Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy Technicians support pharmacological services by distributing, stocking, and assembling medication. Pharmacy Technicians work under the supervision of a registered pharmacist in hospitals, clinics, home infusion pharmacies, community pharmacies, retail pharmacies, mail-order pharmacies, long-term care facilities, pharmacy benefit managers, or large industrial complexes.

Program Description

This certificate program is being offered in partnership with Three Rivers Community College and will prepare students to start a new career path at a hospital or pharmacy while working under the supervision of a registered pharmacist as described above. Course content includes medical terminology specific to the pharmacy, reading and interpreting prescriptions, and defining drugs by generic and brand names. Students will learn:

• Students will be able to list and describe the top 100 drugs (brand and generic name, indication)
• Students will identify and discuss CT state and federal pharmacy law
• Students will compute pharmacy-specific calculations and equations
• Students will identify and demonstrate medication safety strategies
• Students will demonstrate simulated retail prescription processing via online assignments, including customer service scenarios, interpreting Rx’s, calculating days’ supply and dosages, IV drug flow rates, etc.
• Billing and reimbursement.

Proper customer service in the health care setting will also be emphasized. The instructor will spend time focusing on quantitative procedures, such as: prescription filling, sterile product preparation, compounding, and calculating prescription dosages, which would be a requirement if students choose to pursue a career as a registered pharmacist. This class prepares the student to take the national Pharmacy Technician Board (PTCB) national certification exam, included in course cost. Visit http://www.ptcb.org/ for more information.

Time Commitment –  84 hours

Admission Requirements

• Provide a high school diploma or equivalent prior to the start of class (foreign students must provide a notarized English-translated transcript).
• Complete the QVCC Health Form.
• You must successfully complete our in-house Math and English Comprehension test, or provide proof of previous college credit.
• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• The current course schedule allows for one missed class.
• Basic 4-function calculator. No cell phones or programmable calculators allowed.
• There will be no make-ups for missed hours.

PLEASE NOTE: It is mandatory that you provide all necessary forms upon registration.  A seat will not be held until all of your documentation and payment are received.  This course is not suited for use with Chromebooks.

Spring 2023 Schedule Information – CRN #1617

• Instructor:  Peter Sposato, R.Ph, CphT
• Instructional Method: LRON (Live Remote) – These classes are similar to traditional classes, except they are fully online. You attend LRON classes at the scheduled times with your professor and classmates in a Zoom-like session. For more information about Instructional Methods, visit here.
• Days: Tuesday, Thursday
• Dates: 02/14/23 – 5/18/2023
• Time: 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
• Location: Online (LRON)
• Cost: $1,899, textbooks and exam fee included*
• Registration deadline: 02/07/2023

Course Flyer

Register Today!

Online

Workforce Development and Continuing Education Registration Form

For information about how to register online, click here.

In Person
Monday – Friday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Danielson Campus, Student Affairs Suite, Room C151
742 Upper Maple Street, Danielson, CT 06239

By Phone
(860) 932-4005
Use your Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover to register.

Payment Information

• Eligible for payment plan or tuition assistance
• May be eligible for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and Healthcare Pipeline funds.

Refund Policy

A 100% refund will be granted up until five (5) business days before the start of your class as long as the request is made during normal business hours. See above for Office Hours.

Course Cancellation

If a course is cancelled due to low enrollment, we attempt to notify each person registered by telephone or email. For this reason, it is extremely important that we have both your home and work telephone numbers, as well as your current email address. We also post a notice in the main lobby on the night the class would have started.

Employment Outlook

About 75% of pharmacy technician jobs are in retail pharmacies, either independently owned or part of a drugstore chain, grocery store, department store, or mass retailer. About 16% of jobs are in hospitals and a small portion are in mail-order and internet pharmacies, offices of physicians, pharmaceutical wholesalers, and the federal government.

Employment of pharmacy technicians is projected to grow 4% from 2020 to 2030, slower than the average for all occupations. Despite limited employment growth, about 31,700 openings for pharmacy technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Average annual salary: $35,000 – $40,000

(Source: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/pharmacy-technicians.htm)