Pharmacy Technician Certification
Cost: $2,995
Duration: 12 Months
Pharmacy technicians assist and support licensed pharmacists in providing healthcare to patients. The Pharmacy Technician Online Certification Training Program was developed in response to a rising need for trained technicians to work in hospital or retail pharmacies. The pharmacy technician profession has become indispensable to the health care field. With this growing opportunity, however, has also come increased responsibility, and this increased responsibility has made certification an important issue for many industry employers and some state legislatures. Some states now require all individuals who work as pharmacy technicians to become nationally certified.
In all parts of the country, pharmacy technicians must have a broad knowledge of pharmacy practice and must be skilled in the techniques required to order, stock, package, and prepare medications, but they don't need the advanced college education required of a licensed pharmacist. Pharmacy technicians may perform many of the same duties as a pharmacist; however, all of their work must be checked by a pharmacist before medication can be dispensed to a patient.
This program will prepare you for entry-level pharmacy technician positions by teaching you medical and pharmaceutical terminology, basic anatomy related to the pharmacology of medications, and pharmaceutical calculations. The Pharmacy Technician Program will give you hands-on practice in retail pharmacy procedures through an online lab module. You'll learn what information is necessary to process prescriptions and physician orders and apply that knowledge to fill mock prescriptions. The curriculum also includes the ethics of pharmacy practice and education about prescription medications, patient care and interaction, and charges and reimbursement.
You'll learn everything you need to know to pass the National Certification Exam offered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). However, you'll need to make sure that the Pharmacy Technician Program will meet your state's requirements. To check, visit your state's Board of Pharmacy site for more information. You can access this information directly from the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) website at www.ptcb.org. Click on the "Who We Serve" link, then the "States" link for information. You can also call the state board and ask for the current technician regulations.
As a part of the Pharmacy Technician Online Certification Training Program, students are required to complete a Virtual Externship. They also have an option to perform an actual hands-on 100-hour clinical externship. Clinical externships are based on individual state board requirements.
Upon completion of this program, you will be prepared to sit for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE), offered by Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). The registration fee for this exam is included with this program.