facebookPharmacy Technician
Pharmacy technician students during their internship.
This program provides an overview of the theory, principles, and practices of the expanded role of the pharmacy technician. Areas of study include accurately and safely processing prescriptions, extemporaneous compounding, hospital practice, aseptic techniques, controlling inventory, keeping accurate and confidential records, health care ethics, customer care, third-party billing, acting within relevant legislation, and the importance of effective written and oral communication skills.
Graduates from this program qualify with the Ontario College of Pharmacists to follow the process of becoming a registered pharmacy technician. Upon completion of this program, graduates must open their file with the Ontario College of Pharmacists, write the Jurisprudence exam (administered by OCP), complete a structure practical training period (arranged by OCP) and apply for a certificate of registration, also with OCP.
OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS: Reading text, Document use, Numeracy, Writing, Oral communication, Critical thinking, Job task planning and organizing, Significant use of memory, Finding information, Computer use
The Pharmacy Technician program is accredited by the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP). Graduates from this program qualify with the Ontario College of Pharmacists to follow the process of becoming a registered pharmacy technician, which includes taking the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) certification exam.
Internship Hours: 300
Total Hours: 1400
Pharmacy Technician Courses
IS 101 System and Computer Fundamentals1 Week
This course provides an introduction to the Microsoft® Windows operating system, Internet Explorer browser, and Outlook information manager; word processing, and data processing applications. In addition, this course offers an introduction to applications and procedures specific to Herzing College.
PH 100 Pharmacy Practice4 Weeks
The distinct duties and responsibilities of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are detailed. Topics include the different types of pharmacies; work environments; drug regulation and control, prescription error prevention, and legal and ethical issues. The specific role of the pharmacy technician in the daily operation of the pharmacy is fully explained and demonstrated in the practical application of daily operations
PH 103 Medication Errors1 Week
Students will develop critical thinking to identify causes, prevention, and reporting and risk management of medication errors. They will develop analytical skills to practice safe medication use and to prevent errors in the distribution, preparation, dispensing and administration of medications.
PH 101A Pharmacology A3 Weeks
This introduction course guides the students through the terminology and principles of pharmacology.
The therapeutic classifications as defined in the Ontario Drug Benefit Formulary and Compendium Pharmaceuticals and Specialties are explained. Brand and generic naming is explained so that students can effectively communicate with other health care professionals as well as converse in laymen’s terms with their patients.
PH 101B Pharmacology B4 Weeks
The purpose of this course is to solidify the students understanding of disease states within each body system and the effects of the medications in treating the conditions, as well as the cautions involved in combining therapies, food and drug interactions, and drug-disease contraindications. This course also allows students to further identify and understand how their knowledge of pharmacology relates to their scope of practice as a pharmacy technician. As a continuation of the Pharmacology B, this course reinforces brand and generic naming, therapeutic classifications, indications of medications, and essential terminology.
PH104 OTC and Herbal Products2 Weeks
This course will provide knowledge to students about over the counter (OTC) and herbal products available for self-care. They will also learn their role in helping the patients and referring them to the pharmacist.
PH102 Drug Preparation and Dosage Calculation4 Weeks
This course focuses on the hands-on side of measuring techniques: weighing, reducing, calculating dosages, compounds, IV rates, and administrations; as well as preparing and measuring infusions and solutions; applying metric conversions; and using fractions, proportions, ratios, and percentages. Students blend ingredients for ointments, creams, powders, solutions, elixirs, suspensions, and capsules.
PH 120 Hospital Pharmacy4 Weeks
The role of the pharmacy as one part of a hospital’s health care team is explained. The duties and responsibilities of pharmacy technicians in a hospital environment are detailed. Topics include daily patient drug profiles; unit dose; aseptic techniques; the medication order form, the medication administration record (MAR), and treatment administration record (TAR); hospital inventory control; centralized and decentralized pharmacy systems; regulating agencies and Institutional Long Term Care.
PH 125 Aseptic Techniques3 Weeks
This course provides an introduction to intravenous admixture preparation and other sterile products, including total parenteral nutrition, infusion pump cassettes, solutions for irrigation and chemotherapy. Topics include aseptic techniques; facilities, equipment, and supplies utilized in admixture preparation; incompatibility and stability; laminar flow hoods; irrigation solutions; and quality assurance. Upon completion, students should be able to describe and demonstrate the steps involved in preparing intermittent and continuous infusions, total parenteral nutrition, and chemotherapy.
IS 113 Pharmacy Software2 Weeks
This course provides instruction and hands on training with Nexxsys; Pro-Pharm’s computerized pharmaceutical dispensary system. Topics include: workbench organization and views; Rx Detail and batch processing; automatic scheduling of tasks; patient record customization; inventory monitoring; security; label generation and customization; supplier and doctor information; and purchase order customization.
PH 202 Communication Skills2 Weeks
This course is designed to provide the student the opportunity to develop effective communication and listening skills in a pharmacy/healthcare environment. Topics will include verbal and nonverbal communication, active listening skills, barriers to communication, conflict resolution skills, and sensitivities in the communication process.
PH 203 Law and Ethics3 Weeks
The student will be prepared to enter the health field with a basic understanding of pharmaceutical legislation and the ethical concerns that pharmacy employees are facing in the current health system.
PD 201 Career Developments1 Week
Career Development provides the student with the knowledge, skills, and development of the student’s job search path, including written skills for cover letters, résumés, and thank you letters. The course will also provide practical experience pertaining to interviewing process. Best practices and faux pas will be explained and outlined through mock interviews and peer evaluations.
PD 202 Client Services1 Week
Client Services provides a critical examination of issues embedded in the practice of providing client service. Topics include research about best practices in customer service and communication techniques; psychologically based methods for dealing with the management of customer complaints; and the roles of a customer service employee and supervisor within ethical boundaries and common business practice in a pharmacy.
MA 220 Pharmaceutical Mathematics4 Weeks
This course presents the principles of calculating medication dosages using the formula method D/H x Q=X. The math coverage includes a review covering fraction and decimals, ratio and percent, simple equations, and ratio and proportion. Multiple problems are included to allow students to practice their skills and reinforce learning. The course also stresses the prevention of medication errors and details the implications of any error and how to prevent it.
SC 101 Medical Terminology and Human Anatomy & Physiology5 Weeks
This course introduces the foundations of the language of human anatomy and medicine. Medical vocabulary is understood through the study of the structure and organization of the human body components (anatomy) and their functions (physiology). Discussions of the pathologies, diagnostic and treatment procedures of the body include the skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular, lymphatic, immune, respiratory, digestive, urinary, nervous, integumentary, endocrine, and reproductive systems.
WE 300 Practicum [Retail]4 Weeks
The placement component of the program is the practical application of a student’s knowledge and skills in a retail pharmacy environment. The internship requires full-time day attendance working in the industry setting. The duration of the internship is four weeks during which the student must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 150 hours of work experience.
WE 301 Practicum [Hospital]4 Weeks
The placement component of the program is the practical application of a student’s knowledge and skills in a hospital pharmacy environment. The internship requires full-time day attendance working in the industry setting. . While on internship, students must complete at least the minimum number of hours over the length of the internship. Prerequisite: All academic courses in the program.
Additional Training Offered Within the Program
First Aid and CPR
This course is designed to bring students to the St. John's Ambulance Standard Level First Aid and CPR Level C.
