News release
The College of the Canyons Pharmacy Technology program is accepting applications for its first 18-student cohort until Monday, June 30.
Launching in fall 2025, the program will prepare students for entry-level pharmacy technician positions across various settings, including inpatient and outpatient hospital pharmacies, retail, compounding, veterinary and specialty pharmacies, according to a news release from the college.
Students will gain knowledge and skills in pharmacology, pharmacy calculations, sterile and non-sterile compounding, and retail and institutional pharmacy operations through classroom instruction and a simulation lab.
“This program was created in response to the need for certified pharmacy technicians in our community,” Thea Sweo Alvarado, interim assistant superintendent/vice president of instruction at the college, said in the release. “The program includes a required externship to provide students with hands-on practical experience in a pharmacy environment, so they are job-ready upon completing the program.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for pharmacy technicians are projected to grow 7% from 2023 to 2033, faster than the average for all occupations, the release said.
Upon successful completion of the program, students will be qualified to apply for a California Pharmacy Technician license and to sit for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam to earn the Certified Pharmacy Technician credential.
The two-semester program will include the following courses:
• Introduction to Pharmacy Technology: An overview of the roles and responsibilities of pharmacy technicians in various settings.
• Pharmacy Calculations: Essential mathematical skills needed to accurately prepare and dispense medication.
• Pharmacology & Therapeutics for Pharmacy Technicians: Detailed study of drugs and their effects on the human body.
• Community Pharmacy Operations: Training in the operational aspects of retail pharmacy practice.
• Community Pharmacy Lab: Hands-on experience in a simulated retail pharmacy setting.
• Institutional Pharmacy Practice: Insights into the workings of pharmacies in hospitals and other institutional settings.
• Institutional Pharmacy and Sterile Compounding Lab: Advanced skills in preparing sterile medication forms, including adherence to safety standards.
• Pharmacy Clinical Experience I: Practical experience in a pharmacy setting, applying learned skills under supervision.
The program will be seeking national accreditation by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.
For more information about the Pharmacy Technology program at COC, visit the program’s webpage at www.canyons.edu/academics/pharmacytech/index.php or email [email protected].
