Pharmacy Technician Program Outline

(Please note that programs may be changed or upgraded to meet the demands of industry without notice)

Core Pharmacy Technician Courses:

Computing Essentials for Pharmacy Practice

This course introduces fundamental computer skills for pharmacy practice, focusing on MS Word and Excel applications. Students develop typing accuracy and speed using pharmacy-specific documents, reports, and data sets. Practical activities include preparing prescription labels, formatting documents, and managing inventory and patient information.

Pharmacy Fundamentals

An overview of the history of pharmacy, healthcare systems, and pharmacy legislation, while examining the roles of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, professional organizations, and ethical standards. Students develop an understanding of dispensary, medical, and pharmaceutical terminology, prescription interpretation and abbreviations, dosage forms, and major therapeutic classifications of drugs.   

Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology

Explore the various body systems and gain a basic understanding of the structure and functions of different organs and systems of the body and how they correlate with drug action. Learn common diseases with their pathophysiology.  

Ethics in Pharmacy Practice

Learn the ethical principles and challenges in pharmacy practice. Students will explore ethical decision-making, professional conduct, and the responsibilities of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in healthcare settings. The course also addresses legal frameworks, patient rights, and the ethical dilemmas pharmacy professionals may encounter in their day-to-day practice. 

Indigenous Health and Social Justice

Understand Indigenous health and social justice, emphasizing historical, cultural, and social determinants of health. Students learn concepts of cultural safety, cultural humility, responsiveness, health equity, and reconciliation. The course equips learners with the knowledge and skills to promote culturally equitable, inclusive, and just healthcare practices.

Pharmacy Legislation

This course introduces the student to components of jurisprudence pertaining to pharmacy, drug schedules and provides an understanding of the Canadian regulatory bodies associated with pharmacy practice. 

Pharmacy Software

Hands on training for operation and maintenance of the pharmacy software “Kroll”, entering prescriptions and printing labels, maintaining patient’s profile, drug search, doctor search, special instructions, third party billing and inventory management.   

Professionalism and Communication Skills

Review verbal and written communication skills, customer service, dealing with health care professionals, peers and dispensary staff; problem solving techniques, handling complaints, and confidentiality.

Pharmacy Calculations I and II

Understand different units of measures including metric, apothecary and household system and their conversions from one to another. Working with drug strength, dilution, drop rates for calculating drug dosage, preparation of extemporaneous compounding including intravenous drugs, application of business mathematics and third-party billing.   

Pharmacology I and II

Learn the fundamentals of pharmacology, classification of drugs based on body system and therapeutic uses, mechanism of drug action, side effects, auxiliary labels, generic and brand name drugs, drug schedules, prescription and non-prescription drugs, legal requirements for narcotics and other drugs.   

Pharmacy Compounding

This course develops the knowledge and skills required to prepare compounded medications in accordance with regulatory standards and best practices. Emphasis is placed on precision, safety, and quality assurance, while reinforcing pharmaceutical calculations and the use of pharmacy software for managing compounding prescriptions.

Community Pharmacy Practice

Introduction to legal prescription, third party insurance plans, record keeping, inventory control and issues pertaining to security in community pharmacy. Other topics are patient safety, medication error prevention, health care products and devices, multi-medication compliance aids and procedures in long-term care pharmacy.

Community Pharmacy Dispensing

The focus of this course is on the practical side of community pharmacy dispensing including prescription processing. In the dispensing lab component, the students apply the knowledge of pharmacology, prescription interpretation, pharmacy law, pharmacy software and calculations while practicing prescription dispensing in a simulated community pharmacy setting.

Hospital Pharmacy Practice

Learn about hospital organizations and the roles between different health care professionals, legislation governing hospital operations including review of drug management and distribution systems, ward stock, unit dose, automation and inventory control. 

Sterile Products and Aseptic Technique

Hands on training for preparation of sterile products under laminar airflow hood, knowledge on basic microbiology and prevention of microbial growth, aseptic technique including chemotherapeutics; sterilization methods and handling of biohazard materials.   

Community Health and Safety

Learn about community health and safety through point-of-care testing, vaccine administration, medication reconciliation, and emergency preparedness. Emphasis is given on legal and ethical considerations and the role of pharmacy technicians in improving public health outcomes.

Final Review and PEBC Exam Preparation

Prepare for the PEBC Pharmacy Technician Qualifying Exam and work term placements. It reviews pharmaceutical calculations, pharmacology, regulatory and ethical responsibilities, communication, and workplace readiness, and concludes with work-term orientation and expectations.

Practical Placement (360 hours)

During the last 9 weeks of the program the student will supplement their in-class training with an “on the job” practical placement in a hospital pharmacy (160 hours) and a community pharmacy (200 hours). The placement provides an opportunity to apply the lessons learned in the classroom, gain confidence, and open doors to future employment. Successful completion of the 260 hours of supervised placement is necessary for graduation.

Workplace Skills:

CPR and First Aid Certification

A two-day certified course in First Aid and CPR for adults is provided at the College.

Student Success Strategies

Emphasis is placed on thinking about success from day one and developing the non-technical skills to enhance personal, academic and career success. Topics include: goal setting, time management, learning styles, memory techniques, note taking and test writing techniques.

Career and Employment Strategies    

This module takes the students through the entire job search process including:

• Where and how to look for a job
• Effective resume preparation
• Creating a cover letter tailored to the position
• Interview preparation
• Job search management
• Self-confidence and self-esteem building
• Mock interviews 
• Follow up after the interview