The Pharmacy Technician is an important member of the health care team. Pharmacy Technicians work under the direct supervision of a pharmacist and assist in the preparation and dispensing of medications in a variety of health care settings, including hospital and community pharmacies. Duties of a Pharmacy Technician include data entry, counting, pouring and labeling pharmaceutical products, sterile product preparation, customer service, and inventory management.
Exhibit good eyesight
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Communicate effectively in English
Demonstrate good eye-hand coordination and dexterity
Maintain emotional and physical health despite stressful workloads
Demonstrate high ethical standards
Salaries for graduates of Alvin Community College's Pharmacy Technology program typically range from $20,800 to $26,000 a year, depending on the area in which you work.
Alvin Community College Pharmacy Technology instructors provide the classroom and laboratory support and clinical training you need to prepare for the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Board Exam and become a successful pharmacy technician. The Pharmacy Technology program maintains a 100% pass rate on the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam.
The Pharmacy Technology program is a three-semester continuing education certificate that combines classroom and laboratory instruction with clinical experiences in local pharmacies. The program accepts students each spring, summer, and fall.
Applicants need to consult with the Pharmacy Technology program director and be accepted into the program prior to enrolling for any pharmacy (PHRA) course, except HITT 1005.
A criminal background check will be required of students as mandated by law or as a condition of program approval or hospital accreditation guidelines.
Once you are enrolled in the program, you will be required to complete a training module for the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) . This law is designed to ensure that all protected health information be kept private and secure by all persons who handle or have access to that information.
Pete Linkins
Pharmacy Technology Program Director
281-756-3907
alinkins@alvincollege.edu
| HITT 1005 |
Medical Terminology |
96 |
| PHRA 1001 |
Introduction to Pharmacy |
48 |
| PHRA 1009 |
Pharmaceutical Mathematics I |
48 |
| PHRA 1013 |
Community Pharmacy Practice |
96 |
| PHRA 1067+ |
Practicum -- Pharmacy Technician |
112 |
| PHRA 1049 |
Institutional Pharmacy Practice |
96 |
| PHRA 1041 |
Pharmacy Drug Therapy and Treatment |
80 |
| PHRA 1045 |
Intravenous Admixture and Sterile Compounding |
60 |
| PHRA 2067+# |
Practicum -- Pharmacy Technician |
112 |
+ Prerequisites required - see course descriptions below
# Capstone course
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HITT 1005 Medical Terminology. A study of word origin and structure through the introduction of prefixes, suffixes, root words, plurals, abbreviations and symbols, surgical procedures, medical specialties, and diagnostic procedures.
PHRA 1001 Introduction to Pharmacy. Examination of the qualifications, operational guidelines, and job duties of a pharmacy technician. Topics include definitions of a pharmacy environment, the profile of a pharmacy technician, legal and ethical guidelines, job skills and duties, verbal and written communication skills, professional resources, safety techniques, and supply and inventory techniques.
PHRA 1009 Pharmaceutical Mathematics. Pharmaceutical mathematics including reading, interpreting, and solving calculation problems encountered in the preparation and distribution of drugs. Conversion of measurements within the apothecary, avoirdupois, and metric systems with emphasis on the metric system of weight and volume. Topics include ratio and proportion, percentage, dilution and concentration, milliequivalent, units, intravenous flow rates, and solving dosage problems.
PHRA 1013 Community Pharmacy Practice. Mastery of skills necessary to interpret, prepare, label, and maintain records of physicians' medication orders and prescriptions in a community pharmacy. Designed to train individuals in the administration of supply, inventory, and data entry. Topics include customer service and advisement, count and pour techniques, prescription calculations, drug selection and preparation, over-the-counter drugs, record keeping, stock level adjustment, data input and editing, and legal parameters. Offered in the fall and spring.
PHRA 1067 Practicum - Pharmacy Technician/Assistant. Practical, general workplace training supported by an individualized learning plan developed by the employer, college, and student. An intermediate or advanced type of health professions work-based instruction that helps students gain practical experience in the discipline, enhance skills, and integrate knowledge. The emphasis is on practical work experience for which the student has already acquired the necessary theoretical knowledge and basic skills. Direct supervision is provided by the clinical professional, generally a clinical preceptor. Students are assigned to a community pharmacy to meet established objectives by performing pharmacy technician student/trainee duties under the supervision of the on-site pharmacist. This is an unpaid learning experience. Prerequisites: HITT 1005, PHRA 1001, PHRA 1009, PHRA 1013. Co-requisite: PHRA 1041.
PHRA 1041 Pharmacy Drug Therapy and Treatment. Study of therapeutic agents, their classification, properties, actions, and effects on the human body and their role in the management of disease. Provides detailed information regarding drug dosages, side effects, interactions, toxicities, and incompatibilities.
PHRA 1049 Institutional Pharmacy Practice. Exploration of the unique role and practice of pharmacy technicians in an institutional pharmacy with emphasis on daily pharmacy operation. Topics include hospital pharmacy organization, work flow and personnel, medical and pharmaceutical terminology, safety techniques, data entry, packaging and labeling operations, extemporaneous compounding, inpatient drug distribution systems, unit dose cart fills, quality assurance, drug storage, and inventory control. Offered in the fall and spring. Prerequisites: PHRA 1013 and PHRA 1067.
PHRA 1045 Intravenous Admixture and Sterile Compounding. Mastery of skills in compounding sterile products. Introduction to sterile products, hand washing techniques, pharmaceutical calculations, references, safety techniques, aseptic techniques in parenteral compounding, proper use of equipment (autoinjectors, pumps), preparation of sterile products (intravenous, irrigation, ophthalmic, total parenteral nutrition, and chemotherapy drugs), and safe handling of antineoplastic drugs. Prerequisites: PHRA 1067 and PHRA 1049 or Co-requisite: 1049
PHRA 2067 Practicum - Pharmacy Technician/Assistant. Practical, general workplace training supported by an individualized learning plan developed by the employer, college, and student. An intermediate or advanced type of health professions work-based instruction that helps students gain practical experience in the discipline, enhance skills, and integrate knowledge. The emphasis is on practical work experience for which the student has already acquired the necessary theoretical knowledge and basic skills. Direct supervision is provided by the clinical professional, generally a clinical preceptor. Students are assigned to a hospital to meet established objectives by performing pharmacy technician student/trainee duties under the supervision of the on-site pharmacist. This is an unpaid learning experience. Co-requisite: PHRA 1045. Prerequisites: PHRA 1049.
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