Accredited Pharmacy Technician Program and Career Courses

In-class Diploma Program

• 51 weeks total time to complete including a 9 week full time practical placement
• Classes scheduled Monday to Friday, 4 hours per day
• Offered mornings, afternoons and evenings

Would you like to combine your attention to detail with your desire to help people maintain and improve their health? Then the Pharmacy Technician program could be the right option for you! Pharmacy Technicians perform many tasks including filling and final release of prescriptions, compounding medications and managing day-to-day pharmacy operations.

Approved as a vocational program under the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005.

Pharmacy Technician Program Objective   

The Pharmacy Technician (PHT) diploma program is designed to prepare you for a challenging career in a community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, long-term care pharmacy or a corporate/industrial environment. Throughout your Pharmacy Technician courses, you will learn the history of pharmacy, legislation and health care systems; roles of the pharmacist, technician, and assistants; the various pharmacy organizations in the province, and ethical standards. Upon completion of the program, you will have a solid understanding of medical and pharmaceutical terminology, the ability to interpret a prescription and the associated abbreviations, an extensive understanding of various dosage forms and therapeutic classifications of medications. Courses in the Pharmacy Technician program include Pharmacy Calculations, Pharmacology, Pharmacy Compounding and Sterile Products and Aseptic Technique. You will have specific courses related to Community Pharmacy Practice, Hospital Pharmacy Practice and Pharmacy Legislation.

This program will give you hands on training to gain proficiency in operating and maintaining the pharmacy software “Kroll”, entering prescriptions, printing labels, creating and maintaining a patient’s health profile, proper search techniques, third party billing and inventory management. A well-equipped pharmacy lab provides our students with hands on experience in medications dispensing and non-sterile and sterile compounding. This program offers extensive training in communication and customer service skills, inter and intra-professional education, problem solving techniques and conflict resolution.  

The program is designed to meet the standards set by the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP). By the end of the program, students are expected to be able to meet the Professional Competencies for Canadian Pharmacy Technicians at Entry to Practice established by the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) and the Educational Outcomes for Pharmacy Technician Programs in Canada established by Canadian Pharmacy Technician Educators Association (CPTEA). 

Graduates of CCAPP-accredited programs meet the education requirement of the Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP).

Through a combination of in-class learning, hands on labs and workshops, and community and hospital practical placements, this diploma program will ensure you graduate with confidence in the theoretical and practical skills required to pursue Pharmacy Technician registration.

Pharmacy Technician Accreditation  

The Pharmacy Technician programs of Algonquin Careers Academy Ottawa, have been awarded the status of Full Accreditation by the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP) for the terms as follows:  

• Algonquin Careers Academy - Ottawa: July 2022 to June 2027  

Is a Rewarding Career as a Pharmacy Technician Right for You?

Take the "Algonquin Academy Pharmacy Technician Career Training Readiness Quiz"

 The fun, online quiz takes 3-minutes to complete and you’ll get a personalized report. Identify your strengths and social style plus the training and positions you’re best suited for. Get your Pharmacy Technician Career Training Readiness score now!

Pharmacy Technician Practical Placements  

Algonquin Careers Academy has an excellent working relationship with various members of the medical industry. We will supplement your in-class training with a practical placement arranged by Algonquin Careers Academy. The placement provides an opportunity to apply what has been learned in the classroom, gain confidence, and open doors to future employment. The rotations enable us to provide front line experience for our students, under the direct supervision of a preceptor, who may be a pharmacist or registered pharmacy technician. The placement is broken into two parts: five weeks of retail/community and four weeks of hospital.  

Successful completion of the supervised practical placement is mandatory for graduation.   

Pharmacy Technician Program Faculty  

OTTAWA CAMPUS 

Program Coordinator

Deirdre Deesrochers, RPhT

Instructor 

Uche Iseuwe, RPh, MPH, B.Pharm, MBA

Sherifa Hasabelnaby RPh, BSc. B Pharm

Khushboobahen Jani (TA) RPhT

Morgan Juby, RPhT

Pharmacy Technician Courses  

• Student Success Strategies (20 hours)
• CPR and First Aid Certification (16 hours)
• Computing Essentials for Pharmacy Practice (40 hours)
• Pharmacy Fundamentals (60 hours)
• Pharmacy Calculations (100 hours)
• Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology (40 hours)
• Pharmacology (84 hours)
• Pharmacy Compounding (60 hours)
• Sterile Products and Aseptic Technique (80 hours)
• Pharmacy Software (60 hours)
• Professionalism and Communication Skills (60 hours)
• Community Pharmacy Practice (60 hours)
• Community Pharmacy Dispensing (60 hours)
• Pharmacy Legislation (40 hours)
• Hospital Pharmacy Practice (40 hours)
• Career and Employment Strategies (20 hours)
• Hospital Placement (160 hours)
• Community Placement (200 hours)

Becoming a Registered Pharmacy Technician in the Province of Ontario 

To be eligible to become a Registered Pharmacy Technician, you must graduate from a program that has been accredited by the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP). There are additional registration requirements after graduation to pursue registration as a pharmacy technician with the Ontario College of Pharmacists including comprehensive National examinations. These requirements are fully described on the OCP website at http://www.ocpinfo.com/registration/register-technician/ccapp-technician/.

You should become familiar with your future professional body by visiting the OCP web site at www.ocpinfo.com.

Pharmacy Technician Program Career Opportunities  

The demand for Pharmacy Technicians is expected to rise in order to meet the health care needs of Canada’s growing and aging population. It is expected the roles and responsibilities of a Pharmacy Technician will continue to evolve in the years to come. Career opportunities exist in community/retail, hospital, long-term care, pharmaceutical companies and government agencies. 

Pharmacy Technician Wage Information 

$/hr rate:

Source: Pharmacy Technician (NOC 32124) Ontario www.jobbank.gc.ca, April 2024

Pharmacy Technician Program Admission Requirements

Academic Requirement: Ontario Secondary School (OSSD) Diploma or equivalent. An applicant 18 years of age or over without an OSSD may apply as a mature student and write a Ministry of Colleges and Universities approved mature student entrance exam.

In addition to a successful OSSD/equivalent or mature student entrance exam, an applicant must have the following courses at an OSSD level or equivalent:

• senior level mathematics
• senior level English
• biology
• chemistry.

For Academic requirements, Canadian citizens or permanent residents with International credentials are required to provide WES or ICAS evaluation.

English Language Proficiency: Language proficiency is an essential skill required for all Pharmacy Technicians. A Pharmacy Technician's ability to communicate is critical in the delivery of safe and effective patient care. Applicants whose first language is not English must meet one of the specific English Language Proficiency requirements as set out below:

a. Language proficiency test results that meet the NAPRA Language Proficiency Requirements for Licensure as a Pharmacy Technician in Canada; or

b. Graduation from a high school in Canada with three consecutive, first language English courses/credits; or

c. Graduation from a Collège d'enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP) in Quebec with three consecutive, first language English courses/credits; or

d. An undergraduate degree from a university in Canada, where instruction was provided in English.

Reference Resources:

Language Proficiency Requirements for Licensure as a Pharmacy Technician in Canada | NAPRA 

Additional Requirements:

Canadian Citizen, Permanent Resident or Immigration approval. 

Assessment Interview to determine suitability for the Pharmacy Technician program.

A medical report including current immunizations is required for placement.

Criminal background check is required for placement.

Pharmacy Technician Program Fee Information 

Tuition: $13,400    Textbooks and other fees: $1,084    International Student Fee: $2,000