Federal Requirements for Pharmacy Technicians Working on a Military Base

Pharmacy technicians in the military have to undergo advanced training.military image by Alexey Klementiev from Fotolia.com

Pharmacy technicians working on a military base are usually enlisted individuals who mix, prepare and dispense prescribed drugs. The Air Force, Army and Navy all utilize pharmacy technicians and the Marines benefit from the Navy's health care services. Every person enlisted in the Air Force, Army and Navy must first possess a high school diploma. Pharmacy technicians must attend and successfully navigate advanced level training, typically provided by the military branch. The additional training is separate from the basic medical training all members of the military receive. The training pharmacy technicians receive during service transfers to civilian pharmacy technician careers.

Air Force Pharmacy Apprentice

Air Force pharmacy technicians are called apprentices and work in the pharmacy career field. Apprentices should have high personal integrity and like working with people. Individuals need to have a strong maths background. After taking the basic medical technician course, apprentices are required to attend further training at the Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. The training takes about 63 days. Apprentices learn how to interpret and fill prescriptions as well as safeguard chemicals and drugs.

Army pharmacy technicians are called specialists and work closely with the Army's pharmacists. The requirements for new recruits includes nine weeks of Basic Training. Then the specialists must attend nineteen weeks of Advanced Individual training. The specialist learns the pharmacy laws, drug types and mixing and dispensing procedures.

Navy pharmacy technicians are required to be trained as Navy hospital corpsmen or medics. Hospital corpsmen are not required to have a college degree. The course teaches a wide range of skills, including drug preparation and basic pharmacy administration. The training lasts twenty-three weeks and is located at the Naval School of Health Sciences in Portsmouth, Virginia.