WHAT IS THE PHARMACY TECHNICIAN PROGRAM, AND WHAT WILL I LEARN?
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
EDUCATION & CERTIFICATION
Students should have 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.
What jobs
can I get?
The need for Pharmacy Technicians continues to grow with demand expected to increase substantially through 2020. 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 2021 to meet our nation’s growing healthcare demands.
What type of work
do the jobs consist of?
Working in pharmacies and hospitals, pharmacy techs do a lot behind the counter. They take prescriptions over the phone and in person, work with health professionals and customers, help mix medicines, count pills, measure medication, label and give instructions for medicine, and help take payments.
What’s the career
growth potential?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the career will grow nine percent through 2024, faster than the average for all occupations. Wages for a pharmacy technician career vary according to geographical area, local demand for workers, the cost of living and worker skill.
For more information, please contact:
Jonathan Smith – Director of Adult Education
Phone: 334-347-2623 x2256
Email: jwsmith@escc.edu