Your first step on the career path to becoming a licensed pharmacy technician

Many people entering into a career as a pharmacy technician do so after working in other jobs.  They often don’t have the time to quit work and return to study full time and so opting for an online course which will enable them to pass the National Certification Exam offered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board is the ideal option.  No Bachelor’s degree is required.

But bear in mind this isn’t one of those one week online courses that participants can breeze through.  It’s a properly structured, academic course with tuition by well respected, qualified instructors.  The course is offered through accredited US based colleges and are far more affordable than the equivalent classroom based programs.

It’s going to be hard work, but the end result will be that within 6 months you could have the skills and expertise required to apply for your first position as a Pharmacy Technician.  Average salaries for Pharmacy technicians range from $25 – 40,000.

Overview

Learn the skills you need to become a pharmacy tech in a hospital or retail setting with the Pharmacy Technician Online Certification Training Program. You’ll gain the skills and knowledge to qualify for entry-level positions in pharmacies, and you’ll be prepared for national certification. This program pairs students with an instructor for one-on-one assistance and may include a 40- 100 hour externship. Please view specifics in the Details section.

All materials are included. This online certificate program is offered in partnership with major colleges, universities, and other accredited education providers.

 – 6 month course

– Over 330 Hours of one on one Instructor led study

– 40 – 100 Hour Externship

– Course Fees: $2,145

Objectives
Upon completion of this program, you’ll be able to:

Understand the laws that govern pharmacy, whether federal or state-mandated
Discuss the HIPAA requirements and their application to the pharmacy
Interpret physician orders and prescriptions
Prepare and distribute medications
Define medical and pharmaceutical terms and common abbreviations
Understand the pharmacology of medications in relation to the anatomy affected
Perform pharmaceutical calculations
Communicate effectively with patients and medical professionals
Process insurance billing or collect payments
Pass the National Certification Exam

In Detail

Pharmacy technicians assist and support licensed pharmacists in providing health care to patients. The Pharmacy Technician Online Certification Training Program was developed in response to a rising need for trained technicians to work in 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. However, you’ll need to make sure that the Pharmacy Technician Program will meet your state’s requirements. To check, visit your state’s Board of Pharmacy site for more information. You can access this information directly from the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) Web site at www.ptcb.org. Click on the “Who We Serve” link, then the “States” link for information. You can also call the state board and ask for the current technician regulations.

As a part of the Pharmacy Technician Online Certification Training Program, students are required to complete a Virtual Externship. They also have an option to perform hands-on clinical rotations (also called an externship). Clinical rotations are based on individual state board requirements. Learn more about externships below!

Upon registering for this program, you’re given an initial six months to complete it. Should you need more time, you may request a six-month extension at no additional charge.

The Externship

The course providers have reached a nationwide agreement with several pharmacies that will give our Pharmacy Technician Program 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.

Course Requirements

This program is compatible with the Windows XP and later operating systems and IE 7 and later browsers and can be taken on either a Mac or a PC; however, most medical offices currently use PCs. A high-speed Internet connection is recommended.

All course materials are included:

Pharmacy Practice for Technicians, 4th Edition
Pocket Guide for Pharmacy Technicians
Math for Pharmacy Technicians
Pharmacology for Technicians: Understanding Drugs and Their Uses, 4th Edition
Pharmacology for Technicians Workbook
Virtual Pharmacy Externship for Technicians CD-ROM
Pharmacy lab kit
Externship packet and lab coat provided upon acceptance into the Externship Program

Prerequisites

If you’re interested in becoming a pharmacy technician, this program is for you! No health care or medical office work experience is required to take this program.

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.

Students are encouraged to have a basic understanding of high school math including percents and proportions at the algebra level. This program will provide a review of fractions and decimals, in addition to covering more advanced pharmacy equations.

In order to sit for the national certification exam, candidates must have a high school diploma or equivalent; therefore, it’s recommended you have this before enrolling for this program.

To participate in the CVS or Walgreens externships, students must not have a criminal record. Background checks will be conducted prior to the student’s admittance into the externship program.

Meet Your Instructors

Melissa Dunworth has been a pharmacy technician for over 13 years. She lives in Albuquerque, NM. She has worked in all pharmacy arenas (retail, closed pharmacy and training/education) during her pharmacy career. Melissa currently holds a Bachelors 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 has a doctorate in pharmacy from Shenandoah University. She has taught pharmacy technician programs at ASA College in New York City and ACT in Arlington, Virginia, over the past several years. Betty has also worked as a pharmacist at CVS and in hospital settings.

Lorraine C. Zentz, CPhT, Ph.D., has been a pharmacy technician since 1981. She lives in the small mountain town of Mesa, Colorado, population 400, and currently works on-call at the regional hospital in the oncology pharmacy in Grand Junction, Colorado. She has worked in all pharmacy arenas (retail, home health, hospital, oncology, and training and education) during her pharmacy career.

Lorraine received her Bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in chemistry, and her Master’s degree in education with an emphasis in curriculum and instruction. She also completed her doctorate studies in adult education. She has held the position of Colorado state coordinator for NPTA and chairman of the Colorado Pharmacist Society Technician Academy, and she’s been certified since 1985. In 2004 she was the recipient of the Outstanding Leadership Award and was also named Technician of the Year for the state of Colorado. Lorraine conducts continuing education programs for technicians throughout Colorado and nationally at the annual NPTA convention.

Reviews:

I could complete it taking my own time as I had a lot of other things going on and definitely could fit this into my schedule by working around it.
– A.T., Florida Institute of Technology

I loved the online course with a busy schedule, it helped a lot. I had a great teacher.
– B.K., Middle Tennessee State University

I never thought I would be able to complete a course such as Pharmacy Technician online. At times the course became challenging, especially when it came to the calculations, but the books and CD’s really explained the material thoroughly. Everyone from Central Michigan/Gatlin Education was extremely helpful and always responded back to me in a timely manner. I was encouraged throughout the course with positive and constructive feedback.
– T.N., Central Michigan University

I was able to study on my own time. I received support and answers to my questions and in a timely manner. For me, the online experience with this course went very smoothly. Thank you.
– C.D., CV-TEC

More Details

For more details please visit the course provider’s site