Prepare for a career in the expanding field of pharmacy technology: at WCC, you will gain exposure to the latest in technological advances through a variety of learning experiences and clinical assignments.
Pharmacy technicians assist and support licensed pharmacists in providing health care and medications to patients. Pharmacy technicians must have a broad knowledge of pharmacy practice, and be skilled in the techniques required to order, stock, package, and prepare medications.
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We work together with our students to ensure success. Our goals for students in this program are to:
- Provide students access to the latest technology within the field.
- Graduate students who are able to function successfully as entry-level pharmacy technicians.
- Prepare graduates to successfully pass the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination.
- Prepare graduates for employment in hospital pharmacies, retail pharmacies, research laboratories, home health care agencies, pharmaceutical manufacturing and other various health care entities that employ pharmacy technicians.
- Encourage graduates to recognize the need for continuing education and professional affiliation.
- Meet the needs of the health care delivery system locally and nationally.
What professional qualifications must a pharmacy technician have?
All pharmacy technicians must be licensed in the state of Michigan, as of June 2015. There are 3 licensure options available:
- A fully licensed technician has taken and passed a nationally certified pharmacy technician exam (see NABP for more information http://www.nabp.net).
- Current pharmacy technicians working in the field can continue to work until licensure is obtained by applying for a limited pharmacy technician license.
- A temporary licensed pharmacy technician has 210 days from the time of employment to take the certification exam.
What personal qualities should a pharmacy technician have?
- Although pharmacy technicians work under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist, and must be willing to take directions, they must also be able to work competently without constant instruction by the pharmacist.
- In any pharmacy setting the patient is the most important person. Pharmacy technicians must truly care about, and find satisfaction in, serving the patient.
- Because of the critical nature of many common pharmacy duties, the pharmacy technician must enjoy performing precise work, where details can be a matter of life or death. Even if a task is repetitive, a pharmacy technician must be able to complete the task accurately every time. Pharmacy technicians must also be able to maintain this accuracy even in stressful or emergency situations.
- Many pharmacy technical duties require good manual dexterity, and pharmacy technicians should enjoy working with their hands.
- Good communication and interpersonal skills are also essential for a pharmacy technician who must interact with pharmacy coworkers, patients, and other healthcare professionals on a daily basis.
- Finally, all employers want dependable employees, but dependability is especially important for pharmacy technicians since a patient’s welfare may depend on their work.
Accreditation
WCC’s Pharmacy Tech two semester certificate program has been awarded full accreditation by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP-ACPE) since 1998. WCC’s accredited Pharmacy Technology certificate is recognized in all 50 states – a tremendous advantage for our graduates.
Since 1983 the ASHP-ACPE has accredited programs, which now number 70 of the close to 200 programs nationwide. To qualify, programs must meet or exceed 80 criteria standards, which cover areas such as training sites and experiential learning (WCC provides 360 clinical hours in one semester), a standard ratio of lab to classroom instruction, and a diverse curriculum that includes pharmacy math, background on drug basics, pharmacy law, and ethics.