Program Courses

• Student Success Strategies [SSSO]

  • The purpose of this course is to optimize learning through equipping students with effective study techniques. This course also provides an introduction to personality styles that will be encountered in the workplace and allows students to practise appropriate and productive interaction between the various styles. Emphasis is placed on the types of communication that work best with each style in order to achieve a good working relationship and to manage and resolve conflicts that arise. Students are also introduced to strategies for setting personal goals, managing time, and managing the stress that results from study or work and builds on positive group dynamics and setting expectations for student success

• Fundamentals of Computers [FCMO]

  • This course presents an introductory look at Windows 7 and its interface, tools, and features. You will learn about the fundamentals of navigating and personalizing the interface, organizing files and folders, using media devices, and searching for information. This course relies heavily on practical hands-on activities that allow you to learn the concepts by practicing them on a regular basis.

• Introduction to Pharmacy [PHA101O]

  • This course introduces the student to the pharmacy profession, the role of the Pharmacy Assistant in the drug dispensing process. Other topics include benefit plans, third party insurance, billing practices, standards of practice, legislation, and professional codes of conduct.

• Anatomy and Physiology [PHA100O]

  • This course explores basic human anatomy and physiology. Students will be introduced to human body systems and their components. Students will study how these systems function separately and as a collaborative whole. The impact of disease on systems and the purpose and function of medications in treating illness are studied.

• Fundamentals of Pharmacology [PHA102O]

  • This course will introduce the student to pharmacological fundamentals. Topics include receptor mechanisms, kinetics, and the actions of drugs and toxins at the cellular, organ, and system level. Students will be introduced to dosage formulations, drug administration OTC medications, adverse effects, contraindications, common dosage regimens, and administration considerations. Students will learn various mechanisms of drug action and pharmacokinetic processes that affect drug-body interaction.

• Pharmaceutical Calculations [PHA103O]

  • Students will learn how to perform critical dosage and compounding calculations.

• Community Pharmacy [PHA104O]

  • This course introduces students to computerized and manual dispensing procedures, community pharmacy business practices: dispensary and storefront inventory maintenance, insurance plan processing, patient profiles and filing, billing and claim reconciliation, and the roll of the pharmacy assistant with respect to the pharmacy technician and pharmacist. Pharmacy equipment and dispensing techniques will be demonstrated, explained, and practiced in the lab.

• Compounding [PHA105O]

  • This course introduces students to pharmaceutical preparation and documentation. Students will learn how to perform a variety of commercial compounding and mixing techniques. The student will become proficient at accurate ingredient measuring and weighing as well as equipment cleansing and maintenance.

• Pharmacy Software Applications [PHA106O]

  • Pharmacy software applications are necessary in both the retail and institutional settings. Students will learn how to effectively and efficiently use KROLL pharmacy software to enter and manage patient records, prescriptions, and third party and private insurance billing.

• Microbiology and Sterile Products [PHA107O]

  • Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of microbiology, terminology, sterile technique, contamination protection, and infection control. Students will also learn aseptic techniques in the preparation of pharmaceutical products.

• Career and Employment Strategies [CESO]

  • In addition to learning career-oriented skills, students learn how to get a job in their chosen profession. Our Employment Services department will assist the graduate in resume writing, as well as preparing for job interviews. Our staff is sensitive to current job market trends and the needs of employers in each local market. Our graduates receive guidance and training to use career tools that help job seekers build a better resume and cover letter, manage an online portfolio, hone interviewing skills, and develop a personal brand online. Students will have the use of a computer lab which has unlimited Internet access, as well as job search resources. Facilitators will also be made available to advise on job finding resources, interview skills and techniques and to carry out mock interviews. This course also looks at the planning, preparation, execution, and follow-up stages of an interview: How people find jobs; Employer expectations; Presenting an enthusiastic attitude; Focusing on the right job and the hidden job market; Transferrable skills; Thank you letters; Effective telemarketing; Handling objections, self-confidence, and self-esteem; Individual counselling and coaching.

• Practicum [PHA199]

  • The program provides students with the opportunity to be introduced to, and practice in, a work place setting, enabling them to gain invaluable real-world experience. Students will be required to actively participate in finding a placement location. Once placed, successful completion of the placement is a graduation requirement.