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:
- Are you currently being treated for any condition, be it physical, mental and/or emotional, that could impair your ability to serve as a pharmacy technician?
- Have you ever been convicted of any criminal or civil conviction (other than a minor traffic ticket)?
A “Yes” answer requires a full written explanation to be attached as well as any other requested documentation.
The application for the national Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam issued by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) states that applicants must provide a full disclosure of all criminal records.
Therefore, any student that is unable to be registered as a Pharmacy Technician with the South Carolina Board of Pharmacy and/or any student that is unable to take the PTCB National Certification Exam for Pharmacy Technicians will not be able to complete the program.
EEDA Career Cluster:
Health Sciences
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to process and handle medications and orders in a community pharmacy setting.
- Demonstrate the ability to process and handle medications and orders in an institutional pharmacy setting.
- Prepare non-sterile compounds in accordance with USP <795> guidelines.
- Prepare sterile compounds in accordance with USP <797> guidelines.
- Employ patient and medication-safety practices in all aspects of the pharmacy technician’s roles.
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