Course Detail: HLT235 - Certified Pharmacy Technician
Pharmacy technicians assist and support licensed pharmacists in providing healthcare to patients. Jump start your career towards working as a Pharmacy Aide, Pharmacy Technician, Certified Pharmacy Technician, Health Technician/Technologist, Medical Laboratory Technician, Medical Records Clerk/Technician, or a Nursing Assistant. You will get hands-on practice in retail pharmacy procedures through an online lab module. You will also have the opportunity to apply for a 100+ hour externship.
Upon successful completion of the course, you will receive access to the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) practice tests to help you study for your certification exam.
Prerequisites: No healthcare or medical office work experience is required.You should be proficient in keyboarding (approximately 35 words per minute), have a basic understanding of a word-processing computer program (Microsoft Word is recommended), and have a command of English grammar and punctuation.
Overview:
Pharmacy technicians have become indispensable to the health care industry, and it's a great time to join this growing field. These classes can get you started on this fulfilling career path. You'll gain the skills and knowledge to qualify for entry-level positions in pharmacies and be prepared for national certification. Upon completion of this course, you will be prepared to sit for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE), offered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). This course also includes a voucher which covers the fee of the exam. Pharmacy technician certification is an important issue for many industry employers and state legislatures, some of which now require national certification. You will also have the opportunity to apply for a 100+ hour externship.
This program was developed in response to a rising need for trained technicians to work in a hospital or retail pharmacies. The pharmacy technician profession has become indispensable to the health care field. With this growing opportunity, however, has also come increased responsibility, and this increased responsibility has made certification an important issue for many industry employers and some state legislatures. Some states now require all individuals who work as pharmacy technicians to become nationally certified.
In all parts of the country, pharmacy technicians must have a broad knowledge of pharmacy practice and must be skilled in the techniques required to order, stock, package, and prepare medications, but they don't need the advanced college education required of a licensed pharmacist. Pharmacy technicians may perform many of the same duties as a pharmacist; however, all of their work must be checked by a pharmacist before medication can be dispensed to a patient.
This program will prepare you for entry-level pharmacy technician positions by teaching you medical and pharmaceutical terminology, basic anatomy related to the pharmacology of medications, and pharmaceutical calculations. The Pharmacy Technician Program will give you hands-on practice in retail pharmacy procedures through an online lab module. You'll learn what information is necessary to process prescriptions and physician orders and apply that knowledge to fill mock prescriptions.
The curriculum also includes the ethics of pharmacy practice and education about prescription medications, patient care, and interaction, and charges and reimbursement.You'll learn everything you need to know to pass the National Certification Exam offered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB).
Pharmacy Externship Program*:
As a part of the Pharmacy Technician Online Certification Training Program, students have an option to perform an actual hands-on 100-hour clinical externship. Clinical externships are based on individual state board requirements. Upon completion of this program, you will be prepared to sit for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE), offered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). The registration fee for this exam is included with this program.
*Our program has reached a nationwide agreement with several pharmacies that will give our Pharmacy Technician students an important leg up in the job market. These pharmacies will offer their renowned externship programs to you, provided you meet basic qualifications. Externs will get hands-on experience that includes assisting pharmacists with prescriptions, answering patient questions about medications, and a bevy of administrative duties. In order to qualify for an externship, you'll have to pass a drug screening test, obtain professional liability insurance, complete a background check and employment verification, meet current immunization standards, conform with and complete any state mandates such as registration, fingerprinting, licensing, etc. Additional forms may be necessary for externships with certain pharmacies. It may take up to 12 weeks to find an available opening.
This course is 100% online. Visit the website for session options.
About the Instructors:
Melissa Dunworth has been a pharmacy technician for over 13 years and has worked in retail, closed pharmacy, and training/education areas during her career. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences and works as a Developmental Specialist in Early Intervention for children ages 0 to 3 years. She has been a certified pharmacy technician since 1997. Melissa is also registered with the New Mexico Board of Pharmacy.
Betty Stahl holds a doctorate in pharmacy from Shenandoah University. Over the past several years, she has taught pharmacy technician programs at the college level. Stahl has also worked as a pharmacist in independent and hospital settings.
