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When you finish your pharmacy technician course, you would still need to go through one more step before you can work as one. You need to become a certified pharmacy technician, often abbreviated as CPhT. The PTCB exam is given three times every year for those who want to aspire to be full pledged pharmacy techs. Only a few states in America require pharmacy techs to get certified but it pays to undergo the exam in case you get a job elsewhere that will require you to be a certified pharmacy technician. You will realize that many employers prefer certified pharmacy technicians over non certified ones because they possess official recognition that they are qualified to do the job.The purpose of the exam is to make sure that anyone who will be pursuing a career in pharmacy technology will have the basic knowledge required in this field. The exam will also make sure that you have the foundation as well as the proper training in order to meet the daily requirements of the job. The exam tackles the core knowledge and skills that are expected from a good pharmacy technician. The certification exam also is a regulatory procedure by the government to make sure that the health professionals who give health care to the patients all around the country are all qualified to do so. It ensures the safety of the citizens of the country.There are a few requirements before taking the certification exam for pharmacy techs. First, you must possess a high school diploma, GED or its equivalent if you are from another country, and you must be clear of any drug related cases in the FBI, or its foreign equivalent. Furthermore, you must no be under any form of limitation from any State Board of Pharmacy.If you have satisfied the prerequisites above, then you are eligible to take the exam. You need to pass the PTCB exam to be able to be awarded the pharmacy technician certification status. It is best that you review your past courses in your pharmacy technician programs and concentrate on getting the basics and foundation memorized by heart. This is a very important exam that can be the start of your career.Certifications are renewed every two years. For each recertification that a pharmacy technician undergoes, there is a required 20 hours of further education within the two year period prior to the certification exam day. This means that the candidate must be able to take refresher courses from the desired college, organization, associations or pharmacy technician programs, with at least one hour pertaining to pharmacy law. Ten of the 20 hour requirement can also be earned under direct supervision of a pharmacist. The continuing education requirement is a great opportunity for the candidate to refresh his memory about the core knowledge and skills needed by a pharmacy technician and it is also a chance to be updated with the developments in the field.The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board exam will be taken using a computer and not a paper and pen, as it was previously administered a few decades ago. It has 90 multiple choice questions that cover the basics in pharmacy technology such as assisting pharmacists in providing service to various patients,maintenance of medication and systems that concern inventory control, and role and participation in the administration and management of good pharmacy practice. These are the topics that the Board feels are essential to having a well rounded pharmacy technician who is fit to serve the vast group of patients all over the United States of America.

Vested interest exists. This means an individual has a special interest in protecting or promoting that which is to their own personal advantage. Or, there are groups that seek to support or control an existing system or activity from which they derive private benefit.A first line manager’s vested interest are in their functional area goals. A first line manager’s external business environment is also important. Effective first line managers must support a balance between their and others’ vested interest. A first line manager is like a fish in water; the fish contains water and is in water. There is internal business vested interests and external business vested interests. Let us consider these interests.First consider, a business’s internal interest and the manager’s role in each. There are two types of first line managers; functional line managers and general managers. I was a functional line manager as a restaurant manager, an accounting manager, and a territory sales manager, in these roles, my success was dedicated to that function. I was a general manager of hotels and a Business Office Manager; in these roles, my interest was in accomplishing all the functional goals of the organization.Functional first line mangers have to make sure their area of responsibility is accomplishing the assigned departmental goals. A functional manager’s is a success if their departmental goals are accomplished. Managers that are removed of not successful. Acceptable managers goals are within the acceptable range. Managers that consistency exceed their goals are considered for higher management. They are top performers. Here is the rub, functional managers must maintain a delicate balance between their department’s interest and other department’s vested interest.As a District Accounting Manager I approved the credit on sales contracts for appliance sales, a marketing function. If I was too selective marketing did not make quota and the salesperson salary suffered. If I was too lenient, the marketing department made above quota and the salesperson was very happy. In my accounting function was responsible for the payment of the contracts. I reported to a Division Accounting Manager who expected me to collect the money for the appliances. I received my promotions and my bonus on how effective I was in collections not in sales. This is the conundrum of a first line manager; how do you carry out line goals while not alienating other departments.Now think about this, if a first line manager wants to become a general manager, they must keep the other departments goals in perspective. Other first line managers must know, even though, you have departmental interest; you understand other departments have vested interest. You must be seen as cooperating with them to make every manager and the company successful. This is very important, and an extremely difficult balance.If you want to progress to a mid-level manager within your functional area, cooperation with other departments vested interests is important. A mid-level functional manager most times reports to a middle level general manager and higher level functional manager. Progression to a functional middle manager is difficult, most times, you have to be on the top of the department’s functional goals. In addition, you must be acceptable to the mid- level general manager. A mid-level general manager will not want a line functional manager that creates problems for other functional areas as a mid-level functional manager.Now, consider the first line manager as general manager. I was a first line business office manager and general manager, I was responsible for all the functions of the company. I had an interest in the accomplishing the goals of accounting, marketing, and operations. I had goals in each of these functional areas. I reported to a middle level general manager. I was given these positions because I was a successful first line manager. Also, I was chosen for these positions because of my expanded activities in the community and within the company. I achieved my functional goals and helped other departments make their goals; or, I would never been given these general management positions. As a general manager my energy was divided among the functional areas of the company. My success was based on my teams success in all the functional areas. I had a vested interest in all functional areas. Now, I had to deal with reporting to functional middle managers whose vested interest was in their area.Second consider, a business’s external interest and the manager’s role. A couple examples are the vested interest of Labor unions, and the community.Labor unions are an external vested interest. Unions present a unique problem for a first line manager.I remember my Dad explaining mistletoe to me. Mistletoe gets it food from the tree. If the tree dies the mistletoe plant will die. I wondered if the mistletoe knew it could kill the tree. Labor unions have a vested interest in keeping the union alive. Do they care if the business survives? I think that to a great extent a union does.As a first line and general manager, I had to contend with union concerns. This meant, I became an expert on the union contract. I realized the written comments in the contract did not always mean what they seemed to mean. This conundrum meant, I had to know the memorandum of understanding of the comments between the company and the union. Also, I made use of a company industrial relations person when there was confusion.A union employee’s interest was not always in the best interest of the company; it was with the union. Seniority is a vested interest in unions. This means that seniority was a interest of union employees. Our contract gave certain entitlements for seniority. I had to know how to manage seniority. If I was not careful, union employees would use seniority entitlements to their advantage. For example, union employees that reported to me wanted all new vehicle to go to the senior employee. This entitlement was not in the contract and was not in the interest of the company. I refused to allow the senior employee to get the new vehicle. Why is knowledge of the contract contents important to a manager? If you are not careful, you will set a precedent in your department that will be used against the company in negotiations or arbitrations.First line managers must understand community interest. First line managers must at times place these community interest ahead of company and personal interests. This is very important today because of social media. A manager must always be aware of risk management and ethics in their decisions. Some decisions may seem correct for your department or company; but, will not for the interest of the community. Your decision could become a risk management issue for your company.Consider, General Motors, because it did not consider the interest of the community when it did not recall the cars because of the starter problem in their cars. This decision had a tremendous negative impact on the image of General Motors with the public.I will not continue with other examples of invested interest first line managers must consider.The point is, a first line manager must be sensitive to other’s vested interest; then, manage their vested interest accordingly.