Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy Technician
Prerequisite(s): None

This certificate program is designed to provide students with the basic skills and knowledge to begin work as a pharmacy technician. The coursework will fulfill the requirements of the Board of Pharmacy and prepare students to take either the state examination or the national examination administered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. Trained, experienced pharmacy technicians who can demonstrate the right skills and knowledge would be able to pursue many exciting and respected career options or postsecondary study in the pharmacy field.

• Certifications: Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) Examination

The pharmacy technician field is one of the fastest growing in healthcare. With the rising number of middle-aged and elderly individuals taking prescription and non-prescription medications to treat their conditions, it should not be surprising to know that the pharmacy technician field is expected to grow by at least 32% in the next decade.

The year-long, 2-credit pharmacy technician program offered by the Arlington Career Center is designed to introduce the student to the field of pharmacy and provide basic skills and knowledge to pursue work in this growing field.

Some of the areas of study include:

• Pharmacy and medical terminology
• Classifications of drugs, both prescription andover the counter
• Common conditions and treatment
• Basic microbiology and chemistry
• Areas of employment
• Hands on classroom exercises and offsite fieldtrips

Completion of this program will prepare students to take either the state examination or the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board examination.

Future jobs and/or career paths include

• Retail or Hospital Pharmacy Technician
• Inventory PharmacyTechnician
• IV Room or Chemotherapy Pharmacy Technician
• Nuclear Pharmacy Technician
• Narcotic Technician
• IT Programming PharmacyTechnician
• Pharmacy Technician Supervisor
• Nurse
• Pharmacist