Pharmacy Technician
Master the skills you’ll need to become a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) and find rewarding work assisting customers and filling prescriptions in a pharmacy setting.
Pharmacy Technician
Master the skills you’ll need to become a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) and find rewarding work assisting customers and filling prescriptions in a pharmacy setting.
40 Weeks
Program Length
CPhT
Certification
Issuing Authority
Career Insight
What does a Pharmacy Technician do?
As a certified pharmacy technician, you’ll need to work to effectively support both the pharmacy team as well as serve patients/customers. You’ll assist with everything from processing prescription requests from patients and doctors and handling insurance claim forms to properly labeling medications and interacting with customers. Once you’ve gained some experience on the job, you’ll likely take on more responsibilities over time, such as offering flu shots or taking a more active role with patient consultations.
As with many roles in the healthcare field, you’ll need to be a good communicator, organized, and computer savvy. It’s also beneficial if you enjoy a fast-paced work environment and are able to pay close attention to details. Some of your day-to-day tasks will include:
Assisting in formulating, labeling, and dispensing medications
Accepting payments for prescriptions
Processing insurance claims
Managing inventory
Receiving prescription requests from patients and doctors’ offices
Creating and updating patient profiles
126,783
ENTRY-LEVEL JOBS AVAILABLE IN THE US
Note: Salaries can vary widely depending on education, experience, employer, and even geographic area. Job and salary information is from Burning Glass Labor Insights, ziprecruiter.com, and the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics. Data is updated annually to reflect industry changes.
JOB OUTLOOK
Potential Career Paths
Your pharmacy technician skills and certification allow you to work in neighborhood pharmacies or grocery stores. In addition, you might consider joining a pharmacy team in a hospital, clinic and outpatient center, specialty pharmacy, assisted living facility, nursing home, mail-order pharmacy, or tele-pharmacy.
Trained graduates of this course are eligible to sit for either the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) exam or the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) exam. Once students pass the course and certification exam, they are encouraged to participate in an internship program with national affiliation partners like CVS and Walgreens, or local pharmacy operations near their residence.
Individuals who have earned the CPhT credential have the skills to find jobs as:
Pharmacy Technician
JOB OUTLOOK
Potential Career Paths
Your pharmacy technician skills and certification allow you to work in neighborhood pharmacies or grocery stores. In addition, you might consider joining a pharmacy team in a hospital, clinic and outpatient center, specialty pharmacy, assisted living facility, nursing home, mail-order pharmacy, or tele-pharmacy.
Trained graduates of this course are eligible to sit for either the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) exam or the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) exam. Once students pass the course and certification exam, they are encouraged to participate in an internship program with national affiliation partners like CVS and Walgreens, or local pharmacy operations near their residence.
Individuals who have earned the CPhT credential have the skills to find jobs as:
Pharmacy Technician
Pharmacy Assistant
126,783
ENTRY-LEVEL JOBS AVAILABLE IN THE US
Note: Salaries can vary widely depending on education, experience, employer, and even geographic area. Job and salary information is from Burning Glass Labor Insights, ziprecruiter.com, and the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics. Data is updated annually to reflect industry changes.
COURSE OVERVIEW
Pharmacy Technician
This 40-week online certification program prepares students to be professional Pharmacy Technicians dedicated to assisting Registered Pharmacists in quality pharmacy operational procedures. Graduates are equipped to assist the Pharmacist in filling prescriptions according to doctor’s orders. Pharmacy Technicians also participate in ordering products and inventory control, as well as billing and receiving payments.
Trained graduates of this course are eligible to sit for either the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) or the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) certification exam.
Once students pass both the course and the certification exam, they are encouraged to participate in an internship program with national affiliation partners like CVS and Walgreens, or local pharmacy operations near their residence. This internship is what many employers in this industry want to see that tells them the student is job ready for this high-demand job.
Note: State regulations vary by state. This course does not specifically prepare students to meet all states’ regulations. Potential students are highly encouraged to research what the regulations are in the state that they intend to work in.
Scheduling Details
Schedule: Coursework available 24/7
Total Course Hours: 400
Estimated Completion Time:
- Students who commit 20 hours/week can complete in 20 weeks.
- Students who commit 10 hours/week can complete in 40 weeks.
Maximum time to complete: Students have access to the online course materials for 10 months.
Instruction & Evaluation Strategies
- Self-directed study
- Skills demonstrations and online activities to aid learning
- Quizzes and Exams
Books and Materials Used:
- eBook: Mosby’s Pharmacy Technician: Principles and Practice 6th Edition
- eBook: Workbook and Lab Manual for Mosby’s Pharmacy Technician: Principles and Practice 6th Edition
Textbooks are included in the cost of tuition.
Outline/Modules
- Module 1: Overview of the Pharmacy and the Role of the Pharmacy Technician
- Module 2: Pharmacy Math, Dosage Calculations, and Drug References
- Module 3: Pharmacy Practice Settings
- Module 4: Compounding
- Module 5: Pharmacy Management and Medication Safety
- Module 6: Therapeutic Agents: Nervous – Cardiovascular System
- Module 7: Therapeutic Agents: Respiratory – Reproductive System
- Module 8: Therapeutic Agents: Immune – Hematological System
- Module 9: Over-the-Counter and Complimentary Medicine
Upon successful completion students will be able to:
- Explain the role of the pharmacy technician and identify the elements that make up the pharmacy.
- Explain the role of math in the pharmacy and identify pharmaceutical measurements and dosage calculations.
- Explain basic medication safety and identify the different types of drug and drug references associated with them.
- Explain the role of the community pharmacy and identify the activities that occur within the community pharmacy.
- Explain non-sterile compounding and identify the procedures associated with non-sterile compounding.
- Identify the services, structure, procedures, and techniques that are part of an institutional pharmacy.
- Identify the sterile procedures and practices that are the responsibility of a pharmacy technician.
- Identify the career options available to pharmacy technicians and identify the steps necessary to obtain employment.
Find Your Fit
Talk With a Student Enrollment Advisor
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In addition to offering comprehensive student support dedicated to helping you reach your goals, NTI’s online programs work within your schedule. Call today at (469) 930-2404 to connect with an advisor or fill out the form below. We’re here to help!