Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy technicians work under the supervision of registered pharmacists to prepare drugs and fill prescriptions. With both diploma and certificate programs available at MTC, students will gain classroom, online, and experiential learning in local pharmacies and hospital systems.

The Pharmacy Technician Certificate (Community) provides pharmacy technician training with an application to community practice. The program teaches students proper pharmacy operations under the supervision of registered pharmacists. The curriculum combines classroom, online, and experiential learning with duties carried out by pharmacy technicians in preparing drugs, filling prescriptions, pricing, patient profiles, drug calculations, controlled substances, and other pharmacy-related activities. Learning experiences for students in the Pharmacy Technician Certificate (Community) Program are provided online, in classrooms, and in a simulated non-dispensing pharmacy on the Airport Campus in the Health Sciences Building. Required clinical experiences (externships/internships) are arranged through affiliations with local pharmacies.

Under the direction of registered pharmacists, professional technicians prepare medication in various forms for dispensing to patients. Entering and extracting accurate information from patient profiles and other data requires knowledge of medications, inventory, purchasing, equipment operation and record keeping as it relates to Pharmacy. Pharmacy technicians develop expertise in preparing medications for dispensing.

Where do pharmacy technicians work?

Most pharmacy technicians work in retail pharmacies and hospitals, while a small number are employed by mail order and internet pharmacies, clinics, pharmaceutical wholesalers, home health organizations, teaching, and the federal government. The major employers of Pharmacy Technicians are pharmacies and drug stores, followed by hospitals and the government (federal, state, and local). Pharmacy technicians comprise the fourth largest occupation in the SOC Health Practitioners and Technical Occupations within the MTC service area. There is a vast need for Pharmacy Technicians in the Midlands, with competitive starting salaries. 

Acceptable Eligibility Criteria

• High school diploma or equivalent.  
• Cumulative GPA of 2.0
• Accuplacer Next-Gen Reading 250 Arithmetic 250
• English and Math transfer credits.

Acceptable Admissions Criteria

• Pre-admissions interview by the Pharmacy Technician Admission Committee.
• One Character Reference Letter from an individual who is not a relative. This could be an employer, religious leader, or co-worker. 
• One Academic Reference Letter from a former teacher, guidance counselor, or advisor.
• Both reference letters must be submitted by the Reference themselves. Please have letters submitted via email at watkinsc@midlandstech.edu. The Reference’s signature must be incorporated at the bottom of the letter.                                                                                        

Pharmacy Technician Program Pass Rate

Click here to view the Pharmacy Technician Program pass rate.

Accreditation

Midlands Technical College is accredited for Pharmacy Technician training by the American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists.
American Society of Health System Pharmacists
Accreditation Services Division
4500 East-West Highway Suite 900
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-664-8835
ashp.org