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Workforce Development Training Program

Pharmacy Technician Certification Prep Course (with Exam Voucher)

American InterContinental University’s Pharmacy Technician online certification preparation course is designed to cover industry-relevant fundamentals and practical skills to help you prepare to sit for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam® (PTCE®) offered through the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). This prep course also helps satisfy the PTCE® educational prerequisite and includes a prepaid voucher to cover the exam registration fee.

Introductory Offer:
$1,642.50*
Course Hours:
400
Duration:
12 months
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Pharmacy Technician Certification Prep Course

Pharmacy Technician

As pharmacists take on additional patient care activities, they must rely more and more upon the assistance of pharmacy technicians. As a result, today’s pharmacy technicians help carry out many necessary prescription processing and administrative functions that used to be carried out by pharmacists themselves. But if you want to pursue a pharmacy technician career, many states now require that you obtain pharmacy technician certification.3

American InterContinental University’s Pharmacy Technician online certification preparation course is designed to cover industry-relevant fundamentals and practical skills to help you prepare to sit for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam® (PTCE®) offered through the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). This prep course also helps satisfy the PTCE® educational prerequisite and includes a prepaid voucher to cover the exam registration fee.

Pharmacy Technician Certification Prep Course Overview

PCE PHRM: Pharmacy Technician
Duration: 12 months
Course hours: 400 hours
This course does not award credit.

Pharmacy Technicians support licensed pharmacists in providing healthcare to patients. This course is intended to help students prepare for the national certification exam offered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). This course explores medical and pharmaceutical terminology, pharmacology of medications and pharmaceutical calculations. The Pharmacy Technician course will facilitate practice in retail pharmacy procedures through an online lab module. Students will study what information is necessary to process prescriptions and physician orders and apply that knowledge to fill mock prescriptions. The curriculum also includes the ethics of pharmacy practice and education about prescription medications, patient care and interaction, and charges and reimbursement.

Pharmacy Technician Certification Prep Course Outline

  1. Orientation to Pharmacy
    1. History
    2. Foundations and Roles
    3. Reference Materials
    4. Terminology Words and Abbreviations
    5. Terminology – Body Systems
    6. Community Pharmacy
    7. Hospital Pharmacy
    8. Advanced Pharmacy Environments
  2. Pharmacy Law and Ethics
    1. Introduction to Law
    2. Liability
    3. Ethics
    4. Federal Regulations
    5. Controlled Substances
    6. HIPAA
    7. Safety Laws
    8. State Laws
    9. State Boards of Pharmacy
  3. Pharmaceutical Calculations
    1. Number Systems
    2. Math Skills Review
    3. Dosage Calculations
    4. Percentage of Error
    5. Business Math
    6. Dilutions and Concentrations
    7. Oral Medications and Reconstitutions
    8. Parenteral Doses
    9. Intravenous Flow Rates
    10. Pediatric Doses
  4. Pharmacology I: Basics and Specific Populations
    1. Legislation and Regulation
    2. Sources and Forms
    3. Biopharmaceutics
    4. Pregnancy and Lactation
    5. Pediatric Patients
    6. Geriatric Patients
    7. Misused/Abused Drugs
  5. Pharmacology II: Body Systems – Neurological
    1. Antidepressants/Antipsychotics
    2. Antianxiety/Hypnotics
    3. Autonomic Nervous System
    4. Parkinson's/Alzheimer's
    5. Seizures
    6. Anesthetics
  6. Pharmacology III – Body Systems – Muscles, Heart, Lungs
    1. Musculoskeletal
    2. Cardiovascular
    3. Hypertensives/Cholesterol
    4. Diuretics
    5. Anticoagulants
    6. Respiratory/Allergies
    7. Gastrointestinal
  7. Pharmacology IV: Multi-body Systems
    1. Hormones – Endocrine
    2. Hormones – Reproductive
    3. Vitamins, Minerals, and Nutritionals
    4. Antineoplastic
    5. Analgesics
    6. Anti-Infective/Antibacterial
    7. Antivirals/Antifungals
  8. Communication Skills and Billing
    1. Computers
    2. Communications
    3. Financial Management
    4. Insurance
    5. Billing and Collections
    6. Inventory Control
  9. Lab Practice I – Retail
  10. Lab Practice II - Hospital
  11. Final Comprehensive Exam

What Is a Pharmacy Technician?

A pharmacy technician assists pharmacists in the processing and dispensing of prescribed medications to customers and other healthcare professionals.3

What Does a Pharmacy Technician Do?

Pharmacy technicians work under the supervision of licensed pharmacists. What a pharmacy technician does on a day-to-day basis may include the following:3

  • Gather information needed to fill prescriptions from customers and/or health professionals
  • Measure the proper quantities, then package and label prescriptions
  • Organize and track inventory
  • Enter customer/patient inventory into a computer system
  • Answer customer calls and arrange for customers to speak with the pharmacist if requested

Most states permit pharmacy technicians to compound (i.e., mix or combine) medications and call physicians for prescription refill authorizations. They may also operate automated drug dispensing equipment. Prescriptions filled by pharmacy technicians must be reviewed by the pharmacist before being dispensed and administered to patients.3

Not all pharmacy technicians work at local pharmacies. Pharmacy technicians who work in hospitals may carry out additional responsibilities which may include:3

  • Making hospital rounds to distribute patient medications
  • Preparing intravenous medications

How to Become a Pharmacy Technician

Because most states regulate pharmacy technicians, the path to become a pharmacy technician will largely depend upon the state in which you work. It may also depend upon an employer’s requirements, which could be stricter than what is mandated by the state. You might be able to pursue a pharmacy technician career with a high school diploma and on-the-job training, or you might instead be required to complete a postsecondary education program in pharmacy technology.

Some typical state requirements may include:3

  • High school diploma or its equivalent (GED)
  • Formal education or training program
  • Certification exam
  • Fees
  • Continuing education
  • Criminal background check

How To Become a Certified Pharmacy Technician?

To become a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT), you will need to meet some minimum requirements and pass a certification exam.

To seek CPhT certification from the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), you must possess a high school diploma and complete a PTCB-recognized education course (or have equivalent work experience) before sitting for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam® (PTCE®). You must then earn a passing score on the PTCE®. Complete PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technician information can be found on the PTCB’s website.

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FAQs

Q: Will the AIU Pharmacy Technician Certification preparation course help me prepare for certification?
A: Yes. Our online certification prep course is designed to help you prepare for the PTCB’s Certified Pharmacy Technician Exam®.5 Completing this course also helps you satisfy the PTCE’s educational prerequisite.

Q: Do I need pharmacy technician certification?
A: Each state’s pharmacy technician requirements vary, and not every state requires certification. Certain employers do require pharmacy technicians to be certified, even if the state does not. However, becoming certified may make it easier for you to pursue a pharmacy technician career path.3 While you can study the information needed for the PTCB National Certification Exam, you'll still need to make your own independent assessment regarding your personal eligibility to sit for any certification (and licensure, if applicable) examinations related to this program. You should check with your state’s Board of Pharmacy to confirm its requirements. More information about state regulations can also be found on the PTCB website.

Q: Do I need a license to become a pharmacy tech?
A: As with certification, requirements vary by state. Not all states have pharmacy technician licensing requirements. You should check with your state’s Board of Pharmacy to confirm its pharmacy technician certification and licensing requirements. More information about state regulations can also be found on the PTCB website.

Q: How long will it take to complete my pharmacy technician exam preparation classes?
A: AIU’s Pharmacy Technician certification prep course can be completed in one year or less. You will be issued a Certificate of Completion at the end of the course and a voucher to sit for the PTCE® exam. Although the topics and skills covered in the course are designed to help you prepare to sit for the PTCE®, it does not guarantee a passing score. AIU cannot guarantee that students who complete this course will be eligible to take third-party certification examinations. Certification requirements for taking and passing these exams are controlled by outside entities and are subject to change without notice to AIU.

Q: Are there educational prerequisites for this prep course?
A: No. There are no prerequisites to take this course. However, to be eligible to sit for the PTCB’s Certified Pharmacy Technician Exam®, you must have a high school diploma or GED and have completed a PTCB-recognized education/training program or have equivalent work experience as a pharmacy technician (500 hours). Possessing certain skills, though not required, might be beneficial as you move through the course as well. These include:

  • Keyboarding proficiency (35 words per minute)
  • KFamiliarity with a word processing program (e.g., Microsoft Word)
  • KStrong English grammar and punctuation skills
  • KHigh-school-level math skills (e.g., percentages and decimals)

Q: What kind of academic support does AIU’s Pharmacy Technician prep course provide?
A: An instructor will be available to answer your questions via email and to provide you with performance feedback.

*Regular Price is $2,190. Introductory Offer expires 12/31/2021 11:59PM PST. Students will have access to the course materials listed in the Student Center on the date of payment and will have 12 months to complete the course. Offer only applies to online registrations with AIU (Click here).

1 PTCB, “Credentialing Guidelines and Requirements—Guidebook,” https://www.ptcb.org/guidebook/ptcb-certified-pharmacy-technician-cpht-program (visited June 30, 2021).

2 AIU cannot guarantee that students who take these courses will be eligible to take third-party certification examinations. Certification requirements for taking and passing these exams are controlled by outside entities and are subject to change without notice to AIU.

3 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Pharmacy Technicians,” https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/pharmacy-technicians.htm (visited June 14, 2021). This data represents national figures and is not based on school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary.

4 National Healthcareer Association, “2020 Industry Outlook,” https://www.mywccc.org/Downloads/NHAIndustryOutlook2020.pdf. This data represents national figures of employers surveyed and is not based on school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary.

5 AIU cannot guarantee by taking this course students will be eligible to take third-party certification examinations. Certification requirements for taking and passing these exams are controlled by outside entities and are subject to change without notice to AIU.