Course Code: CSU-PT 01

Course Duration: 4 months

Contact Hours: 375

Tuition: $3000

This comprehensive course will prepare students to enter the pharmacy field and take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board’s PTCB exam. Course content includes pharmacy medical terminology, reading and interpreting prescriptions and defining generic and brand names drugs and much, much more! Program also includes a clinical externship at a local healthcare provider! This program will prepare students to enter the pharmacy field and to pursue certification including the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board’s PTCB exam. This course covers the following key areas and topics:

  • Pharmacy calculations
  • Medical terminology specific to the pharmacy
  • Skills to read and interpret prescriptions
  • Review of the top 200 drugs
  • Skills to identify drugs by generic and brand names
  • Dosage calculations, I.V. flow rates, drug compounding, and dose conversions
  • Dispensing of prescriptions, inventory control, and billing and reimbursement

Education and National Certifications

  • Pharmacy Technicians should have or be pursuing a high school diploma or GED.
  • There are no state approval and/or state requirements associated with this program.
  • Students who complete this course are prepared for national certification:
    • Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) national technician certification exam

Pharmacy Technician Detailed Course Information:

  • The history of pharmacy and healthcare
  • Pharmacy technician role and responsibilities
  • Pharmacy technician certification and registration process
  • Types of pharmacies including the hospital pharmacy, retail practice, long-term care practice, mail order pharmacy, home care pharmacies, and others
  • Drug regulation and control
  • Pharmaceutical terminology and related anatomy
  • Parts of the prescription and labeling; Pharmacy calculations and math review
  • Pharmacy measures and abbreviations; Routes and formulations
  • Parenterals and compounding
  • Basic biopharmaceutics
  • Aseptic technique and the handling of sterile products
  • Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN)
  • Basics of IV solutions and calculating 24-hour supply of IV solutions
  • Factors affecting drug activity
  • Information and pharmacy resources
  • Inventory management and financial issues
  • Brand names and generic drugs; Drug names and drug classes

National Certification

Students who complete the Columbia Southern University Pharmacy Technician program will be prepared to sit for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) national technician certification exam. In order to work as a pharmacy technician, many states nationwide are requiring that technicians achieve national PTCB technician certification prior to working in that state. Students who complete this program are encouraged to complete the clinical externship option with their program. This comprehensive program is designed to prepare students to sit for this PTCB national certification exam. Students who complete this program can and do sit for the PTCB national certification exams and are qualified, eligible and prepared to do so.

Clinical Externship / Hands on Training / Practicum

Although not a requirement of this program, once students complete the Pharmacy Technician program they have the ability to participate in a clinical externship and/or hands on practicum so as to practice the skills necessary to perform the job requirements of a Pharmacy Technician. Students will be assisted with completing a resume and/or other requirements necessary to work in a hospital, physicians practice, clinic and/or with other healthcare organizations. All students who complete this program are eligible to participate in an externship and will be placed in a healthcare organization near their location. Columbia Southern University works with national healthcare organizations and has the ability to place students in clinical externship opportunities nationwide.