Pharmacy Technicians assist licensed pharmacists in providing medication, medical devices or products, and customer service to patients. Pharmacy Technicians may also perform tasks related to preparing or compounding patient medication, communicating with physician offices or insurance companies, and other administrative pharmaceutical duties. Pharmacy Technicians are a vital team member in retail, mail order and hospital pharmacies.

The Pharmacy Technician Certificate includes theory and a pharmacy tour during the three-month program. Students will learn dosage forms and classifications, pharmacy laws and regulations, prescription processing, drug information references, alternative medicine, repackaging and compounding, and over-the-counter medicines. Students will also learn names, actions, uses, and doses of medication with emphasis on medication safety, error prevention, and mathematics. HIPAA security and privacy basics as it relates to the profession are also covered. Individuals interested in starting a career in the medical field, nursing or pharmacy school applicants, or those looking to develop skills may benefit from this program. This 65 hour certificate program will assist students in preparing for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE®). Exam fee and textbook are additional. Textbook is required at the first class meeting and is available at the KSU Center Bookstore.

Learning Outcomes:

• Perform the duties of a Pharmacy Technician.
• Explain the legal and ethical guidelines to which a pharmacy technician must adhere.
• Discuss how professional standards and ethical principles impact a pharmacy technician.
• Recall the different classifications of drugs.
• Recognize the different routes of drug administration, forms, and dosages.
• Recognize the basic anatomy and physiology of the human body.
• Demonstrate the essential functions relating to inventory control and purchasing.
• Explain the procedures and techniques related to aseptic technique, compounding, and parenteral dosage preparation.
• Differentiate between trade and generic names and abbreviations of drugs.
• Explain the procedures related to the manufacturing, packaging, and labeling of drugs.

Prerequisite: High School Diploma or equivalency. Working knowledge of computers and access to computer and Internet are required.