The Pharmacy Technician program provides students with the technical and practical training necessary for work as an assistant to a licensed pharmacist in a variety of health system settings, including pharmacy chains, hospitals, and skilled-care facilities. Some employment opportunities may require the employee to be a certified pharmacy technician. This program should prepare students to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board examination. Students will examine pharmacy computing, medication preparation, inventory and billing, and quarterly customer service care as well as receive a well rounded general education curriculum. The program is divided into fourteen major courses, with four general education subject areas. Twenty-one courses are taken in school; the final course is an externship.

Program Outcomes:

• Review legal and ethical issues in healthcare, with a focus on HIPAA, OSHA, and other regulatory standards used by pharmacy technicians
• Examine procedures used to collect, organize, and evaluate information for direct patient care, drug-use review, and departmental management
• Receive and screen prescriptions or medication orders for completeness, authenticity, and accuracy
• Use pharmaceutical and medical terms, abbreviations, and symbols appropriately
• Examine the general chemical and physical properties of therapeutic agents on the various systems
• Identify and define the use and side effects of prescription medications, non-prescription medications, and alternative therapies used to treat common disease states in various systems
• Calculate dosages and demonstrate techniques used to appropriately prepare selected medication products
• Explain the importance of following aseptic techniques in the preparation and handling of all medications, and follow medication safety practices
• Prepare and distribute medications in a simulated healthcare setting
• Use knowledge of proper aseptic technique and packaging in the preparation of medications
• Verify the measurements, preparation, and/or packaging of medications produced by other technicians
• Follow procedures used to document and track controlled substances, and examine methods used to help prevent medication misadventures
• Utilize computers, software, and other technology commonly found in pharmacy settings
• Demonstrate procedures used to collect payment or initiate billing for pharmacy services and goods
• Demonstrate procedures used to purchase pharmaceuticals, devices, and supplies according to an established plan in a variety of health systems
• Monitor and control the inventory of medications, equipment, and devices with a focus on safety and security
• Maintain pharmacy equipment and facilities, and correctly calibrate measuring devices and/or troubleshoot common device problems
• Assist the pharmacist in monitoring the practice site or service area for compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations while upholding professional standards
• Demonstrate proper customer care, including a respect for diversity, courteous customer care skills, clear communication in speech and writing, confidentiality of patient and proprietary business information, and ethical conduct in all transactions
• Discuss successful characteristics of professional pharmacy technicians, including the ability to resolve conflicts through negotiation, manage change, problem-solve, and adapt direct patient care to meet conditional demands
• Assist the pharmacist in identifying patients who desire counseling on the use of medications, equipment, and devices
• Describe methods used to assist the pharmacist in preparing, storing, and distributing investigational drug products, including techniques used to help monitor medication therapy
• Assist the pharmacist in assuring the quality of all pharmaceutical services
• Function effectively as a member of the health care team while examining direct patient care delivery systems in multiple practice settings
• Identify local, state, and national pharmacy organizations, discuss the importance of continuing education and of staying current with changes in pharmacy practice, and describe the value of obtaining technician certification