences and discoveries of new life saving drugs have also spurted greater demand of medications for sound health cares. Such advancements have also led to the mushrooming of pharmacies all over the country. These drug store owners and hospital medication stores also seek well qualified, trained and efficient technicians to work in their Pharmacy.

A medical store technician can avail different types of Pharmacy training programs from various community colleges, schools and trade schools. Even, numerous online courses are available for obtaining various pharmacy degrees. The duration of training program ranges from less than a year to two years. The training program consists of classroom and on-the job trainings.

The Certification is offered by PTCB and to earn this certification, it is necessary for the pharmacy personnel to pass the competency evaluation test of the certification board. The eligibility of Pharmacy Technician Certification Board certification is high school degree and no felony conviction within 5 years of applying for the certification.

The average pharmacy technician wage is $25,000 to $40,000, depending upon the qualification, education, training and experience. The hourly salary can be estimated at $ 9 to $17.