Michigan Pharmacy Technician Requirements

A pharmacy technician can prepare medication under the direction of a licensed pharmacist. The technician works in clinics, hospitals, drugstores and pharmacies and measures, mixes, counts, labels and records medication dosages and accepts refill requests or written prescriptions. Other duties include maintaining patient profiles and medical insurance forms and records and keeping stock of medications, according to the National Pharmacy Technician Association. You can become a pharmacy technician with a high school degree and postsecondary education.

Preparation

• A pharmacy technician learns the job requirements through a high school diploma with a focus on pharmacy, a high school diploma with a pharmaceutical vocational education or an associate degree in pharmacy technology, according to Michigan's website. Helpful courses in high school include math, technology, computers and science. Prospective techs also can enroll in vocational programs, such as pharmacy assisting, and work under the supervision of a registered pharmacist. Classes in a college pharmacy technology program include algebra, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, retail pharmacy, health, pharmacy concepts, microbiology and pharmacy ethics and law.

Additional Requirements

• Most employers ask an applicant to take a physical exam and a tuberculosis test. Also, no one convicted of a felony can work as pharmacy technician because the job deals with controlled substances. The applicant also is subject to a background check, according to Michigan's website. A pharmacy technician who works in a hospital usually must wear a uniform. A retail pharmacy might require a technician to wear a uniform or light jacket.

Certification

• A pharmacy technician assists pharmacists and does not need a pharmacy bachelor's degree or have to pass a state board exam or complete a pharmacy internship, as registered pharmacists do. A technician can, however, become a certified pharmacy technician by passing the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board's examination, according to Michigan's website.