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Pharmacy
Technology
One-Year Certificate Program
Overview
This one-year daytime certificate, developed in cooperation
with CVS, is designed to prepare students for work as pharmacy
technicians in pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, and other settings.
The curriculum includes math, general education, communication
and customer-service skills, as well as pharmacology and pharmacy
operations. It will be delivered through courses at BFIT,
internships in CVS pharmacies, and part-time work at CVS.
The pharmaceutical miracle of the last two decades, curing
diseases and treating conditions for millions, has created
more and more demand for prescription drugs. The number
of pharmacies and the number of prescriptions that need
to be delivered are on the rise, and so is the demand for
well-educated pharmacy technicians. As the demands on the
profession of pharmacy increase, many of the former responsibilities
of the pharmacist are delegated to the pharmacy technician.
These professionals assist the pharmacist to measure, prepare,
and package medications, and carry out the important processes
of recording and billing the prescriptions. Pharmacy technicians
are licensed by the State, and require a solid educational
preparation as well as extensive experience in pharmacy work.
The demand for qualified pharmacy technicians is strong in
the Boston area, as well as in other parts of the country,
and is predicted to grow over the coming years.
Pharmacy technicians work in the local drugstore, in regional
and national pharmacy chains, and in hospitals and other
health-care settings. Wherever prescription drugs are prepared,
you wlll find pharmacy technicians at work. The work of
a pharmacy technician combines health care, customer communication,
and careful attention to detail in a clean and professional
setting, with good compensation. A pharmacy technician training
program, combined with work in a pharmacy, is a good way
to get started along this career path.
Curriculum
The certificate program consists of eight required courses
and one elective, as well as two supervised internships
that add up to 29 credits. The courses are taken over two
Semesters. The internship consists of a structured and supervised
placement in a CVS pharmacy one day per week.The one-year
certificate curriculum is designed to prepare well-educated
pharmacy technicians, and to assist them in passing the
national pharmacy technician examination (PTCB).
Facilities
Pharmacy courses are taught in a pharmacy laboratory at
Franklin, designed by CVS and Franklin faculty especially
for this program. This lab consists of six pharmacy work
stations configured exactly as in a CVS pharmacy. General
education courses are taught in regular classrooms at Franklin,
and internships take place in CVS pharmacies in the Boston
area.
Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the certificate in Pharmacy
Technology, the graduate will be able to:
- develop an understanding of common pharmaceuticals that
will be dealt with in everyday practice
- communicate effectively with patients and other health
care professionals
- decipher and transcribe prescriptions from doctors
as well as phone-in requests
- demonstrate the steps involved in the flow of prescriptions
- identify the location of all types of medications within
the pharmacy
- locate over-the-counter medications, guide patients/customers
through their decision-making process, and refer them
to the pharmacist when necessary
- manage pharmacy inventory with regards to ordering,
ensuring proper medication amounts, and arranging drug
placement
- effectively operate pharmacy specific software
- understand and utilize the telephone V-Net system
- decipher and enter third-party information into the
prescription database
- demonstrate non-verbal communication skills
- perform calculations specific to pharmacy practice
- retain the information taught during the year in order
to pass the State and Federal pharmacy technician licensure
exam
Faculty
John Rocchio, Program Coordinator
Instructor Staff: Megan Connolly, Wendy Souza
You can learn more about the CVS and opportunities in pharmacy
at their website:
CVS/Pharmacy
Careers
Certificate
Requirements for Pharmacy Technology
Technology Courses: 17 Credits |
| Hours
Per Week |
| Course # |
Course Title |
Credits |
Class |
Lab |
| CT100 |
Computer Applications |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| PR101 |
Pharmacology I |
3 |
3 |
0 |
| PR103 |
Pharmacy Operations I |
3 |
1 |
2 |
| PR151 |
Pharmacology II |
3 |
3 |
0 |
| PR153 |
Pharmacy Operations II |
3 |
1 |
2 |
| PR155 |
Internship |
2 |
0 |
4 |
General Education Courses: 15 Credits |
| Course # |
Course Title |
Credits |
Lecture |
Lab |
| EN130 |
College Composition
I |
3 |
3 |
0 |
| EN320 |
Technical Communications |
3 |
3 |
0 |
| HU/SS |
Elective |
3 |
3 |
0 |
| MA105 |
Technical Math 1 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
| Typical
Course Sequence Pharmacy Technology |
| First
Semester |
|
|
| CT100 |
Computer
Applications |
| EN130 |
College
Composition I |
| MA105 |
Technical
Math I |
| PR101 |
Pharmacology
I |
| PR103 |
Pharmacy
Operations I |
| Second
Semester |
|
| EN320 |
Technical
Communications |
| HU/SS |
Elective |
| PR151 |
Pharmacology
II |
| PR153 |
Pharmacy
Operations II |
| PR
155 |
Internship |
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