Description

The Pharmacy Technician training program prepares individuals for employment in the pharmacy industry. Pharmacy technicians are skilled workers who are educated and trained to work in a pharmacy and assist in all areas of the pharmacy not requiring the professional judgment of the registered pharmacist. Some current practice areas for the pharmacy technician include retail, hospital, manufacturing, disease state management, mail order and insurance claim specialists. The pharmacy technician processes prescriptions and medication orders and plays an integral role in maintaining the pharmacy department.

Courses in the Pharmacy Technician program are offered in an online and hybrid format. The curriculum focuses on the abilities needed to assist the pharmacist and provide the skills necessary to process prescriptions accurately, participate in administration and management of a pharmacy and maintain inventory. Topics of study include medical terminology, anatomy and functions of the human body, therapeutic classification and drug names, pharmacy procedures, pharmaceutical calculations, pharmacy law and interpersonal communication. Students will have a working knowledge of sterile technique, standards of practice, quality assurance and patient confidentiality. In addition, students will develop and practice communication skills needed to function in a professional setting. In order to gain workplace experience, students will also participate in a hospital and retail pharmacy practicum.

The Pharmacy Technician certificate program prepares students to pass the National Pharmacy Technician Certification exam required by the Oregon Board of Pharmacy to practice as a pharmacy technician in the state of Oregon.

COCC's Pharmacy Technician Program is accredited through ASHP/ACPE. 

Learning Outcomes

1. Communicate professionally verbally and non-verbally with patients and healthcare professionals in order to promote safe patient care.
2. Manage physical drug inventory, process medication orders and maintain documentation.
3. Calculate, measure and prepare medication for patient administration.
4. Operate pharmacy software to perform the roles and responsibilities of a Pharmacy Technician.
5. Comply with OARs, various standards of Joint Commission, and apply principles of USP 797 and USP 800.
6. Process insurance claims and explain benefit structures.

Entrance Requirements

Academic Entrance Requirements

• Required:
  • Completion of MTH 015 (or higher) or minimum placement Math Level 7.
  • Completion of WR 065 Rhetoric and Critical Thinking II or higher or minimum placement Wr/Comm Level 7.
  • BI 105 Essentials of Human Biology.
  • Complete COCC's online orientation.

Other Entrance Requirements

• Required:
  • A high school diploma, a high school transcript noting successful graduation, or a GED
  • 18 years of age
  • All COCC students enrolled in Pharmacy Technician Program (which includes requirements for practical experience) may have to pass Criminal History Checks (CHC) as a condition of their acceptance into a medical or other facility for training. Students who do not pass the CHC may not be eligible to complete training at affiliated practicum sites, to sit for licensure or certification exams, or to be hired for some professional positions. Students who believe that their past history may interfere with their ability to complete the program of study or to obtain licensure or certification in their chosen field should contact the appropriate state board or the program director.
  • 10 panel drug screen completed as a condition of acceptance into the program. Students must complete a 10 panel urine drug screen with the vendor chosen by COCC prior to entry into the Pharmacy Technician Program. With the exception of certain prescribed medications, students with a positive drug screen, which prevents them from attending clinical, will be disqualified from entering the program. Please refer to the Pharmacy Technician Handbook/website for more detailed information.
  • Documentation of current immunizations (MMR, Tdap, Varicella, Hep B, Flu, TB, Blood Titer)
  • American Heart Association Health Care Provider or American Red Cross CPR card

Additional Program Costs

Material Costs

• In some cases $150 to $300 for fees associated with required immunizations and tuberculosis screening
• $65 drug screening
• $55 background check
• $65 for American Heart Association CPR for Health Care Providers certificate
• Distance students will be responsible for the cost of travel and expenses to the COCC campus for the two lecture labs in the fall and winter terms.

Enrollment Fees

• Program fee of $150 per term (or a total of $450 for the three-term pharmacy technician cohort)

Course Requirements

Advising Notes

Program (PHM) courses begin once per year in fall term. Students wishing to register in the fall Pharmacy Technician cohort must meet the basic prerequisite competencies and may register according to seat availability on a first-come, first-served basis, determined by the priority registration schedule.

Once admitted to the program, students must obtain a two-year nonrenewable Pharmacy Technician License from the Oregon Board of Pharmacy. This license is required to participate in the Pharmacy Technician practicum courses. Applicants must have a high school diploma, a high school transcript noting successful graduation, or a GED and be at least 18 years of age. Application for the license will require a background check, fingerprinting and a birth certificate OR passport. Students unable to obtain a pharmacy technician license will not be able to complete training at affiliated practicum sites or obtain employment in a pharmacy. Students who believe their personal history may interfere with their ability to obtain a license should contact the program director. Information for licensure is available from the Oregon Board of Pharmacy website or by calling 971-673-0001.

Students must be flexible during the spring term to participate in the practicum. Students must perform a three-week block of practicum in a hospital or institution and a three-week block of practicum in a retail or community pharmacy. The practicum will be scheduled by the Pharmacy Technician department and the student must be free of commitments to complete the practicum.

Students must be at least 18 years of age, have a high school diploma, a high school transcript noting successful graduation, or a GED, have no criminal record and pass a National Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam to apply to the Oregon Board of Pharmacy for a Certified Pharmacy Technician License to practice as a pharmacy technician in Oregon.

This certificate is designed for students planning to enter the pharmacy technician field upon graduation. Often only selected credits are considered transferable to public or private baccalaureate institutions.

Performance Standards

• Academic Requirements:
  • Students must have a 2.0 cumulative GPA to earn a COCC certificate or degree.
  • All prerequisites courses must be completed with a grade of C or higher.
• Additional Requirements:
  • Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA while enrolled in the Pharmacy Technician program. Students who do not meet this standard may be dismissed from the program.
  • If a student is arrested for any reason while in the Pharmacy Technician program it should be reported to the program director immediately. The information will be reviewed and may affect the student’s ability to obtain a pharmacy technician license. If a student is unable to obtain a pharmacy technician license he/she will be unable to complete the practicum and will be dismissed from the Pharmacy Technician program.

Sample Plan