Advanced Pharmacy Technician Certificate

Program Start Date: Fall and Spring
Minimum Program Length: 42 academic weeks; 3 consecutive semesters - Fall, Spring, Summer or Spring, Summer, Fall, clinical may involve evening or weekend hours; 37 credits
Program ID: CT.PT
Curriculum Code: 71090

Program Description

The Advanced Pharmacy Technician Program prepares graduates to perform essential functions in various areas of pharmacy practice including retail, hospital, long-term care, home health care, physician office pharmacies and specialized areas of pharmacy. The program provides employers with a competent technician to assist the pharmacist within their scope of practice and to perform necessary unsupervised daily tasks including basic to extensive medication preparation, dosage calculations, compounding, IV admixture, patient information maintenance, inventory and quality control.

Practical Experience

Students in a pharmacy lab and in local pharmacies build proficiency in pharmacy processes and procedures such as procuring, manipulating, and preparing drugs for dispensing.

Professional Opportunities

Pharmacy technicians can obtain employment in retail, hospitals, physicians’ offices, home health pharmacies, specialty pharmacies, as well as sales and technical support positions for drug manufacturers and software companies.

Unique Aspects

A criminal background investigation (CBI) and drug testing are required at student expense for each Health and Human Services student who has been accepted into a Spartanburg Community College curriculum program of study. For more information, please visit the Criminal Background Investigations and Drug Testing information section of the SCC webpage.

The Advanced Pharmacy Technician Program is nationally accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Graduates are eligible to apply for state certification after completing 1,000 work hours as a South Carolina registered pharmacy technician and passing the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam given by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board.

Registration and Certification

Pharmacy Technician students are required to be registered with the S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation Board of Pharmacy prior to beginning clinical rotations. This involves completing a registration application and paying an estimated fee of $56.00. The application includes the following two questions:

1. Have you been treated for any condition, be it physical, mental, or emotional that could impair your ability to serve as a pharmacy technician?
2. Have you been convicted of any criminal or civil charges (other than minor traffic ticket); is any legal action pending against you or are you currently on probation for any charges or legal action?

If the answer is yes to either of these questions, applicants are required to attach a full written explanation and the State Board of Pharmacy will review each situation separately to determine if applicants will be allowed in a clinical site.

The application for taking the national certification examination from the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board also states that the eligibility requirements to sit for the exam include the statement “you must have never been convicted of a felony”.

Therefore, students who have been convicted of a felony will not be eligible to take the national certification examination. Students who have been convicted of any criminal or civil charges (other than a minor traffic ticket), have any legal action pending against them, are currently on probation for any charges or legal action, or have been treated for any condition, be it physical, mental, or emotional that could impair their ability to serve as a pharmacy technician during the past five years may not be able to attend clinical rotations and could not complete the program.

EEDA Career Cluster:

Health Sciences

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate the ability to process and handle medications and orders in a community pharmacy setting.
2. Demonstrate the ability to process and handle medications and orders in an institutional pharmacy setting.
3. Prepare non-sterile compounds in accordance with USP <795> guidelines.
4. Prepare sterile compounds in accordance with USP <797> guidelines.
5. Employ patient and medication-safety practices in all aspects of the pharmacy technician’s roles.