Pharmacy Degrees Online

This program is designed to prepare students to assist and support licensed pharmacists in providing health care and medications to patients. Students will obtain a broad knowledge of pharmacy practice and be skilled in the techniques required to order, stock, package, prepare, and dispense medications under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist. Upon completion of the curriculum, students will be eligible to take the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination.

Occupational Objectives: Pharmacy technicians work in hospital, retail, home health care, nursing home, clinic, nuclear medicine, and mail order prescription pharmacies. Pharmacy technicians have been employed with medical insurance, medical computer software, drug manufacturing, drug wholesale, and food processing companies, and as instructors in pharmacy technician training programs. Currently, hospital, home health care, and retail pharmacies hire the majority of technicians.

Certificate of Proficiency in Pharmacy Technician is a 38-credit-hour program that will qualify graduates for entry-level positions in a wide variety of pharmacy practice settings.

Certificate of Specialization in Pharmacy Technician is an eight-credit-hour program that will qualify graduates for entry-level positions in retail and community pharmacies only.

Pharmacy technicians prepare prescriptions under the direct supervision of a pharmacist. However, as more of the pharmacist’s time is spent counseling patients and conferring with other health care professionals, there is a growing need for an increased complement of technicians to relieve pharmacists of routine tasks.

In February 1999, a symposium was held at St. Louis Community College at Forest Park in response to the pharmacy community’s demand for highly skilled technicians. The industry participants represented a wide range of pharmacy practice fields and agreed that many of the students who have completed current technician programs have less than optimal job skills. They also stated that future industry trends are toward hiring more technicians, with higher levels of education, due to increased workloads. As a result of these data, in March 1999, a set of criteria was developed for a pharmacy technician training program. The program admitted its first class of students in the fall 2002.

Health Care Pathways Programs Tuition*

Geriatric Care Management Certificate $3,650.00
Case Management Certificate $3,650.00
Life Care Planning Certificate $3,750.00**
Forensic Nursing Certificate $3,595.00
Legal Nurse Consulting Certificate $3,595.00
Pharmacy Technician Certificate $3,295.00
Medical Coding Certificate $3,395.00
Medical Billing Certificate $3,295.00

The Pharmacy Technician Certificate is designed to develop a broad understanding of medical and pharmaceutical terminology, and study the effects of medications on the human body.

The following 2-to-3 year preprofessional
course pattern is
suggested for students
particularly interested in the
University of Maryland,
Baltimore School of Pharmacy.
Students interested in
attending other schools of
pharmacy should consult their
catalogs for specific entrance
requirements.
● Each student enrolled in the
pre-pharmacy program must
earn and maintain a minimum
3.00 cumulative grade point
average.
● The Pharmacy College Admissions
Test (PCAT) is also
required and should be taken
in the fall semester of the
student’s last year of study at
FSU.
● For students who want to earn
a baccalaureate degree at FSU
before applying to a school of
pharmacy, a major in chemistry
or biology is appropriate.

The ASHP accredited Pharmacy Technician Certificate curriculum is a nine month sequence of instruction, with entry in the Fall Quarter only. This program is designed to prepare students for jobs in hospitals, nursing homes, retail, home health care, and public and government agencies. Students who complete the program in a satisfactory manner will be awarded a Certificate of Achievement and are qualified to apply to the California State Board of Pharmacy for registration as a pharmacy technician. Registration is a legal requirement for work as a pharmacy technician.

An optional two-year expanded Pharmacy Technician Program is also available which includes general education. This two-year course sequence leads to an Associate in Science Degree in Pharmacy Technician, and offers the student the ability to transfer to a four-year college or to enter the job market with additional technical and theoretical background.
Career Opportunities
Pharmacy technician opportunities are available in retail pharmacies, hospitals, home health care, mail order houses, nursing homes, health insurance, veterinary clinics, and public and government medical facilities.
Units required for Major: 52
Units required for Certificate: 52

Associate Degree Requirements:
OPTIONAL ASSOCIATE DEGREE REQUIREMENTS:
• English proficiency: ENGL 1A, ESL 26 or equivalent.
• Mathematics proficiency: MATH 103/105 or equivalent.
A minimum of 90 units required to include:
• All General Education requirements
• Required pharmacy technician courses (52 Units)
• electives & other graduation requirements as appropriate.

NOTE: All courses pertaining to the major must be taken for a letter grade. All Core courses must be taken in sequence and passed with a grade of “C” or higher. In addition, a GPA of 2.0 or higher is required in all Core and Support courses for the Degree or Certificates.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
• Drug/alcohol felony convictions preclude registration.
• Biology studied in a language other than English will not be considered.
• Keyboarding skill level – 35 wpm recommended.
Program Type(s):
AS = Associate in Science Degree.
CA = Certificate of Achievement.

You must be computer literate and have Internet access to be successful in this program.

Program Requirements *Indicates Core Curriculum

Medical Terminology (AHE 534)*
Anatomy and Physiology (AHE 519 or AHE 672)*
Basic Math for Health Care Workers (WOS 064)*
HIPAA Regulations (AHC 360)
Pharmacy Technician Training I (AHE 739)
Pharmacy Technician Training II (AHE 740)

Begin Coursework this spring for Pharmacy Tech classes in summer 2009.

Pharmacy Technician Training II
Total Cost $500 (Tuition $300 Fees $200)
Students expand on the knowledge and skills gained in Pharmacy Tech Training I. Topics include the classification of the top 200 drugs, parential medications, therapeutic drugs, customer service, stocking issues, complex dosage formulas and customer service. Pre req: Successful completion of Pharm Tech I and recommendation of instructor.CRN# SECTION# DAY DATE TIME LOCATION
72201 AHE740D M(9) 1/5-3/16 6-9:35pm DC
72203 AHE740E S(10) 1/10-3/21 9am-12:15pm EC

Minimum Credits to Graduate: 40
First Semester
Course # Course Name Credits

ALH140 Medical Terminology
3

BIO103 Introduction to Human Biology
3

CIT100 Introduction to Computers
3

PHT100 Introduction to Pharmacy Practice
4

PHT101 Pharmacology 1 for Pharmacy Technicians
3

Total Credits
16

Second Semester

PHT102 Pharmacology 2 for Pharmacy Technicians
3

PHT103 Pharmacy Practice 1
3

PHT104 Pharmacy Product Preparation 1
3

PHT105 Pharmacy Product Preparation 2
3

PHT202 Pharmacy Law
2

Total Credits
14

Third Semester

PHT106 Pharmacy Product Preparation 3
2

PHT203 Pharmacy Seminar
2

PHT201C Pharmacy Tech Externship
6

Total Credits
10

A certificate program to prepare the graduate to enter the work force as a Pharmacy Technician. Employment can be in acute care, ambulatory care, or long term care settings, research facilities, mail-order pharmacies, and home infusion companies. Pharmacy Technicians assist Registered Pharmacists in the compounding and distribution of medications, prepare IV Admixtures, and provide other pharmaceutical care services. Admission to the program is limited by the availability of clinical sites. A separate application for program admission is required. A student must maintain a 2.0 college-level cumulative GPA to remain in the program.

This course introduces students to the work of pharmacy technicians and the context in which technicians’ work is performed. Students learn the technician’s general role in healthcare delivery, with particular emphasis on the complementary roles of pharmacists and technicians. They gain an understanding of the range of current direct patient care delivery systems and of medication distribution systems including the step-by-step processes in which technicians participate. They are introduced to the influence that medication laws, standards, and regulations have on practice.