Marygrove College has had 18 students complete its Pharmacy Technician program since the first round of interns completed their field experiences in the summer of 2010. These “graduates” are passing the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board’s national exam, finding jobs, continuing their educations, even volunteering as Pharmacy Technicians in local hospitals. Of the 13 contacted at press time, 7 are employed, 5 are enrolled in additional education (4 of them at Marygrove), 6 are nationally certified, and 3 are volunteering as pharmacy technicians at local hospitals.

Consider Takeisha Rucker who completed her field placement at Davis Pharmacy in Detroit, MI in the fall of 2011. Her practical experience with a local pharmacy gave her an advantage when looking for work in her hometown. Through a dedicate job search, she was able to secure a pharmacy technician position with the largest retail pharmacy in the US - CVS Caremark. Speaking about her first week on the job, Takeisha said, “I liked the on the job training [at CVS]; it was challenging, but it wasn’t that bad.” When asked “why,” Takeisha referred to her Marygrove classes and the internship. She went on to say, “they said I was doing a real good job.” Her national certification by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) probably helped too.

Takeisha is not only happy about her new profession, she plans to continue her education at Marygrove by enrolling in the new Associate of Science in Health Science degree program at Marygrove this fall. All of her credits from the Pharmacy Technician program will work toward her associate degree leaving her with only 2 to 3 more semesters to go.

According to the 2012 edition of the Occupational Outlook Handbook produced by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, pharmacy technician jobs are going increase by 32% between 2010 and 2020 – that is much faster than average job growth. Pharmacy technician jobs in Michigan alone are expected to increase by over 600 per year. Marygrove College graduates of the one year Pharmacy Technician program are well positioned to take advantage of this growth industry. If you would like information on Marygrove’s Pharmacy Technician program visit MG Pharm Tech.