As a pharmaceutical-technical assistant – PTA for short – you hand out prescription drugs and draw patients’ attention to side effects or other peculiarities when taking them. So, you advise the migraine-stricken businesswoman to use a well-tolerated painkiller or show the family man what absolutely belongs in the first-aid kit. For customers who do not tolerate certain ingredients, you produce special ointments, capsules, or teas in the laboratory.
Your expert advice is also needed when it is generally about well-being: you give tips on weight loss and diet products, you fit compression stockings to measure, you recommend suitable cosmetics for skin problems or you explain to diabetics how the blood glucose meter works.
Pharmacy all-rounders between laboratory and shop counter: pharmaceutical-technical assistants know their way around
In the pharmacy, the focus is on intensively advising your customers. You listen very carefully so that you can correctly classify their complaints and recommend an appropriate remedy or behavior. In the laboratory, you produce medicines yourself at the customer’s request or according to a prescription, or you check the quality of medicines and raw materials.
To ensure that your patients get their medication when they need it, you monitor the inventory in the pharmacy warehouse and organize the orders. As varied as the job as a PTA is: In everything, it is very important that you work absolutely carefully and precisely, after all, it is about the health of your customers. Although pharmaceutical technical assistants are the pharmacist’s “right hand”, they work very independently and on their own responsibility.
FAQ for PTA: Frequently asked questions about training and work
Some questions about the training and occupation of pharmaceutical technical assistants are real long-running issues. We think it’s good if you don’t have to search for the answers for a long time. However, if your topic is not (yet) included in the FAQ for PTA: Our Pharmacy Career consulting team will be happy to help you personally!
How much does the Pharmaceutical Technical Assistants (PTA) earn?
Oh, come on, money isn’t everything. But joking aside: The average salary class of pharmaceutical technical assistants (PTA) in Canada is around 30000$ to – 35000$ annually.
There are deviations in salary, for example, depending on the region, professional experience, or size of the company. Your later income as a PTA can therefore be lower or higher than the average value. At least as important when choosing your training is the question of whether you would actually enjoy the job in the long term. Only then is this a real perspective for life?
What is the difference between pharmacists and PTA?
At first glance, pharmacists and pharmaceutical-technical assistants (PTA) have a lot in common: They work in pharmacies, dispense medicines and advise customers. Also, both have to clear PEBC exam to work as a pharmacist or PTA in Canada.
The most important difference, however, lies in the qualifications and the resulting responsibility: while pharmacists have to complete a four-year university degree in pharmacy plus twelve months of practical training and a state examination, pharmaceutical-technical assistants can already do so after two years of training at a vocational school and completing a six-month pharmacy internship to start the job.
PTAs therefore always work in pharmacies under the supervision and guidance of the pharmacist. They are therefore often referred to as the “right hand” or “good soul” of the pharmacy.
Can PTAs also become pharmacists?
In principle, this is possible, but it depends very much on personal requirements and circumstances. PTA with a university entrance qualification is always open to studying pharmacy anyway. The PTA training can form a good basis here to complete this more successfully. As a rule, there are significantly more applicants than places.
If you don’t have a high school diploma, you have to overcome much bigger hurdles on your way to university. What counts here are good school grades and the best possible completion of the PTA training. In addition, a separate university entrance exam must generally be taken. The other requirements for students differ from state to state and often also from university to university.
An intensive “pre-study” of the conditions at the desired university is therefore mandatory. You should also seek advice. At least as important is patience, perseverance and, last but not least, a bit of luck.
Become a pharmaceutical-technical assistant: Exactly your thing?
Are you still unsure whether training as a pharmaceutical technical assistant is right for you? We can understand that. So, hand on heart: where do you recognize yourself?
That fits:
- You find laboratory work really exciting
- With your open nature, you are well received by people
- Whether math, chemistry, or biology – natural sciences suit you
This doesn’t quite fit:
- You have trouble concentrating and are easily distracted
- You don’t like to take responsibility
- Patiently advising customers and being friendly every day – unimaginable for you