Pharmacy Technician Program

Summary Description:

Cal State L.A.'s Pharmacy Technician Certification Program is a comprehensive, 50 hour course that prepares students to assist a licensed Pharmacist in the pharmacy, and also prepares them to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board exam (the PTCB exam). The non-credit program covers areas such as medical terminology (specific to the pharmacy), reading and interpreting prescriptions, and defining drugs by their generic and brand names. Students also learn dosage calculations, I.V. flow rates, drug compounding, dose conversions, dispensing of prescriptions, inventory control, and billing and reimbursement. A graded final exam helps students gauge their progress toward future success on the PTCB exam.

Who Can Enroll?

Students should have a high school diploma or GED to enroll in the program, as these are required to sit for the PTCB exam. Otherwise, it is sufficient for students to have taken high school math and science.

Course Descriptions:

In detail, the course will cover these areas:

• Role of the pharmacy technician
  
• Pharmacy history; discussion of various practice settings and the technician certification process
  
• The “Evolution of Pharmacy”
  
• Review of the hospital pharmacy setting, as well as review of settings such as retail, mail order, and home care pharmacy practice; long-term care practice; and the role of government regulatory agencies in pharmacy practice
  
• Pharmacy measures; and understanding Roman numerals and abbreviations
  
• Review of generic drugs, basic biopharmaceuticals, dosage forms, and patient profiles
  
• Prescription label requirements, order transcription, ordering and inventory control, drug pricing, and third-party reimbursements
  
• Formularies, unit dose systems, emergency and crash carts, house supplies, automatic stop order, calculating number of doses required for patient care
  
• Major classes of drugs; brand names vs. generic drugs
  
• Aseptic technique, handling of sterile products, including antineoplastic agent considerations
  
• Basics of I.V. solutions; calculating 24 -hour supply of I.V. solutions; percentages and electrolytes preparations
  
• The metric system
  
• Apothecaries ’ and avoirdupois systems of measurement
  
• Children’s doses
  
• Allegation method; math review
  
• Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN); demonstration of TPN admixture; and hands-on practice of I.V. admixture and parenteral medication preparation.

Program Cost:

The program cost for fifteen meetings (twice per week for seven weeks + final exam) is $1,099.

Course Schedule:

Courses will meet two evenings per week from 6:00 p.m. to 9 :30 p.m., exact days to be determined each quarter according to a Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday schedule. A total of 50 classroom hours constitutes one complete session of the course. Classes will meet in university classrooms on the campus of CSULA.

Job Prospects and Potential Salary:

The demand for pharmacy technicians is increasing as retailers are expanding their pharmaceutical services and more drugs continue to become available through medical and scientific advances. The online market for pharmaceuticals has also meant increased work in wholesale or online pharmacies.

Certified pharmacy technicians might work in retail pharmacies, such as a local drug store; or may fill prescriptio ns in hospitals or long-term care facilities, or work in online pharmacies or other wholesale pharmacies, or for government organizations. The median salary for a pharmacy technician with 2-3 years of experience in one of these practice areas is in the range of $19,000 to $32,000 per year, based on data compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Source: www.allalliedhealthschools.com/faqs).

Instructors:

All instructors are provided by Condensed Curriculum International and are familiar with the requirements of the PTCP board.

Contact Us:

For more information, please contact the College of Extended Studies and International Programs (CESIP) at California State University, Los Angeles, at (323) 343-4967 or email Robin Hall rhall@cslanet.calstatela.edu.

Course Schedule Winter 2013

Pharmacy Technician Program
Course No.	C131214B
Course Fee	$1,099 (textbook included)
Date	Mondays, Wednesdays, March 25 -May 15 (no class mtg 4/1/13)
Time	6:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Length	50 hours
Location	CSULA-GE220A
Instructor	Condensed Curriculum International, Inc.