It's interesting... I have never worked as a pharmacy technician, but I'm a CPhT because at my previous job, I supervised the techs and RPhs, but we were over the ratio limit (I was registered with the BOP in case they need help when they were busy) so someone had to get their CPhT to bring the ratio back under the limit.

My bachelors (non pharmacy related) and my business experience running that pharmacy were what got me this job. However, there's quite a learning curve in hospital pharmacy... lots of drugs I didn't know and had to learn and lots of paperwork also that I'd never had to work with before. Your experience would likely attract a hospital looking for a buyer, so keep your eyes open, or be proactive and send your resume to some DOPs...

City, State: Teaching hospital

Years as a Buyer: 2

Colleen,
Was it tough to get certified, not being a tech? I know about the drugs, etc. I can do the paperwork in my sleep (and sometimes do). However, I am not sure I could pass the certification, nor want to keep it up (cost not paid by the hospital I work at).

Name of Facility: Arnot Ogden Medical Center

City, State: Acute Care 256 beds

Years as a Buyer: 7

It wasn't bad... I took a day-long prep class that was a prep for people taking the exam or CE for currently certified techs. It really wasn't too bad... the pharmacy I ran was free for indigent patients, but was a retail style setting, so I just made sure I was comfortable with drug calcs (my alegbra teacher always said I'd use it someday!) and the paperwork and I passed my first time.

City, State: Teaching hospital

Years as a Buyer: 2

Don't forget the Law questions. If you can breeze through the Food and Drug Act of 1906 and figure out valid DEA numbers, to name a few, those questions might be enough to give you a better edge. But they may (or should) be covered in a PTCB test prep class, as Colleen mentioned.

Name of Facility: Pharmacy Purchasing Outlook

City, State: Newsletter

Years as a Buyer: 30+

As for the CE... between the PPO conference and the 340B and GPO meetings/conferences I attend, I get enough CE for 2-3 recert cycles (unfortunately it just gets "wasted" since you can't rollover )

City, State: Teaching hospital

Years as a Buyer: 2