The Pharmacy Technician program will cover personal and interpersonal knowledge and skills; foundational professional knowledge and skills; processing and handling of medications and medication orders; sterile and non-sterile compounding; processing, billing, reimbursement, and inventory management; patient and medication-safety; technology and informatics; regulatory issues and quality
assurance. The Pharmacy Technicians will assist the Pharmacist in running the operations of the pharmacy, interacting professionally with customers, and complying with regulatory laws. Employment options for a Pharmacy Technician include hospital pharmacies, retail pharmacies, home health care pharmacies, clinic pharmacies, mail-order prescription pharmacies, and pharmaceutical companies.

Here are some of the key topics and skills the students will learn, as well as be expected to complete in their role as a Pharmacy Technician:

• Prepare medications requiring compounding of sterile, non-sterile, and chemotherapy/hazardous products.
• Demonstrate knowledge and skills in areas of science relevant to the pharmacy technician’s role, including anatomy/physiology and pharmacology.
• Assist pharmacists in preparing, storing, and distributing medication products requiring special handling and documentation [(e.g., controlled substances, immunizations, chemotherapy, investigational drugs, drugs with mandated Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (Rems)].
• Apply quality assurance practices to pharmaceuticals, durable and non-durable medical equipment, devices, and supplies.
• Explain procedures and communication channels to use in the event of a product recall or shortage, a medication error, or identification of another problem.