Conduct to Compare and Contrast Pharmacy Technicians in Nevada and Florida Pharmacy - Research Paper Example

In these regards, an individual looking to apply to be a pharmacy technician must be at least eighteen years old and have graduated from high school or an equivalent. The individual cannot have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor that involves moral turpitude, dishonesty or the unlawful possession, sale or use of drugs; similarly, the individual can have no history of drug use. The emphasis on drug use is understandable given the nature of the profession. The individual must also receive proper licensing (Nevada pharmacy technician jobs and resources, 2011).

There are a number of licensing options, these include: the individual is licensed in an outside state; the individual has completed 1,500 hours in Nevada as a registered pharmaceutical technician-in-training; has graduated from a school accredited by the American Society of Healthsystem Pharmacists (ASHP) and completed 350 hours; or graduated from such a school in another state and passed the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board’s (PTCD) national examination (Nevada pharmacy technician jobs and resources, 2011).

While many of the requirements to become a pharmacy technician in Florida are the same as those in Nevada there are some differences. In these regards, the individual must complete 1,500 hours of work under a licensed pharmacist or attain certification through a nationally accredited program. In addition to these licensing requirements, there are similar restrictions against individuals with felony offenses and misdemeanors of moral turpitude or for illicit drug use. In both states, the individual must also be eighteen years old.

If the individual desired further commitment to the profession they could study to become a full-fledged pharmacist. In the state of Nevada, the requirements to become a pharmacist are that the individual attain FPGEC certification. The must also have NAPLEX and MPJE certification. Finally, they must 1500 state certified licensing hours (Pharmacy technician certification board, 2007). This is differentiated from Florida in that Florida has an endorsement requirement wherein the individual must show active practice for two years in the five years prior to the application.

In terms of Florida certification the individual must have FPGEC certification and TOFEL, TSE, and five hundred hours of service in Florida. Similar to Nevada, the individual must also complete NAPLEX or MPJE (‘Board overview,’ 2010). In terms of job duties, the pharmacy technician works under the pharmacist in repackaging and labeling drugs; mixing drugs with parenteral fluids; preparing bulks compounds; distributing routine orders and stock medications to supply to patients; maintain drug inventories; main pharmacy records; request prescription authorization; and transfer prescriptions ("Pharmacy technician questions," 2010).

In terms of salary, pharmacy technicians in Nevada make money commensurate to experience; on average the salary ranges from $19,000 -- $37,000 annually ("Nevada pharmacy technician," 2011). In the state of Florida, there is an equal salary range ("Florida pharmacy technician," 2011). The cost of living in Nevada is currently rated a 95 out of 100 ("Best places," 2011) . This can be compared to Florida where the cost of living is at a 91 rate, indicating that it is slightly cheaper to live in Florida ("Best places," 2011) .

Ultimately, when one notes that the salary is the same, but the cost of