Pharmacy Technician
Pharmacy Technician Associate of Applied Science Degree
Pharmacy Technician DiplomaProgram Overview
Pharmacy technicians play an integral role in assisting pharmacists with medication dispensing and pharmaceutical care. Pharmacy technicians work in hospitals, drug stores, and other specialty pharmacy settings. Pharmacy technicians perform a variety of duties that require strong attention to detail. Many pharmacy technicians perform duties such as the following:
- Screen prescription orders for accuracy and completeness
- Prepare prescriptions for pharmacist verification – retrieve, count, pour, weigh, measure, and sometimes mix the medication
- Use technology to help maintain accurate patient records, prepare and package medications, and place orders
- Perform calculations
- Provide customer service to patients
- Support health care providers and nurses in the delivery of medicines
- Manage the business and/or administrative aspects of a pharmacy.
The
Pharmacy Technician Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Degree program prepares individuals for employment as a pharmacy technician in higher-level positions and/or who intend to transfer to another college or university to complete a bachelor's degree.
The
Pharmacy Technician Diploma program is designed to prepare individuals for employment in entry-level pharmacy technician positions.
These programs provide the necessary training and experiential requirements to seek registration as a pharmacy technician in the state of Minnesota. These programs also prepare students to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam to become a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT). This program is accredited by the American Council on Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Saint Paul College is an approved educator for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board Exam.
Program Delivery Methods
The program combines hybrid, online, and in-person courses which include hands on training in the state-of-the-art simulation labs at Saint Paul College. In-person hours are required for simulation labs at Saint Paul College in St. Paul, MN, and internship(s) at a placement site in the twin cities metropolitan area.
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Program Details
Program Requirements
Program Requirements Guides
View the Program Requirement Guide to learn about Minimum Program Entry Requirements, Recommended Course Sequence and Program Outcomes:
General Education/MnTC Requirements
The Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC) is the general education
curriculum for the Minnesota State system. Choose MnTC courses according
to the requirements listed on your Program Requirements Guide. Refer to
the MnTC course list for each Goal Area:
Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC) list.pdf
View all course descriptions
Application Process
Applying to the Pharmacy Technician program is easy, and doesn’t require extensive prerequisites. After completing the Saint Paul College application and admission process, students interested in the Pharmacy Technician program must submit a completed
Application to Pharmacy Technician Program form and meet the following criteria:
- Meet the minimum program entry requirements for math, reading, and writing at a college level (see application form)
- Achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or better
Additional Program Material Costs
Students should expect to spend approximately $750.00 beyond the cost of tuition and fees for books, supplies, uniforms, parking at internship site, and liability insurance fee. There are additional fees for the certification exam and board of pharmacy registration (see below).
Licenses/Testing
- Certification Exam $129.00
- Minnesota Board of Pharmacy Registration $37.50
Career Settings
- Community pharmacies
- Hospitals
- LTC pharmacies
- Mail-order pharmacies
- Insurance Companies
Potential Employers
- Walgreens
- CVS
- HealthPartners
- Allina Hospitals & Clinics
- HealthEast Care System
- Fairview Health Services
- Children's Hospitals & Clinics
- North Memorial Medical Center
- Park Nicollet Health Services
Transfer Pathways
Saint Paul College has transfer articulation agreements between the following program and post-secondary institutions for the baccalaureate degree programs listed below. For more information please contact a transfer specialist or go to www.saintpaul.edu/Transfer.
Pharmacy Technician AAS
- BA Individualized Studies, Metropolitan State University
- BS Healthcare and Human Service Management, Saint Mary’s University-Twin Cities Campus
- Health Care Administration, Concordia University-St. Paul
Related Programs
Additional Benefits
This career is seeing high growth compared to other careers. This includes the demand due to replacement (workers leaving the occupation or retiring) as well as growth. Employment of pharmacy technicians is projected to grow 13.7 percent from 2014 to 2024 in the Seven County Mpls-St. Paul, MN area. Data Source: LMIwise
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Accreditations
Saint Paul College’s Pharmacy Technician program is accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).
About ASHP
ASHP represents pharmacists who serve as patient care providers in acute and ambulatory settings. The organization’s more than 40,000 members include pharmacists, student pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians. For over 70 years, ASHP has been at the forefront of efforts to improve medication use and enhance patient safety. For more information about the wide array of ASHP activities and the many ways in which pharmacists advance healthcare, visit ASHP’s website, www.ashp.org, or its consumer website, www.SafeMedication.com.
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