Program Courses

• Student Success Strategies [BC-SSSD]

  • Students will gain a better understanding of themselves through an exploration of their personal attributes, transferable skills and learning styles. This course will introduce techniques for time, conflict, and stress management and develop interpersonal communication skills. Fundamental study and motivation skills will be covered, preparing students to excel in their program of choice. Students will also prepare a professional resume and learn how to write effective cover letters.

• Career and Employment Strategies [PT-CES]

  • This course builds on the skills learned in the Student Success Strategies course or its equivalent. It provides information on how to use the communication skills learned in order to make a successful presentation to a prospective employer. Students also learn how to uncover the hidden job market and identify employment opportunities. Self-assessment during this course allows students to identify their personal skills that are transferable to the work place and to describe these skills to a prospective employer. Students may be videotaped during a mock interview and will participate in the analysis of their performance in the “interview”.

• Anatomy and Physiology [PT100]

  • This course is designed to provide students with an opportunity to discover explore and understand basic human anatomy and physiology. A holistic model will be used to demonstrate how body systems work together, how they are impacted by disease, and how pharmaceuticals are used to improve health.

• Introduction to Pharmacy [PT120]

  • This course is designed to provide the student with an understanding of the pharmacy profession, the role of the Canadian pharmacy organizations, standards of practice, legislation, and ethical best practices. A brief history of the role of pharmacies in society and the pharmacy technician will be covered. Students will be introduced to the nature of drug benefit plans, both public and private, along with accepted billing practices. Finally students will become familiar with the prescription filling life cycle.

• Fundamentals of Pharmacology [PT130]

  • This course is designed to introduce the student to the fundamental concepts of pharmacology, dosage formulations, routes of drug administration, and OTC medications. It will enable the student to understand the role of drugs in individualized patient care and will introduce the student to the recognition and association of generic and trade names of common and/or important medications in community and hospital pharmacy practice. Students will learn various mechanisms of drug action and understand pharmacokinetic processes that affect drug/body interaction. They will learn the procedure for administration of pharmacologic agents as well as learning to identify major drugs by drug class. Students will know drug indications, therapeutic uses, side effects, administration routes, and common dosages.

• Pharmaceutical Calculations [PT150]

  • This course is designed to provide students with the mathematical skills needed in the preparation of prescription products in a pharmacy setting. The course will allow the student to become familiar with different systems of weights and measures, methods of expressing strengths, dosage calculations, compounding calculations, accurate fluid measurement, and basic principles of pharmacy business math.

• Inter and Intra Professional Skills [PT240]

  • Students will have the opportunity to interact with students and faculty from other health profession programs throughout the program. This course will help students facilitate their development of team work; improve their critical thinking skills and broaden their knowledge of patient care communications.

• First Aid/ CPR /Medical Emergencies [PT115]

  • This comprehensive course includes everything covered in Emergency First Aid and CPR as well as a wide range of other first aid topics that will provide participants with advanced knowledge and skills required to prevent further injury. ** This course is taught by a St. John's Ambulance or Red Cross certified trainer. There is both an online and in-person component to this module. **

• Pharmacy Software Applications [PT145]

  • This course will review the use of Kroll®, a pharmacy software in dispensing medications. Students will become familiar with the various features of the software. Students will be able to enter the required information for patient profiles and look up particular patient profiles. Students will also be able to create new drug files or update existing drug files and doctor information, adjust and add third-party billing information and learn the theory of adjudicating a prescription. Students will also practice and learn the principles of prescription filling, starting with prescription verification to dispensing to the patient.

• Community Pharmacy [PT205]

  • Community Pharmacy will teach dispensing procedures commonly used in the community pharmacy settings with an emphasis on the pharmacy technician's role. Students will be familiarized to dispensing procedures commonly encountered in a community pharmacy setting. Students will learn and work on the technical duties of a community pharmacy so that the pharmacist is available primarily for clinical patient care. The student will learn how to fill a prescription in a laboratory setting from intake of the prescription to dispensing. Pharmacy equipment and dispensing techniques will be explained, demonstrated and practiced in the lab. Students will learn how to utilize key aspects of the pharmacy technician's role in the community pharmacy, including but not limited to, receiving a verbal prescription, counselling on medical devices and patient interviewing.

• Compounding [PT215]

  • Students will become proficient at preparing pharmaceutical preparations and doing the necessary documentation to meet and maintain current standards. The student will review and practice the various mixing techniques and standards of commercial manufacturing and learn the necessity of compounding. The student will become proficient at the use of balances to accurately weigh ingredients to compound. A variety of dosage forms will be reviewed with emphasis being placed on the knowledge that is needed to accurately prepare compounds. The student will be expected to calculate, measure, and weigh various compounding ingredients. Proper and timely cleaning and maintenance of compounding equipment will be stressed.

• Aseptic Technique and Sterile Products [PT220]

  • This course is designed to provide students with a chance to learn the basic principles of microbiology and the reasons why reducing microbial contamination in a pharmacy are necessary. Students will learn how to control microbial contamination by using both chemical and physical means. Students will learn basic principles of infection control. Students will also learn aseptic techniques in preparation of pharmaceutical products. Students will be introduced to basic microbes such as bacteria (pathogenic and non-pathogenic), viruses and fungi and the diseases they cause. Students will learn how to control microbial contamination in the pharmacy environment and apply these techniques and standards to the preparation of intravenous admixtures and parenteral hospital compounding. Students will become familiar with the equipment used in parenteral compounding such as vials, ampoules and needles. Students will learn how to manipulate these products and using the proper technique.

• Institutional Pharmacy [PT235]

  • Students will learn the various types of drug distribution systems in hospitals and institutional settings and the procedure for managing drug inventory. Students will become familiar with the process of receiving drugs and record keeping, as well as the drug delivery systems that may be used in long-term care facilities. Students will be introduced to provincial formularies and central supply lists.

• Final Review and Comprehensive Exam [PTEX]

  • Students will write a final exam in the last week of the Pharmacy Technician program. The examination will include a practical component and a comprehensive theory exam. The practical exam includes all skills taught throughout the program.

• Community Pharmacy Practicum [PT-CPP]

  • Practicum (on-the-job) experience is an essential component of the Pharmacy Technician training experience. It provides real world practical training in a pharmaceutical setting, allowing the student to gain a better understanding of employer and customer needs and expectations. The practicum is divided into two components, five weeks of practicum in a community pharmacy setting and the four weeks in an institutional (hospital) pharmacy setting. Successful completion of both components is a mandatory criterion for graduation.

• Institutional Pharmacy Practicum [PT-HPP]

  • Practicum (on-the-job) experience is an essential component of the Pharmacy Technician training experience. It provides real world practical training in a pharmaceutical setting, allowing the student to gain a better understanding of employer and customer needs and expectations. The practicum is divided into two components, five weeks of practicum in a community pharmacy setting and the four weeks in an institutional (hospital) pharmacy setting. Successful completion of both components is a mandatory criterion for graduation.