Pharmacy Technician
Your pathway to caring for others
The Pharmacy Technician program prepares students for the role of support personnel in the hospital, clinical, home health care agencies, mail-order and retail pharmacies. Working under the direction of a licensed pharmacist, Pharmacy Technicians provide assistance to the pharmacist in a variety of 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. Special emphasis is on product knowledge and learning detailed information about a wide variety of drugs. In a hospital or assisted living facility pharmacy technicians often work with patient charts, medications, medication inventories, and orders. In addition to lecture, students will have hands-on training in a lab environment and an opportunity to complete a practicum experience. Clinical practice in hospitals and retail pharmacies provide actual experiences to prepare students for entry-level positions in a variety of pharmacy settings. A state license is required of all those who work in this field and is obtained after passing the National Certification Exam and applying to the Washington State Department of Health – Board of Pharmacy.
Skagit Valley College utilizes PioneerRx to provide students with a hands-on approach to learning that simulates the functions and workflow of today’s most innovative pharmacies.
PioneerRx enhances our curriculum by giving students hands-on experience using a leading pharmacy management system.
Program Options
The estimated program length is based on full-time enrollment. It is the student’s responsibility to discuss sequencing and work out their individual schedule with a counselor or program advisor. Any developmental coursework a student may be required to complete may increase the program length. The certificate program is not intended for university transfer.
Certificate Options
Pharmacy Technician Certificate
Certification/Licensure Options
Upon successful completion of the Pharmacy Technician Certificate, graduates are eligible to take the national Pharmacy Technician certification exam offered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). Upon satisfactory completion of the exam, graduates will be qualified to use the Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) credentials. These credentials are recognized nationally; however, each state sets its own scope of practice for Pharmacy Technicians. In Washington State, graduates will be eligible to apply for state Pharmacy Technician certification, which is required to work as a pharmacy technician in Washington State (RCW 18.64; WAC 246-945).