Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy Technician training at ORT opens the door to professional opportunities because it is based on the professional standards necessary to become licensed and succeed in the marketplace. After an orientation to pharmacy practice, you will learn the computer’s role in both institutional and retail pharmacy settings.

Your training includes prescription receipt and screening for completeness and accuracy, medication preparation in sterile and non-sterile environments, supply distribution, pharmaceutical purchasing, inventory control, insurance billing and payment collection, pharmacy calculations, federal and state regulations, pharmacy equipment/maintenance and pharmacy ethics. Career opportunities for trained and licensed pharmacy technicians range from positions at independent or chain drug stores to outpatient hospitals and clinics, long–term care and managed care facilities, and nuclear and online pharmacies. The U.S. Department of Labor statistics have estimated that the need for pharmacy technicians will grow between 21% and 35% between now and 2012.

ORT’s Pharmacy Technician program students must be a high school graduate or equivalent, pass the school's entrance exam and be interviewed by the Admissions Department. Class size is limited to one student per computer and appropriate pharmacy laboratory equipment is provided. Average class size is 12 students because we feel that small classes promote increased learning speed, retention and instructor attention. The Pharmacy Technician program is taught 5 hours per day, 4 days per week, or 20 hours per week for 35 weeks. The evening classes are taught 4.5 hours per each session four times a week or 18 hours per week 40 weeks.

Pharmacy Technician Objectives:

Students learn the skills required by best practices and by the laws of the Pharmacy field including:

• Prescription receipt and screening for completeness and accuracy
• Medication preparation in sterile and non-sterile environments
• Insurance billing and payment collection
• Federal and State regulations
• Pharmacy equipment and maintenance
• Pharmacy ethics

Pharmacy Technician Opportunities:

After graduation, our Pharmacy Technician graduates can work in:

• Various chain or independent drug stores
• Outpatient hospitals and clinics
• Long term or managed care facilities

Pharmacy Technician Program Outline:

• Word processing concepts
• Medical Terminology
• Orientation to Pharmacy
• Pharmacology
• Pharmacy Administration
• Pharmacy externships
• Pharmacy calculations
• Externship in Pharmacy
• Communications skills
• Employment preparation