Hospital or Retail Technician training?

[JennyR]

I would like to become a pharmacy technician. I'm torn between rotating around hospital pharmacies for the next two years or through the retail side of pharmacy. Any opinions on which is the best for experience, working environment, pay and long term career prospects...?

[pluk]

For clinical, educational and renumeration reasons, hospital every time.

[Pharmanaut]

Originally Posted by pluk

For clinical, educational and renumeration reasons, hospital every time.

... don't forget - pension.

[JennyR]

Would you say there is a great demand for pharmacy technician's through the nhs??

[johnep]

I am told there is a shortage in hospitals.
johnep

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by JennyR

I would like to become a pharmacy technician. I'm torn between rotating around hospital pharmacies for the next two years or through the retail side of pharmacy. Any opinions on which is the best for experience, working environment, pay and long term career prospects...?

A dispensing doctor practice can probably offer the most varied career (because they are not overly constrained by what they can offer).

Time to don the flame proof knickers

Jeff

[JennyR]

Upon achieving the qualifications to become a technician would you say it would be easy to enter employment in either hospital or retail pharmacies?

Or do individuals who have trained within the hospital environment tend to have an advantage over those who haven't and vice versa?

[RegPharmTech]

I would say it's easier to make the transition from hospital to community than the other way about. It depends on the area you're in but around here (north west) some of the hospitals are quite reluctant to employ community trained technicians, especially if you don't have the BTEC qualification.

Having said all that I have worked with a couple of hospital trained technicians in community and they were hopeless. Errors galore and slow with it! Maybe they were just not cut out for the job though.

[johnep]

A community technician is paid just above minimum wage. In hospital you will have the union 'unison' fighting on your side and career progression prospects are good.
johnep