Pharmacy Technician Certificate

Please note: The practicum portion of the program is undergoing revisions to increase the length by 70 hours for the 2020 intake. These changes are currently going through the College's approval process and should be finalized in late spring.

The Pharmacy Technician Certificate program prepares students for employment as technicians in community and hospital pharmacies. Students gain knowledge and skills relevant to the technical and clerical aspects of the pharmacy profession.

Topics covered include: job orientation, pharmacy equipment, prescription preparation, mathematical skills in pharmacy, inventory maintenance, record keeping, pharmaceutical products, compounding, sterile product handling, hospital pharmacy procedures, computer skills, communication skills and the law as it applies to pharmacies, and the legal relationship between a pharmacist and technician.

The program includes theory, demonstrations, and practice in the classroom. Students will be assigned both a community pharmacy and a hospital pharmacy practicum. Students are required to have a lab coat or nurse's uniform for the labs and practicum. Please note that practicum placements may be anywhere in BC, so travel may be required.

Program graduates will have completed the first step to becoming a regulated pharmacy technician. For more information on the regulation process for pharmacy technicians please visit: http://www.bcpharmacists.org/new-practice.

The length of the theory and lab practice portion of the program is approximately 26 full-time weeks per year, depending on the Calendar year. The two practica, hospital and community, are 150 and 140 hours respectively. The two practica usually take two months to complete.

Admission Requirements

• B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent (Adult Graduate Diploma).

• For applicants whose first language is English: English 12 with minimum 60% or alternatives.

• For applicants whose first language is not English:
• Language proficiency test results that meet the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) Language Proficiency Requirements
• A TOEFL score of at least 91 (Internet-based), or
• an overall band score of 6.5 on the academic version of IELTS

Or

• Graduation from a high school in Canada with three consecutive, first language English courses;

Or

• An undergraduate degree from a university in Canada, whose instruction was provided in English.

• A minimum grade of 60% in BIOL 11, Life Sciences 11, or an equivalent Advanced Level ABE Biology course, or Biology 12, Anatomy and Physiology 12, or an equivalent. The Biology course must include a human anatomy and physiology component.

• For applicants who have completed their Biology courses in B.C. (at the senior secondary level or through ABE), Biology 12 is required. B.C. Biology 11 does not include a human anatomy and physiology component.

• A minimum grade of 60% in Chemistry 11 or an equivalent Advanced Level Adult Basic Education Chemistry course. Chemistry 12 is recommended.

• A minimum of 60% in any of:

• Pre-calculus Grade 11
• Principles of Mathematics 11
• Adult Basic Education MATH 011
• Okanagan College MATH 120.

• Or a minimum of 70% on an Okanagan College Mathematics 11 Proficiency Exam.

• Applicants who have not satisfied this requirement within the last seven years may write the Okanagan College Mathematics 11 Proficiency exam and must receive a minimum grade of 70%.

• A criminal record check clearance from the B.C. Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General's Criminal Records Review Office. Okanagan College's admission offices will provide applicants with instructions and forms for applicants to submit to the Solicitor General's Office and a deadline for the College to receive the clearance letter. Applicants should only initiate their criminal record check when instructed by Admissions. Failure to provide a clearance letter by the deadline will result in a cancellation of the applicant's admission application.

Program Requirements

The following will be collected on the first day of classes by the instructor:

• Current immunization as required by clinical partner sites and recommended by B.C. Centre for Disease Control (2009): diphtheria and tetanus, polio, hepatitis B, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), varicella, and influenza.
• Applicants must provide evidence of a negative tuberculin test, taken no more than six months before the date of application (or evidence of appropriate follow up if the test was positive.)

Graduation Requirements

• Students must complete and pass PHRM 111 Hospital Practicum and PHRM 112 Community Practicum.

• Students must complete all other courses in the program outline with a minimum grade of 70%.

Program Outline

The practica are used to provide the student with practical experience as a Pharmacy Technician.