• Medical Training Institute of New York
pharmacist smiling

Pharmacy Technician I (Entry Level) - Hybrid

Course Overview

Information for Pharmacy Technician I

The Pharmacy Technician program at MTI provides students with the technical and practical training necessary to work as an entry-level assistant to a licensed pharmacist.

Students will study pharmacy computing, medication preparation, inventory and billing, quarterly customer service care. The program seeks to prepare students to work under a licensed pharmacist’s supervision in the preparation and dispensing of medications, maintaining patient records, setting up, packaging, and labeling routine orders from stock supplies, and mixing drugs with parenteral fluids.

The core curriculum is structured to include a lecture component, a laboratory component, and an Internship component. The final externship portion of the curriculum consists of supervised experiences in a clinical environment, which requires competencies, logs, and evaluations completed by the student.

At the conclusion of the program, graduates who have diligently attended class and their externship and studied and practiced their skills should have the skills to seek entry-level employment as Pharmacy Technician I

Program Summary

What does a Pharmacy Technician do?

Pharmacy Technicians typically work for pharmacies, hospitals or health clinics to receive prescription orders from Physicians and fill prescriptions as needed. They work closely with Pharmacists and other Pharmacy Technicians to prepare prescriptions and help customers. Their job is to receive stock orders from pharmaceutical companies and review order requests from Physicians to determine new prescriptions or changes to existing customer prescriptions. They may also be responsible for helping customers update their contact or insurance information on file.

Pharmacy Technician skills and qualifications

A professional Pharmacy Technician should possess numerous skills in order to complete their duties effectively, such as:

  • Supply and inventory management skills
  • Attention to detail and analytical skills
  • Ability to create a safe and productive environment
  • Exemplary customer service skills
  • Excellent organizational and time management skills
  • Dependable team player
  • Advanced verbal and written communication skills
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment

Sterile and Non-Sterile Compounding

ENTRY-LEVEL

  • Prepare medications requiring compounding of sterile products.
  • Define and explain key elements of USP 797.
  • Collect the correct ingredients for sterile products requiring compounding.
  • Accurately determine the correct amounts of ingredients for a compounded product.
  • Compound sterile products using appropriate techniques, equipment, and devices.
  • Prepare medications requiring compounding of non-sterile products.
  • Compound non-sterile products using appropriate techniques.

Nonsterile Compounding Seminar

Compounding is becoming a niche market for many pharmacies. Pharmacy technicians in this course develop skills in compounding a variety of formulations. Students will learn to prepare prod­ uct in a variety of dosage forms including ointments, creams, suppositories, and suspensions for oral and topical use. Students will be introduced to the resources provided by Professional Compounding Corporation of America (PCCA).

  • Accurately compute amount of drug needed to compound product.
  • Demonstrate proper use and care of compounding equipment.
  • Demonstrate proper weighing and measurement technique.
  • Demonst rate appropriate product formulation techniques.
  • Identify potential drug incompatibility problems.

Community Practice Settings: Retail Store

This course is designed to provide skills necessary to effectively practice in retail stores (CVS/Walgreen Pharmacy) and ambulatory care settings. Students learn to interpret prescription contents, familiarize the top 100 drugs, inventory control procedures, tasks associated with procurement of pharmaceuticals, completing and filing records for third-party reimbursement, and requirements for completing and filing prescription records. Students are also introduced to non-sterile compounding.

woman inside the store

Institutional Care Settings: Hospital

IV Admixture and Aseptic Technique I

This course is designed to provide skills necessary to effectively practice in retail stores (CVS/Walgreen Pharmacy) and ambulatory care settings. Students learn to interpret prescription contents, familiarize the top 100 drugs, inventory control procedures, tasks associated with procurement of pharmaceuticals, completing and filing records for third-party reimbursement, and requirements for completing and filing prescription records. Students are also introduced to non-sterile compounding.

IV Admixture and Aseptic Technique II

This course is a continuation of IV Admixture and Aseptic Technique I, focusing on the preparation of cardiac and other titratable drips, IV antibiotics, chemotherapy, large volume parenteral solutions, and total parenteral nutrition (TPN) solutions. Students learn the basic indications, mechanism of actions of specific cardiac drugs, and calculations for selected drug concentrations. Proper technique for mixing and labeling thrombolytic, cardiac drips, and chemotherapeutic drugs are introduced. Laboratory sessions provide the opportunity for students to practice their techniques.

PHARMACY TECHNOLOGY: OMNICELL AND PYXIS TRAINING

Hands-on Training with Pyxis and Omnicell

An area of great progress in Healthcare technology has been the wide adoption of automated dispensing cabinets for medications and supplies in hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

This technology employs the use of storage units that operate somewhat like vending machines for medical products, but also have sophisticated software on the back-end that handles patient orders, medication dosing documentation, inventory management, and billing transactions. This course will cover automated dispensing cabinets as well as centralized pharmacy automation products.

pysis

In a hospital or other clinical setting, the units are installed at most units where patients are seen, such as General Medicine, ICU, the OR, and the ER. Supplies and/or meds are enclosed in the cabinets that are locked until the clinician accesses them.

Pharmacy Automation Jobs

If you are looking to get started in Healthcare IT, have basic technology skills, and are willing to travel, you have a decent chance of getting a job as an Implementation Consultant or Field Engineer. Having some Microsoft or Network+ certification helps, as well as having a Pharmacy Technician background. If you have programming and/or HL7 experience, then you would have a good chance at a developer position.

Admission Requirement: GED/High School Diploma

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

  • Orientation to Pharmacy Practice
  • Medical Terminology/Vocabulary
  • Pharmacy Calculations
  • Communication Skills in Pharmacy
  • Pharmacy Law
  • Community Practice, Pharmacy, Record and Inventory Management
  • Anatomy and Physiology
  • Pharmacology I &II
  • Applied Pharmacy Technology I&II
  • Admixture and Aseptic Technique I&II
  • Pharmacy Ethics
  • Pharmacy Insurance Billing
  • Pharmacy Internship
  • PTCB Exam Review and Prep

WHO WILL BENEFIT

nurse hat

Those Considering Pharmacy School

If your goal is to become a Pharmacist, starting out as a Pharmacy Technician is a great opportunity to explore the Pharmacy field. You'll get the chance to work alongside Registered Pharmacist and PharmDs’ (Doctor of Pharmacist) in a variety of healthcare settings, earning invaluable experience and skills along the way.

doctor

Aspiring Medical Professionals

Working as a Pharmacy Technician gives many of us our first taste of working in the medical field. You might gain inspiration to continue that career path and get a more in-depth understanding of the medical world. It's okay to share this desire with your interviewer. It shows your dedication to the field and a willingness to learn

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Job Stability

Job outlook for Pharmacy Technicians

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, pharmacy technician jobs number around 422,000 in the United States and the agency expects around 4% growth over the next decade. That puts pharmacy technician jobs at about the national average for job growth. There is no specific data available on job outlook for individual certification levels, but some employers might prefer a pharmacy technician with a higher certification level like II or III, as they often can bring more advanced skills and knowledge to the job.

Pharmacy Technician Job Market Growth

The population is aging, and older people typically use more prescription medicines than younger people. Higher rates of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, among all age groups also will lead to increased demand for prescription medications. Advances in pharmaceutical research will allow for more prescription medications to be used to fight diseases.

In addition, pharmacy technicians will be needed to take on a greater role in pharmacy operations because pharmacists are increasingly performing more patient care activities, such as giving flu shots. Technicians will need to perform tasks—such as collecting patient information, preparing more types of medications, and verifying the work of other technicians—that were previously done by pharmacists

Pharmacy Technician Job Market Growth

The average national salary for a pharmacy technician is about $30,247 per year. However, pharmacy technicians with a higher education level or additional credentials may negotiate a higher salary. Some pharmacy technician positions may require more advanced knowledge or training, which can also affect their salary. For example, if a pharmacy technician works in a retail environment, they might also act as a retail sales associate besides a pharmacy technician.

A pharmacy technician working in a long-term care facility like a nursing home might also need first aid and CPR certification or other medical credentials to supplement their pharmacy technician skills, which could help increase their salary.

Total Program Cost

Program Pharmacy Technician I - Hybrid
Hours 400
Registration Fee $100
Tuition $2,800
Technology Fees $300
Clinical & Lab Fee $450
Total Program Cost $3,650

Fees

Registration Fee:

A non-refundable Registration Fee of $100 was due during registration to reserve a seat.

woman registering using laptop

Clinical/Lab Fee:

Clinical/Lab Fee is used to cover the cost of Liability insurance policy and student lab operations and to provide students with Liability Insurance at clinical rotation internship sites.

people doing lab work

Technology Fees:

Technology Fee provides students with Online Learning Resources, the learning management system, and the student portal.

nurse using computer

Books:

Students are required to purchase all textbooks on their own. Textbook costs are estimated at $600.

book and stethoscope

Uniform Fee:

Students are required to purchase the MTI logo Lab coat and scrubs on their own. MTI logo scrubs can be purchased from the school bookstore or online at portal.mtiofnewyork.com/stores.

health workers uniform

Tuition:

Pharmacy Technician I is $983.33 for each of the program's three (3) quarters, and a total of $2,950 for the entire program, with tuition payments due as follows:

students using laptops
Quarter Hours Cost Per Quarter
1 130 $983.33
2 130 $983.33
3 140 $983.33

Schedule of Sessions

9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Morning Classes

The Morning program will be 5 hours per day, Monday-Wednesday.

16-25 hours per week for approximately 16-25 weeks.

6:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Evening Classes

The Evening program will be 4 hours per day, Monday-Friday.

5 days per week, for approximately 20 weeks.

9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Weekend Classes

The Weekend program will be 8 hours per day, Saturdays and Sundays,

16 hours per week for approximately 25 weeks.

Pharmacy Internship I: Community Practice Settings: Retail Store

The pharmacy technician internship is designed to enable students to obtain hands-on experience in a pharmacy setting. The primary objective of the internship is to be sure the student gains practical experience, knowledge, skills, and insight into the various aspects of the pharmacy technician job. It is structured to be a learning experience, so the student and preceptor/teaching personnel should commit themselves to working toward that objective. This internship brings together all of the academic knowledge gained in the classroom with practical hands-on participation in various pharmacy settings. The clinical experience gained at these sites is invaluable in ensuring that the student becomes a competent pharmacy technician in all settings. Evaluation forms for both the student and preceptor must be completed separately. Ambulatory care settings include chain pharmacy, independent pharmacy, and outpatient hospital/clinic pharmacy.

Pharmacy Internship II:

Pharmacy Technician Internship II is similar to the Community Practice externship except that students are exposed to pharmacy practice in a Hospital or institutional care setting. The primary objective of internship is to be sure the student gains practical experience, knowledge, skills, and insight into the various aspects of the pharmacy technician job in a structured learning environment. This internship brings together all of the academic knowledge gained in the classroom, with an emphasis on aseptic technique and sterile product preparation. Evaluation forms for both the student and preceptor must be completed separately. Inpatient settings include nursing home, inpatient hospital, and home infusion

Credentials:

Pharmacy Technician Exam Review and PTCB Exam Preparation

  • Course is designed to assist students with preparation for the national certification test with PTCB and NHA.
  • Practice tests are formatted similarly to the national exam (multiple-choice) relative to the curriculum taught.
  • Course content will include taking new prescriptions, assisting the pharmacist, record keeping, and preparing controlled substances for delivery.
  • Other tasks include understanding formulary, preparing and/or repackaging medications, calibrating equipment, and calculations

Frequently asked questions about Pharmacy Technician

What is the difference between a Pharmacy Technician and a Pharmacist?
The difference between a Pharmacy Technician and a Pharmacist lies in their education requirements, subsequent job responsibilities and levels of seniority. For example, Pharmacists typically earn a Doctor of Pharmacy degree before passing a licensure exam and completing a residency period. In contrast, Pharmacy Technicians usually earn an associate degree or a one-year degree from a pharmacy diploma program. Because of their differences in education, Pharmacists hold more seniority and typically delegate tasks among Pharmacy Technicians and other personnel. Further, Pharmacists have the qualifications to provide insightful advice to customers regarding their current prescriptions, symptoms and additional medications or food items that they shouldn’t consume with their prescriptions.  
What are the daily duties of a Pharmacy Technician?
On a typical day, a Pharmacy Technician starts by reviewing incoming order requests from Physicians in the local area. They also check the pharmacy’s voicemail to review missed messages from pharmaceutical companies, customers or Physicians. Throughout the day, Pharmacy Technicians work with pharmacy personnel to retrieve the correct medication and dosage amount to fill prescription orders.  They interact with customers at the service counter or at the pharmacy’s drive-through to check on prescription orders and retrieve ready prescriptions. Pharmacy Technicians may also provide customers with information regarding their prescription, like the correct time to take their medication.
What qualities make a good Pharmacy Technician?
A good Pharmacy Technician has a personable nature that allows them to deliver excellent customer service to pharmacy customers. They make an effort to greet customers in a friendly manner and answer their questions, whether they need to refer to the Pharmacist or inquire with their Physician. Further, a good Pharmacy Technician enjoys working as part of a team and helps their coworkers by filling in when they’re sick or taking on additional responsibilities to maintain pharmacy operations. A good Pharmacy Technician should also have an ethical code that enables them to deny customers additional medications or advanced prescription refills. 
Who does a Pharmacy Technician report to?
A Pharmacy Technician typically reports directly to the Pharmacist or Head Pharmacist to complete tasks and receive directions. In larger pharmacies, Pharmacy Technicians may report to a Pharmacy Technician Supervisor. Pharmacists who work within hospitals or healthcare facilities may report directly to the Facility Manager.