Mar 29, 2024  
2023-2024 Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Catalog

Pharmacy Technology Diploma


D 45 58 0 D1

Contact: (336) 334-4822, ext. 50407

Limited Enrollment Associate Degree & Diploma. Contact the Enrollment Services Office for program admission requirements and program application deadlines.

The Pharmacy Technology program prepares individuals to assist the pharmacist in duties that a technician can legally perform and to function within the boundaries prescribed by the pharmacist and the employment agency.

Graduates will prepare prescription medications, mix intravenous solutions, and other specialized medications, update patient profiles, maintain inventories, package medication in unit-dose or med-card form, and gather data used by pharmacists to monitor drug therapy.

Graduates may be employed in retail, hospitals, nursing homes, research laboratories, wholesale drug companies, and pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities. Graduates from the program may be eligible to take the National Certification Examination to become a certified pharmacy technician.

Graduates of the diploma program are encouraged to take the National Certification Exam administered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) to become a Certified Pharmacy Technician. Students interested in the AAS degree year must graduate the Diploma year, pass the PTCB examination, and maintain a 3.5 GPA in the diploma program to be considered for admission into the AAS year. The curriculum is considered a 1+1 meaning that all students must complete the diploma curriculum first and can stop there or apply for admission into the AAS year if they meet the admission criteria stated above. Both the diploma and AAS programs are limited enrollment and require special admission procedures. Admission into the diploma program does not guarantee admission into the AAS program.

The program outcomes listed below apply to both the diploma and AAS curriculum, however the AAS curriculum is taught from an advanced perspective pertaining to specific advanced levels of employment. At this time, AAS degrees are only recognized in specific hospital settings.

These competencies are designed to meet the requirements of the American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists (ASHP) Standards of Pharmacy Technician Training Programs.

Program Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of the diploma program, the student should be able to:

  • Demonstrate effective communication skills required for safe, legal, and ethical interactions with patients, coworkers, and other healthcare professionals.
  • Perform mathematical calculations essential to the duties of pharmacy technicians in a variety of settings.
  • Integrate the technical skills necessary for safe preparation, storage, and distribution of medications. 
  • Demonstrate clinical competencies as a pharmacy technician in a variety of settings.