Manchester Community College

This comprehensive course will prepare students to enter the pharmacy field and to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board’s PTCB exam. Technicians work in hospitals, home infusion pharmacies, community pharmacies and other healthcare settings - working under the supervision of a registered pharmacist. Course content includes medical terminology specific to the pharmacy, reading and interpreting prescriptions and defining drugs by generic and brand names. Students will learn dosage calculations, I.V. flow rates, drug compounding, dose conversions, dispensing of prescriptions, inventory control and billing and reimbursement.

This course combines 84 hours of classroom instruction with an 80-hour volunteer externship opportunity with CVS Health to provide a complete learning experience. Students must be at least 18 years of age and have completed high school or equivalent. To participate in the externship, a criminal background check and drug screening is required. The externship experience component requires students to coordinate their schedules with our CVS Health partner.

Employment of pharmacy technicians and aides is expected to increase by 25 percent from 2008 to 2018, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) Students have the potential to earn $13 – 20 per hour according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

This course is WIOA Certified.

Required Text: Morton's The Pharmacy Technician, 6th Edition (ISBN-13: 978-1617314872) Morton's The Pharmacy Technician Workbook and Certification Review, 6th Edition (ISBN-13: 978-1617314889