PHARMACY TECHNICIAN
PROGRAM COSTS: Varies
COURSE CONTACT HOURS: 375
PROGRAM DURATION: 4 Months
EXTERNSHIP AVAILABLE: Yes
COURSES AVAILABLE THROUGH
Tyler Junior College TJC–PT01
Download TJC Course Outline
Texas A&M TAMIU–PT01
Download TAMIU Course Outline
The Pharmacy Technician Profession
The need for Pharmacy Technicians continues to grow with demand expected to increase substantially through 2014. Technicians work under the supervision of a registered pharmacist in hospitals, home infusion pharmacies, community pharmacies and other healthcare settings. This high demand for pharmacy technicians is the result of a multitude of factors including the constant availability of new drugs, the national shortage of registered pharmacists, the establishment of certified pharmacy technicians, and the aging population. Approximately 400,000 technicians will be employed by the year 2018 to meet our nation’s growing healthcare demands.
Pharmacy Technician Program
This comprehensive course will prepare students to enter the pharmacy field and take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board’s PTCB exam. Course content includes pharmacy medical terminology, reading and interpreting prescriptions and defining generic and brand names drugs and much, much more! *Program also includes an optional clinical externship at a local healthcare provider!
This program will prepare students to enter the pharmacy field and to pursue certification including the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board’s PTCB exam. This course covers the following key areas and topics:
- Pharmacy calculations
- Medical terminology specific to the pharmacy
- Skills to read and interpret prescriptions
- Review of the top 200 drugs
- Skills to identify drugs by generic and brand names
- Dosage calculations, I.V. flow rates, drug compounding, and dose conversions
- Dispensing of prescriptions, inventory control, and billing and reimbursement
Certification Opportunities
Detailed Course Information
- The history of pharmacy and healthcare
- Pharmacy technician role and responsibilities
- Pharmacy technician certification and registration process
- Types of pharmacies including the hospital pharmacy, retail practice, long-term care practice, mail order pharmacy, home care pharmacies, and others
- Drug regulation and control
- Pharmaceutical terminology and related anatomy
- Parts of the prescription and labeling
- Pharmacy calculations and math review
- Pharmacy measures and abbreviations
- Routes and formulations
- Parenterals and compounding
- Basic biopharmaceutics
- Aseptic technique and the handling of sterile products
- Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN)
- Basics of IV solutions and calculating 24-hour supply of IV solutions
- Factors affecting drug activity
- Information and pharmacy resources
- Inventory management and financial issues
- Brand names and generic drugs
- Drug names and drug classes
Education and Certifications
- Students should have or be pursuing a high school diploma or GED.
- The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board’s (PTCB) is the national certification exam.
- Numerous states now require PTCB certification to work as a pharmacy technician.
- Certain national and state pharmacy technician certification exams are available.
Technical Requirements
- Windows 7, XP or Vista
- 56K modem or higher
- Soundcard & Speakers
- Firefox, Chrome or Microsoft Internet Explorer
MAC OS USERS
- Mac OS X or higher (in classic mode)
- 56K modem or higher
- Soundcard & Speakers
- Apple Safari
System will support the two latest releases of each browser. When using older versions of a browser, users risk running into problems with the course software.
- Windows Users: Firefox, Chrome, Explorer
- Mac OS Users: Safari, Chrome, Firefox
We recommend setting your screen resolution to 1024 x 768 pixels.
SUGGESTED PLUGINS
- Flash Player
- Real Player
- Adobe Reader
- Java
U.S. Department of Labor
Career Information
The information below provides helpful job information, statistics and projections for this program’s related career tracts.
| Career | Median Salary | Job Openings | Growth Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | $38,390 | 186,600 | -1% to 1% | |
Description |
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| Compute, classify, and record numerical data to keep financial records complete. Perform any combination of routine calculating, posting, and verifying duties to obtain primary financial data for use in maintaining accounting records. May also check the accuracy of figures, calculations, and postings pertaining to business transactions recorded by other workers. | ||||
| Job Titles Include | ||||
| Account Clerk, Accounting Assistant, Accounting Associate, Accounting Clerk, Accounting Specialist, Accounting Technician, Accounts Payable Clerk, Accounts Payable Specialist, Accounts Payables Clerk, Accounts Receivable Clerk | ||||
Wages |
Bottom 15% | Median Salary | Top 10% | |
| United States | $23,880 | $38,390 | $59,630 | |
Employment |
current employment 2016 | projected job openings 2016 - 2026 | projected growth 2016 - 2026 | |
| United States | 1,731,000 | 186,600 | -1% to 1% | |
typical tasks |
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| New Accounts Clerks | $34,990 | 4,000 | -2% or lower | |
Description |
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| Interview persons desiring to open accounts in financial institutions. Explain account services available to prospective customers and assist them in preparing applications. | ||||
| Job Titles Include | ||||
| Administrative Assistant, Customer Service Representative, Financial Services Representative, Loan Processor, Member Service Representative, New Accounts Representative, Personal Banker, Relationship Manager, Retail Banker, Retail Service Representative | ||||
Wages |
Bottom 15% | Median Salary | Top 10% | |
| United States | $25,990 | $34,990 | $50,010 | |
Employment |
current employment 2016 | projected job openings 2016 - 2026 | projected growth 2016 - 2026 | |
| United States | 42,000 | 4,000 | -2% or lower | |
typical tasks |
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