Pharmacy Technician Certificate

NOTE: This program is not accepting new students for the 2022-2023 school year, beginning in fall quarter. Summer 2022 courses will still be held.

Overview

The Pharmacy Technician Certificate program prepares students for the role of support personnel in hospital, clinical, community, and other pharmacy settings. Working under the direction of a licensed pharmacist, Pharmacy Technicians provide assistance to the pharmacist in a variety of technical tasks involving the packaging, distribution, compounding, labeling, and recording of drugs. Students will receive training in drug products, calculations, dosages, dispensing techniques, inventory management, third-party billing, and Washington State pharmacy law. In addition to lecture, students will have hands-on training in a lab environment and an opportunity to complete a practicum experience. This certificate requires four to five quarters of full-time attendance to complete the program of study, and has 15-20 credits of prerequisite course requirements prior to fall entry.

Sample Career Options

Pharmacy Technician

Degree Intent and Transfer Options

Upon completion, Workforce degrees and/or certificates are intended to give students the skills needed to move directly into employment. While these degrees are not intended to transfer to a university, students will be eligible to apply for admissions to Skagit Valley College’s Bachelor of Applied Science - Applied Management (BASAM) degree or Bachelor of Applied Science - Environmental Conservation (BASEC) degree and, in some cases, could transfer to other schools. If you are interested in continuing your education by entering a bachelor’s degree program, please work closely with your Academic Advisor and Department Chair.

Program Map

Program Maps are an integral part of the Planning Guide. Each Program Map includes a recommended quarterly sequence of courses for a full-time student to earn this degree within two years. The courses align with the appropriate number of credits to meet degree requirements and is designed to help you create an individualized, customized Educational Plan, required of all SVC students. Please consult with an SVC Advisor to schedule courses and develop your personal Educational Plan.

66 credits

Prerequisite Courses:

AHE 102 - Basic Medical Terminology Credits: (5)
AHE 112 - Basic Pharmacology Credits: (5)
CSS 103 - First Quarter Experience Credits: (2)
MATH 096 - Pre-Algebra Credits: (5) (if needed) or higher with a grade of C or better, or a placement score into MATH 097 .
OBT 162 - Microsoft Office Basics Credits: (3)

First Year

The following courses must be taken in sequence.

Fall Quarter

AHE 130 - Orientation to Pharmacy Practice Credits: (4)
AHE 131 - Pharmacy Technician Terminology Credits: (3)
AHE 101 - Healthcare Interactions: D Credits: (3)
AHE 118 - Drug Dosage Calculations Credits: (5)

Total Credits: 15

Winter Quarter

AHE 106 - Anatomy & Physiology Credits: (6) or BIOL 241 and BIOL 242
AHE 132 - Applied Pharmacology Credits: (5)
AHE 133 - Pharmacy Records Management Credits: (4)

Total Credits: 15

Spring Quarter

AHE 134 - Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drugs Credits: (2)
AHE 135 - Community & Hospital Drug Dispensing/Management Credits: (4)
AHE 200 - First Aid and Emergency Procedures Credits: (3)
ENGL& 101 - English Composition I Credits: (5)
Students who do not receive an appropriate test score will require additional coursework to develop necessary skills for entry into class.

Total Credits: 14

Second Year

Summer Quarter

AHE 136 - Community Clinical Experience/Pharmacy Technician Credits: (3)
AHE 137 - Hospital Clinical Experience/Pharmacy Technician Credits: (3)
AHE 138 - Pharmacy Technician Clinical Experience Seminar Credits: (1)

Total Credits: 7

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