The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that an additional 47,600 pharmacy technicians will be employed by 2026 to meet growing demands. The constant availability of new medications, shortage of registered pharmacists, and rise in chronic diseases among the aging populations are some factors that spur demand for competent pharmacy technicians.
Pharmacy technicians dispense prescription medications to patients and health care professionals under the direction of a licensed pharmacist. They work in hospitals, community pharmacies, retail drug stores and other health settings. Although there are some common responsibilities, their duties vary by the type of pharmacy. The duties in the hospital pharmacy might include the preparation of intravenous medications, making hospital rounds, prepackaging medications, delivering medication to patients, collecting data for quality improvement, and prepackaging medications. Retail pharmacy technicians use pharmacy software to create and update patient records, prepare insurance forms, receive and prepare prescriptions, dispense prescriptions to customers, stock medications, receive new inventory, prepare labels, and measure medications.
Pharmacy technicians must be precise, team players, have excellent communication, and be physically capable of standing for long hours. Certification is not mandatory but most employers choose to hire technicians who are certified. Pharmacy technician programs prepare students with the knowledge, skills, and competencies to take and pass a national exam such as a Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam administered by the PTCB.
Medical Career Academy
The Pharmacy Technician program at Medical Career Academy helps students develop the confidence to enter the field of pharmacy as capable assistants to a licensed pharmacist. Students will be prepared to take the PTCB for national certification. They will learn how to mix medicines, measure medication, count pills, and package and label medications. Course topics include review of the top 200 drugs, medical terminology specific to pharmacy, dosage calculations, reading and interpreting prescriptions, pharmacy calculations, drug names and classes, drug control and regulation, inventory control, drug compounding, dose conversions, IV flow rates, identifying generic and brand name drugs, pharmacy calculations, and dispensing of prescriptions. The training will include classroom theory and development of pharmacy skills in a modern lab. Students will have the opportunity to work with pharmacy equipment and develop competencies and techniques that will give them confidence in a real-world environment. Classes meet two days a week in the evening from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The duration of the program is 16 weeks.
Contact the school for a current class schedule and tuition rate.
Website: http://www.phlebschoolindiana.com/
Address: 5201 US-6, Portage, IN 46368
Phone: (219) 764-1855
Indiana University – South Bend
The Pharmacy Technician program at Indiana University is taught by experienced, practicing pharmacists. The coursework prepares students for certification in the state of Indiana. Graduates will receive a certificate of completion and will be qualified to assume entry-level positions in a community pharmacy. The curriculum will cover 50 hours of theory or 5 CEUs. Course topics include review of the top 200 drugs, medical terminology specific to pharmacy, dosage calculations, reading and interpreting prescriptions, pharmacy calculations, drug names and classes, drug control and regulation, inventory control, drug compounding, dose conversions, IV flow rates, identifying generic and brand name drugs, pharmacy calculations, and dispensing of prescriptions. Classes meet Mondays and Thursdays from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm for approximately 6 weeks.
Admission criteria:
- Complete and pass a math assessment
Tuition for the program is $790. Additional costs include textbook and materials.
Website: https://www.iusb.edu/professional-development/on-campus/health-professionals/pharmacy-tech.html
Address: 1700 Mishawaka Ave, South Bend, IN 46615
Phone: 574-520-4872
Vincennes University
The Pharmacy Technology Program at Vincennes University is delivered on campus but there is also an online option for students who want the convenience of distance learning. Students can complete the certificate program in one year and continue to the A.S. Degree, which requires an additional year. The certificate program will cover the basics of pharmacy and deliver skills and knowledge that will enable the graduate to perform entry-level duties in the pharmacy. The AS degree will qualify the graduate to take a entry-level management in a retail or institutional pharmacy. Both programs will cover content that meets the requirements for certification in Indiana and national certification after success passage of a recognized national exam. Course requirements for the Certificate program are Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology, English Composition, Medical Terminology for Allied Health, Applied Mathematics, Pharmacology, Dispensing Lab, Pharmacy Law and Ethics for Technicians, Pharmacology II, Dispensing Lab II, Pharmacy Calculations, and Practicum. The AS Degree requires the following additional courses Basic College Accounting, Principles of Sociology, Clinical Aspects of Substance Abuse, General Psychology, Interpersonal Communication, Applied Mathematics, and Cultural Diversity.
Admission criteria:
- Secure admission to the University
- Complete READ 011 with a grade C or higher. Applicant with acceptable SAT. ACT, or other standardized test scores may apply for exemption
- Place into MATT 109 or higher
- Place into ENGL 101 with no co-requisite requirements
- Obtain a minimum grade C on the courses required for the pharmacy technology curriculum
- Have a high school GPA of at least 2.3 or complete college-level courses with a minimum GPA of 2.0
- Complete a satisfactory criminal background check and pass a drug screen
Tuition for the certificate program is $6,466. Books and supplies
Website: https://www.vinu.edu/pharmacy-technology
Address: 1002 North First Street Vincennes, Indiana 47591
Phone: 812-888-VUVU
Toll-Free: 800-742-9198
Ross Medical Education Center
The pharmacy technician program at Ross Medical Education Center delivers 900 hours of instruction, which translates to 66.5 quarter credits. Students will learn how to function as a competent assistant to a licensed pharmacist in retail and institutional pharmacies. They also will development a wide knowledge base in pharmaceutical and medical terminology, documenting medications, abbreviations, prescribing and dispensing medications and inventory control. Instruction will also include drug procurement, labeling, aseptic techniques, parenteral admixtures, and computers and pharmacy software. Course modules include Introduction to Pharmacy, Pharmacy Operations, Basic Principles and Concepts of Mathematics, Medical Terminology, Measurement Systems and Dosage Calculations, Pharmacy Law and Ethics, General Pharmacy, Sterile Compounding, Non Sterile Compounding, Community/Retail Pharmacies, Pharmaceutical Agents for Human Physiology Systems, and Externship. The program is designed to be completed in 36 weeks.
Admission criteria:
- Complete the Wonderlic Scholastic Level Exam with a minimum score of 15
- Must have graduated from an accredited high school or a recognized equivalent
- Pass a criminal background check and drug screen
Tuition and registration cost $14,990. Books, supplies, and lab fees are included in the cost.
Website: https://www.rosseducation.edu/programs/pharmacy-technician/
Address: 2621 Maple Point Drive, Lafayette, IN 47905
Phone: (866) 815-5578