If you dream of working in a healthcare role, and you’re passionate about helping patients, you may be wondering how to become a pharmacy technician.
Fortunately, becoming a pharm tech doesn’t require four years of college. Most programs take the shape of a diploma program or a two-year Associate Degree.
In order to qualify for pharmacy tech classes, you simply need your high school diploma or GED. Once in a pharm tech program, your instructors can prepare you to sit for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE), which is mandatory in some states.
Furthermore, if you’re looking to complete your pharmacy technician program online, schools such as UMA provide online courses, so you can complete your work at your convenience, excluding on-site externship opportunities.
In this guide, we’ll cover what you can expect from the pharmacy technician curriculum, what skills and knowledge you’ll learn, and how this can help you gain certification.
Pharmacy Tech Classes You’ll Take as a UMA Student
So what classes are required at UMA?
At UMA, you’ll find your pharmacy technician program is split into three sections: Core Courses, GE Courses, and Elective Courses.
The Core Courses listed below cover the practical aspects of pharmacy technician training. In these classes, you’ll learn how to work in a pharmacy, from calculating dosages and pharmacy laws to anatomy and pharmacology.
The courses include an externship — a real-world placement that will allow you to gain valuable experience and make you more attractive to future employers. UMA will help you to find an externship site, which is a mandatory requirement to successfully complete your pharm tech program.
UMA’s classes for pharmacy techs are designed to prepare you to hit the ground running — and impress your employer — once you secure a role as a pharm tech.
There are also complementary GE Courses, which tackle some of the soft skills that are required of pharm techs, and Elective Courses that allow you to delve deeper into related topics.
Core Courses
- Pharmacy Technician Fundamentals & Computer Applications
- Pharmacology and Sterile Products & HIV/AIDS
- Anatomy & Physiology and Pathophysiology I
- Pharmaceutical Calculations and Pathophysiology II
- Drug/Dosage Interaction and Pharmacy Law & Ethics
- Community & Institutional Pharmacy
- Certification Review
- Pharmacy Technician Externship
GE Courses
- English Composition
- Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
- College Math
- General Biology
- Sociology
Elective Courses
- Accounting for Managers
- Introduction to Healthcare Computer Information Systems
- Interpersonal Professional Communications
- Local, National & International Events
- Psychology
- Working with People
- Patient Relations
- Ecology
- Diversity in the Workplace
Will a Pharm Tech Degree Prepare Me for Certification/Job?
UMA’s Health Sciences – Pharmacy Technician associate degree program equips students with the knowledge of the technical aspects of pharmaceutical techniques, in addition to the skills required to professionally interact with patients.
In some states, students must pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board’s (PTCB) certification exam in order to operate as a pharm tech.
Yet even in states where this is not a mandatory requirement, employers may favor job applicants who have the knowledge, skills, and experience of completing a pharm tech degree and externship. They could also be more likely to select candidates who have passed the certification, as it guarantees a desired level of expertise.
Throughout their UMA pharm tech degree, students will be presented with the skills and knowledge to pass the certification.
How Long Will it Take to Get a Health Sciences – Pharmacy Technician Degree at UMA?
How long is pharmacy technician program?
The UMA Health Sciences – Pharmacy Technician Degree takes a total of 77 weeks to complete.
Conclusion
The job outlook for pharm techs in the US is positive — as the population ages and more people require medication, the industry is projected to boom.
To become a pharmacy technician, you don’t need to embark on a lengthy four-year college course. You can get where you want to be much faster than that.
Get involved with this growing career today. Want to learn more? Check out our Pharmacy Technician program and call or chat with us to start your program.