Pharmacy Technician - PHT 102

Course Description

This course will provide pharmacy technician students with an overview of pharmacy within the health care system and the roles of pharmacy technicians in various practice settings. Specific activities of a pharmacy technician will be discussed and applied, as well as the laws that guide the work of a pharmacy technician. Contemporary issues in various practice settings within a pharmacy environment will be investigated. Educational requirements of a pharmacy technician and potential career paths will be explored as part of a developmental plan created during this course. All students in the Pharmacy Technician programs must meet the requirements of a criminal background check and drug screen before completing the required practical experiences.

Prerequisites

(A requirement that must be completed before taking this course.)

Course Competencies

Upon successful completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• Examine the role of the pharmacy technician and the pharmacist relative to other occupations in the healthcare environment.
• Explore the various pharmacy settings and the role of pharmacy technicians and pharmacists within these settings.
• Classify educational and professional requirements for different career paths in pharmacy.
• Investigate the roles of professional and regulatory organizations that oversee the profession of pharmacy.
• Explore applications of computer systems within a pharmacy.
• Interpret the difference between prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs and nutraceuticals.
• Classify medication dosage forms, routes of administration and drug delivery systems.
• Construct the key requirements for a prescription drug label.
• Interpret terminology and abbreviations used in prescription and medication orders.
• Explore differences between sterile and non-sterile compounding processes.
• Examine differences between CDC (Center for Disease Control) and USP (United States Pharmacopeial Convention) guidelines for infection control.
• Use basic mathematical concepts in pharmacy practice.
• Solve mathematical problems related to the preparation and dispensing of a prescription.
• Translate metric, household and English standard units of measure in dosing calculations.
• Determine appropriate amounts of medication to dispense based on patient characteristics and measurements.
• Describe processes for managing hazardous medications and materials.
• Differentiate between federal, state and local laws that guide appropriate activities of the pharmacy technician.
• Explore FDA rules and requirements for product tracking and handling requirements.
• Develop a professional resume for use in interviewing.
• Respond to mock interview questions.

Course Schedule