A trained Pharmacy Technician can prepare IV, compounded, and/or unit-dose medications. An efficient technician will ensure the location, quality and quantity of all medications stored in the pharmacy. A Pharmacy Technician can participate in drug utilization-evaluation and quality assurance programs. They will consistently review the pharmacy’s inventory of drugs expired, recalled, inadequately labeled, or other non-usable drugs.

The entry-level Pharmacy Technician works under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist and a supervising technician. The pharmacy technician will assist in the day-to-day activities of the pharmacy by filling prescriptions, assisting customers, ordering medications, and supporting the pharmacist. They will also be involved with reviewing patient drug allergies, dosing of medications, potential interactions and incompatibilities.

The Pharmacy Technician course is designed to provide a sound educational environment for instruction and training to equip its graduates for entry level positions in different pharmacy settings. Pharmacy settings in which an entry level student may work include retail, hospital, mail-order, long-term care and compounding pharmacies.

Classroom procedures

Each course stands alone as a unit of study and is not dependent upon prerequisite training. A student may enter the program at the beginning of any course and continue through the sequence until completion of all courses. The course work consists of lecture/demonstration and hands on laboratory procedures.

Externship

The externship is undertaken following the successful completion of all classroom training and consists of 160 clock hours, averaging eight hours a day. Students could work in a variety of settings. During the externship the student is allowed to perform the skills taught during the classroom portion of training.