> Pharmacy Technician

Description

Health Sciences - Pharmacy Technician

Learn about this fast-paced, interesting, career with excellent income potential! Pharmacy Technicians work directly under licensed pharmacists and perform various pharmacy-related functions.

Assist pharmacists in the preparation and dispensing of medications
With pharmacist approval, consult with customers regarding over-the-counter medications and natural products
Maintain patient health record information
Perform a wide range of practice-related duties

Medical Terminology
Pharmacy law and ethics
Drug dosages and calculations
Specific diseases and the medications used to treat them
Drug distribution systems
Packaging, inventory, drug delivery, bulk compounding
Aseptic techniques

This course prepares you for both state and national certification.

Quick Facts:

Location(s)

Main Campus (Logan)

Estimated Tuition & Fees:

$1,506 not including external fees such as background check, training license, etc. Course fees may vary.

Duration:

12 months (including externship)

Estimated Monthly Payment:

$151, which covers tuition and fees only

Pell Grant Eligible:

Yes

Estimated Books and Supplies:

Click here for books and supplies details (ISBN/edition).

Availability:

See the current class schedule in the 'Downloads' section at the bottom of this page.

High School Students: Not available

Adult Students: M-W 5:30-9:30 p.m. and
Th 3-6 p.m. OR 6-9 p.m.

Special Requirements:

A national certification exam and state licensure is required for employment post program completion.

Students must be at least 18 years old. High school diploma/GED is required. Students must have good math and high school-level science skills.

Assessment: Basic reading, basic math (fractions, percents, ratios, and proportions), keyboarding (35 nwpm), spelling, and language mechanics/language expression. Call (435) 750-3188 to schedule an appointment. Need a review? Get a sneak peek at the Assessment Center or enroll directly into the Academic Learning Center by calling (435) 753-6780.

All individuals working in a pharmacy as part of their pharmacy technician training program must have a pharmacy technician trainee license. Training license application includes a background check and a $50.00 non-refundable fee made payable to the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL).

Students must be current on all vaccinations and pass a random drug test prior to externship.

Outcome Data:

Reported Annually to the Accrediting Agency Council on Occupational Education

Completion: 85%
Job Placement: 78%
Licensure: 100%
Withdrawal: 15%
Source: Health Sciences COE Report FY2015/2016

License required: State of Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing

Outcome statistics are compiled annually based upon Training Outcome surveys conducted with students post-graduation. Data is gathered through coordination with the student, faculty, Student Services Office personnel, and licensing agencies.

Employment Outlook

Pharmacy Technicians typically work in retail, hospital, clinic, and specialty pharmacies. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov), employment of pharmacy technicians is projected to grow 20 percent from 2012 to 2022, faster than the average for all occupations. Several factors will lead to increased demand for prescription medications.

The population is aging, and older people typically use more prescription medicines than younger people. Higher rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes among all age groups also will lead to increased demand for prescription medications. Advances in pharmaceutical research will allow for more prescription medications to be used to fight diseases.

The number of individuals who have health insurance will increase due to federal health insurance reform legislation. As more people have access to insurance coverage, more pharmacy technicians will be needed to handle their prescriptions.

In addition, pharmacy technicians may be needed to take on a greater role in pharmacy operations because pharmacists are increasingly performing more patient care activities such as giving flu shots. Technicians will need to perform tasks such as collecting patient information, preparing more types of medications, and verifying the work of other technicians, tasks formerly done by pharmacists will lead to increased demand for prescription medications.

Online/E-learning Components

This specialization is delivered face-to-face and may contain online components.

Specializations

Required hours

MEDP - Pharmacy Technician

630 hrs See Breakdown

Downloads

Brochure
Class Schedule - Summer 2017
Class Schedule - Spring 2017

What others are saying

"I like how I learned something new everyday. The review games were fun!"

-Completer

July 22, 2014