Pharmacy Technology Certificate of Achievement

Program Description

The Pharmacy Technology certificate is designed to prepare the student for entry-level employment as a pharmacy technician, assisting pharmacists to provide medication and other healthcare products to patients; receiving and verifying written prescriptions, requests for prescription refills from patients, or electronic prescriptions sent from doctors’ offices; retrieving, counting, pouring, weighing, measuring, and sometimes mixing medications; and preparing containers and labels for medications. Technicians may also establish and maintain patient profiles, prepare insurance claim forms, and stock and take inventory of prescription and over-the-counter medications. Students working for certificates must have a basic knowledge of elementary algebra, reading and writing in order to learn and work in the occupations they select.

The pathway below represents an efficient and effective course taking sequence for this program.  Individual circumstances might require some changes to this pathway.  It is always recommended that you meet with an academic counselor to develop a personalized educational plan.

Division

Science

Department

Pharmacy Technology

Career and Academic Pathway (CAP)

Health, Wellness, Athletics

Program Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyze and process prescription and medication orders.

  2. Calculate accurately pharmaceutical conversions and medication dosages within scope of Pharmacy Technician duties.

  3. Reference and apply pharmacy law to application of Pharmacy Technician duties.

  4. Identify Brand and Generic names of the Top 200 medications commonly used in pharmacy settings.

  5. Model ethical leadership and cultural competency towards the community in a pharmacy setting.

  6. Apply and prepare for examination and evaluation of results from the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board.

  7. Employ career readiness and soft skills applicable to the Pharmacy Technician profession.

Program Map

GE General Education
O Available Online
Program Requirement
P Program Prerequisites

Term 1

9 units
PHT 060 - Pharmacy Systems I
This class introduces the student to the field of pharmacy, its history, environment, and processes. It emphasizes out-patient/community service pharmacy settings in issues of prescription processing, pharmacy business management, federal laws/regulation, protocol procedures, and pharmacy references/associations for assistance.

Course Details:

PHT 062 - Pharmacology I
This course introduces the basic pharmacology principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics as it applies the therapeutic uses of medications being administered to the human body systems. The student will identify the medication's classifications, emphasizing basic indications, drug dosages, dosage forms, routes of administration, side effects, special directions of use, and drug interactions with other medications, foods, and/or nutrient supplements.

Course Details:

  1. Departmental Recommendation: BIOL 205
  2. Departmental Recommendation: CHEM 101
PHT 064 - Pharmacy Calculations
In this course students apply mathematical skills to the calculation of medication dosages, intravenous solutions, and pharmacy operations.

Course Details:

Term 2

13 units
PHT 070 - Pharmacy Systems II
This course covers the application of advanced preparation, distribution and methods for dispensing medications within a institutional pharmacy setting. It emphasizes advanced concepts of medication order processing, non-sterile compounding, sterile compounding, pharmacy business management, data management, pharmacy safety, and pharmacy error prevention under the supervision of a pharmacist.

Course Details:

  1. Prerequisite: PHT 060
  2. Prerequisite: PHT 062
  3. Prerequisite: PHT 064
PHT 071 - Pharmacology II
This course continues to apply the therapeutic uses of administered medications into the human anatomy and physiology by a drug's pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Emphasis is placed on but not limited to a medication's brand/generic name, mechanisms of action, dosage forms, routes of administration, directions of use, standard dosage schedules, indications, basic side effects, adverse effects, contraindications, precautions, drug interactions, and any special black box warnings. Added topics to the course includes medication adjustments for special populations and use of common antidotes for medications.

Course Details:

  1. Prerequisite: PHT 062
PHT 072 - Pharmacy Clinical Experience
In this course, students study the application of prescription processing, inventory management and dispensing of medications in a pharmacy under the direct supervision of a pharmacist. It emphasizes use of a pharmacy database, customer service, communication and professional ethics. Students will complete a minimum of 240 experiential hours in a minimum of one site locations.

Course Details:

  1. Prerequisite: PHT 060
  2. Prerequisite: PHT 062
  3. Prerequisite: PHT 064
  4. Corequisite: PHT 074
PHT 074 - Pharmacy Seminar
This course reviews the duties of a pharmacy technician in the out-patient/community and the in-patient/institutional setting in the areas of pharmacy management/administration, pharmacy federal laws/regulation, and pharmacology.

Course Details:

  1. Prerequisite: PHT 060
  2. Prerequisite: PHT 062
  3. Prerequisite: PHT 064
  4. Corequisite: PHT 072