Pharmacy Technician: Pre-Certification Pathway 12 Sections41 Lessons12 Quizzes10 Weeks

Curriculum

12 Sections
41 Lessons
10 Weeks

Expand all sectionsCollapse all sections

Module 1: The Pharmacy Technician Career Path
5 Items
What technicians do, where they work, and the certification and licensing roadmap.
Module 2: Pharmacy Practice, Ethics & Privacy
4 Items
Practice settings, the pharmacist-technician team, ethics and HIPAA.
Module 3: Medical Terminology & Abbreviations
4 Items
Word parts, body-system terms, sig codes and error-prone abbreviations.
Module 4: Pharmacology Fundamentals
5 Items
Drug names, dosage forms, routes, how drugs move through the body, and drug-name stems.
Module 5: Drug Classes by Body System
5 Items
Cardiovascular, respiratory, GI, endocrine, nervous system and anti-infective drugs.
Module 6: Pharmacy Law & Controlled Substances
5 Items
Federal drug law, DEA schedules and the rules technicians follow every day.
Module 7: Prescriptions, Order Entry & Insurance
5 Items
Reading and entering prescriptions, NDCs, and third-party billing.
Module 8: Pharmacy Calculations
5 Items
Conversions, dosing, days supply, concentrations, dilutions and IV rates.
Module 9: Medication Safety & Quality Assurance
4 Items
Medication errors, look-alike/sound-alike drugs, high-alert medications and reporting.
Module 10: Compounding, Storage & Inventory
5 Items
USP 795, 797 and 800, storage requirements and inventory management.
Module 11: Certification, Licensure & Your First Job
5 Items
PTCB and NHA exams, state licensing (California example), externships and jobs.
Final Assessment
1 Item
Comprehensive exam covering all modules. Pass to complete the course.
- 12.1
  Final Exam: Pharmacy Technician Pre-Certification
  45 Minutes20 Questions

Your Step-by-Step Roadmap

Meet the basics: high school diploma or GED and the ability to pass a background check.
Learn the foundations in this course: terminology, drugs, law, processing, math, safety and compounding.
Check your state’s rules. Most states require technicians to register with or be licensed by the state Board of Pharmacy; some require national certification or a specific training program.
Complete a qualifying training program (or the required work experience), ideally one that is accredited (for example by ASHP/ACPE) or recognized by PTCB, and includes an externship.
Pass a national certification exam: PTCB’s PTCE (to become a CPhT) or NHA’s ExCPT.
Apply for your state license or registration and keep it current with continuing education.
Land your first job, often through your externship site.

Some states let you register as a technician-in-training and work while you finish requirements. Lesson 11.2 shows how to look up your state.

Where Pharmacy Technicians Work

vrtwc.com

Links

Contacts

Pharmacy Technician: Pre-Certification Pathway

Pharmacy Technician: Pre-Certification Pathway 12 Sections41 Lessons12 Quizzes10 Weeks

Curriculum

Your Step-by-Step Roadmap

Modal title