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.