PHARMACY TECHNICIAN CCAPP Accredited Program Provisional Status Program Overview As a result of pharmacists taking a more active role in clinical drug therapy and the counselling of their patients, the Pharmacy Technician is becoming an increasingly essential member of the pharmacy patient care team. Students will study medical terminology, anatomy & physiology, pharmacy calculations, pharmacology, over-the-counter and herbal medications, hospital practice, pharmacy legislation, ethics, drug distribution systems, customer care, compounding, and pharmacy software, among other industryrelevant topics. Practical placements in retail, long term care and hospital pharmacies give students the opportunity to put the theory into practice in various pharmacy settings. This program will prepare students to work in a wide variety of pharmacy settings, including community, hospital and nursing home pharmacies. Advanced hospital pharmacy technicians may go on to specialize in dispensing specialty drugs used in chemotherapy or nuclear medicine. In any sector of pharmacy work, pharmacy technicians with sufficient experience, training, knowledge and leadership skills may be promoted to supervisory or management positions. College of Pharmacists of BC The regulation of pharmacy technicians, a national initiative which has been underway for some time, will ultimately result in the creation of a new healthcare professional and new registrant of the College of Pharmacists of BC (CPBC). Regulated pharmacy technicians will be directly responsible and accountable for an expanded scope of technical functions related to prescription preparation and processing. www.bcpharmacists.org Upon successful completion of this program students receive Pharmacy Technician Diploma First Aid CPR C Certificate WHMIS Certificate Typing Certificate (Need 40 wpm to graduate) Eligibility for: PEBC Qualifying and CPBC Jurisprudence Examinations Practicum Site Notes Due to affiliation agreements with Hospitals and Community pharmacies, students may be required to travel outside of campus city limits to complete the practicum components. Students are advised that capacity limits in hospital settings will dictate the timing of your practicums. Document Control #0300T 2013 Insignia College of Health and Business Page 1 of 6
PHARMACY TECHNICIAN Program Requirements Course No. Course Name Hours Credits P110 Success Strategies 20 1.5 C110 Keyboarding Skills 20 1.5 C120 Computer Skills 40 3.0 P120 Employment Strategies 20 1.5 M110 Basic Medical Terminology 20 1.5 M120 Anatomy and Physiology 120 9.0 X110 Scope of Practice 80 6.0 X120 Prescription Transcription 20 1.5 X130 Pharmaceutical Calculations 60 4.5 X210 Biomedical & Pharmaceutical Devices 20 1.5 X510 Pharmacology 80 6.0 X220 Over-the-Counter and Herbal Remedies 20 1.5 X230 Infectious Diseases 20 1.5 X310 Pharmacy Practice I (Community) 80 6.0 X320 Pharmacy Practice II (Hospital) 80 6.0 B110 Customer Service 20 1.5 X610 Practicum Community Pharmacy 105 8.0 X620 Practicum Acute Care Pharmacy 140 10.5 X630 Practicum Long Term Care Pharmacy 35 2.5 X700 Academic Review 20 1.5 TOTAL HOURS OF PROGRAM 1020 76.5 Please Note: a) The modules listed above may not be presented in the order that they appear on this outline. b) The practicums are mandatory. You will be evaluated on your practicum performance in order to receive a passing grade. c) Textbooks and supplies may be purchased outside of the college provided those purchases are pre-approved by Student Services at your campus. d) Instructional hours: 740 / Practicum Hours: 280 / Program Weeks: 45 Document Control #0300T 2013 Insignia College of Health and Business Page 2 of 6
MODULE # COURSE NAME DESCRIPTION P110 Success Strategies This module orients students to the expectations of college-level study and introduces strategies for success such as time management, goal setting, study skills, utilization of campus resources, critical thinking and note and test taking skills. Students will be expected to demonstrate initiative and take responsibility for their decisions. C110 Keyboarding Skills Students will be introduced to correct keyboarding techniques and typing procedures. Course content focuses on concepts for skill building and speed improvement. Upon completion, students should be able to type at least 40 words per minute. C120 Computer Skills Students will learn how to control all text and graphic elements within Microsoft Word and to create documents for a variety of personal and business tasks. Advanced features of Word will be introduced in order for students to produce professional documents and manage files. In the second week students will be introduced to the basic commands, functions and capabilities of Microsoft Excel. The course will focus on data input, performance of calculations, how to control text, numeric and graphic elements and how to create charts. P120 M110 Employment Strategies Basic Medical Terminology Students will learn to create professional resumes and cover letters. They will have the use of a job search lab which has unlimited internet access, a job search resource library and a fax machine and phone for contacting prospective employers. Facilitator will also be available to provide advice on job finding resources, interview skills /techniques and mock interviews. Students learn how to summarize verbally their core curriculum learning and to market their skills effectively. This module is designed to introduce students to the language of medicine and basic terminology. It introduces the basics of medical word formation using prefixes, suffixes, and combining forms. Terms pertaining to the body as a whole will be discussed. It also teaches the student the proper pronunciation of medical words and their correct spelling in order to increase the student s ability to communicate effectively within their profession. Document Control #0300T 2013 Insignia College of Health and Business Page 3 of 6
MODULE # COURSE NAME DESCRIPTION M120 Anatomy and Building on their basic knowledge of medical Physiology terminology, students will develop their understanding of the human body and its various systems. By studying the body systems separately, students will learn terminology, anatomy, physiology, diagnostics, and pathology associated with each system. The body systems covered in the module are: the urinary system, male & female reproductive systems, digestive system, nervous system, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, blood system, lymphatic and immune systems, musculoskeletal system, skin, sense organs, and the endocrine system. In addition, oncology, radiology, nuclear medicine, psychiatry, and pharmacology will be introduced. X110 Scope of Practice This module will introduce students to the scope of their practice as a pharmacy technician. The roles and responsibilities of a pharmacy technician will be introduced, along with legislative requirements of drug handling, patient privacy, and confidentiality. Ethical issues in the practice of pharmacy will be discussed. Students will be provided an overview of several different pharmacy billing practices in British Columbia and across Canada. WHMIS, First Aid, and CPR training will be provided. Finally, students will be encouraged to make a commitment to lifelong learning, continuing education, selfevaluation, and professional development. X120 X130 X210 Prescription Transcription Pharmaceutical Calculations Biomedical & Pharmaceutical Devices This module will introduce students to prescription transcription. Latin abbreviations, verbs, and directions used by doctors when writing prescriptions will be studied. Parts of a prescription, various forms of labelling, and legal aspects will be discussed. This module will introduce students to basic pharmacy math functions. Fractions, ratios, percentages, units of measure, conversions all play a major role in pharmacy math. Dosage calculations, electrolyte solutions, and IV preparations will be discussed. This module will introduce students to home care products such as blood glucose monitors and blood pressure monitors. Insulin pumps and insulin injection devices will also be discussed. Common medical equipment and supplies will be reviewed. MODULE # COURSE NAME DESCRIPTION X510 Pharmacology Students will be introduced to the basics of pharmacology, including pharmacodynamics, Document Control #0300T 2013 Insignia College of Health and Business Page 4 of 6
X220 Over-the-Counter and Herbal Remedies pharmacokinetics, and bioavailability. Dosage formulations, routes of administration, and medication errors will be discussed. Major body systems and the drugs used to treat disorders within them will be examined. Students will develop the ability to alert the pharmacist to actual and potential drug therapy related problems, including possible addictions or addictive behaviour. This module will introduce students to remedies available without a prescription. Common over the counter medications and common herbal preparations will be discussed. Vitamins, vaccines, and drug overdoses will be reviewed. X230 Infectious Diseases This module will introduce students to a multitude of infectious diseases, what can be done to prevent them, and the pharmacy technician s role in the health care chain in the event of outbreaks. Childhood illnesses, sexually transmitted infections, antibiotic resistance, and illnesses related to BC s wilderness will be discussed. Students will be aware of public health concerns such as flu pandemic, SARS, and tuberculosis. X310 X320 Pharmacy Practice I (Community) Pharmacy Practice II (Hospital) Students will be exposed to the practical side of pharmacy. This is a culmination of the accumulated knowledge gained over the course of the program. All aspects of practice in a community pharmacy will be covered. Data entry, producing labels and running reports will all be introduced and practiced on pharmacy software. Methods of prescription processing will be discussed. Blister packaging, automated dispensing machines, and unit dose packaging will be discussed and/or demonstrated. Compounding technique, considerations and record keeping will be practiced. Students will be introduced to the responsibilities of working in a hospital. Procedures and structures specific to hospital pharmacies will be highlighted including methods of drug distribution, procedures surrounding medication administration and areas that merit special control or methodology. The basics of aseptic technique/sterile compounding will be explored through theory and practice. Students will learn about parenteral drug administration and precautions necessary for establishing and maintaining an aseptic environment for TPN preparation, cytotoxic drugs and IV medications. MODULE # COURSE NAME DESCRIPTION B110 Customer Service Basic methods of verbal and non-verbal communication will be presented and Document Control #0300T 2013 Insignia College of Health and Business Page 5 of 6
X610 Practicum Community Pharmacy X620 X630 Practicum Acute Care Pharmacy Practicum Long Term Care Pharmacy practiced. Strategies for eliminating communication barriers will be described. Respect, privacy, and dealing with a diverse patient population will be discussed along with techniques to deal with difficult customers. Role playing and case studies will be employed. Students will spend 3 weeks in a community pharmacy gaining valuable real life experience. This is structured program in which students will put into practice all the theory learned in the classroom and lab. All roles and responsibilities of the community pharmacy technician will be practiced under the supervision of a preceptor. This includes prescription processing, compounding, customer service, inventory control, and many other aspects of pharmacy practice. Students will be visited on site weekly by the Field Liaison from Insignia. Students will spend 4 weeks in a hospital pharmacy practicing all roles and responsibilities of pharmacy technicians. Sterile compounding, unit dose drug distribution, chemotherapy, and calculations will be practiced among many other duties. Students will also gain a complete understanding of the policies and procedures of hospital pharmacies. Students will be monitored by a supervisor at all times and visited weekly by the Field Liaison from Insignia. Students will be oriented to long-term care pharmacy workplace processes and procedures. Blister packaging will be practiced, along with pharmacy and unit inventory control. Maintaining patient files will be stressed. Most long term care pharmacies run in conjunction with a community pharmacy. Students will be monitored by a supervisor and visited during the week by the Field Liaison from Insignia. X700 Academic Review Students will be given an academic review exam at the beginning of this module to test theoretical and practical knowledge. Strengths and weaknesses will be identified and students will focus with the instructor on areas of need in preparation for entering the work force as well as writing the PEBC Qualifying Examination. Document Control #0300T 2013 Insignia College of Health and Business Page 6 of 6