Pharmacy Technology (CERT1)

• Pharmacy technicians are paraprofessionals who work under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist to assist with activities that do not require the professional judgment of the pharmacist. Pharmacy technicians assist with maintaining records, filling and dispensing routine prescriptions and medication orders, stocking supplies of patient care areas, maintaining inventories of drug supplies, preparing sterile compound products, accepting prescriptions and refill requests, and assisting customers and patients specific to the pharmacy practice setting.
• Program Highlights
• The Lone Star College Pharmacy Technology Programs offer experienced workforce faculty, automated dispensing cabinets, hands-on laboratory training and practice, medication packaging, prescription software, and IV Sterile Compounding Certification. Both programs are PTCB (Pharmacy Technician Certification Board) certified and PTAC (Pharmacy Technician Education Accreditation Commission) accredited.
• Credentials and Careers
• The Pharmacy Technology Certificate Program is a three-semester cohort program that provides an excellent introduction to the pharmacy profession. LSC-North Harris and LSC-Tomball offer a fall cohort program and a spring cohort program.
• Exciting careers are available in traditional pharmacy settings, such as retail and hospital pharmacies, and non-traditional pharmacy settings like compounding and nuclear pharmacies.
• Transferability
• General education courses (Core) are designated for easy transfer to Texas public institutions and applicable to requirements at private and out-of-state institutions.
• Technical coursework may be transferable to other institutions.
• Please consult with a program advisor for more information about transferability.

• Pre-Admission Requirements:
• Contact the LSC-North Harris program director at L.Lim@lonestar.edu or the LSC-Tomball program director at Angela.N.Bayer@lonestar.edu to determine eligibility and prerequisite requirements.
• Meet with a North Harris or Tomball workforce advisor to ensure eligibility.
• Receive a high school diploma or GED before applying to the program.
• Provide evidence of college-level readiness status by submitting previous college and/or high school transcripts from all colleges/universities attended.
• Have a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA.
• Applicants will be notified by email, mail, or phone of program admission status.
• Post-Admission Requirements:
• Provide a copy of the TSBP-issued certificate and submit to the LSC-Pharmacy Technology application.
• Complete all required immunizations, including Hepatitis B series,
• Tdap,
• MMR,
• VZV,
• flu shot for the season,
• COVID vaccine, and
• TB skin test as required by clinical affiliates.
• Provide a proof of current American Heart Association Basic Life Support CPR for Health Care Professionals certification.
• Complete a drug screen. Students will be provided with further information according to agency and/or college policy.
• Each applicant is responsible for contacting the pharmacy technology program director to confirm whether the application is complete. Additional information can be obtained from the Pharmacy Technology office at LSC-North Harris or LSC-Tomball.

• This award requires 32 credit hours in total.
• Lone Star College reports 816 contact hours for this award.

• Certificate PLOs- Jan. 17, 2023:
• Understand pharmacology principles by identifying the top 300 most commonly prescribed drugs by their drug classification, recognize their brand and generic names, therapeutic equivalences, dosage forms, strengths, and common severe adverse effects.
• Describe the various federal pharmacy laws, regulations, and professional standards related to storage, handling, waste-controlled substances, HIPAA, drug recalls, record-keeping, and documentation.
• Demonstrate the understanding of pharmacy quality assurance procedures and documentation as it is related to pharmacy inventory management, infection control, risk management, communication channels, as well as productivity, efficiency, and customer satisfaction measures.
• Demonstrate the knowledge of the medication order entry and fill process which includes the intake, interpretation, and data entry using accuracy in drug selection to promote medication safety, perform accurate dosage calculations, measure, label, package, and dispense to ensure proper pharmacy billing and reimbursement through third-party insurance while using specialized pharmacy information usage and applications.
• AAS PLOs- Jan. 17, 2023:
• Demonstrate knowledge and skills pertaining to pharmacy management and supervision.
• Display acceptable communication skills during interactions with patients, coworkers, and other healthcare professionals in a pharmacy environment.
• Demonstrate knowledge and awareness of how to sustain a successful pharmacy technician career which includes opportunities for advancement, board specialty certifications, and a commitment to advancing patient and medication safety.

• Tuition shown is the in-district rate of $111.00 per credit hour for 32 credit hours.
• Out-of-district Texas residents pay $249.00 per credit hour ($7,968.00); international and out-of-state students pay $313.00 per credit hour ($10,016.00).
• Lab fees vary by course and liability insurance, uniforms and supplies vary by program, so Lone Star College publishes no all-in total for this award. Tuition above excludes them.
• Financial aid and payment plans are available to most students.
• Application fee: none. Lone Star College applications are free.

Upon completion of the Pharmacy Technology Program students are eligible to sit for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam or the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians Exam.

Completed by Texas State Board of Pharmacy.

The certificate programs at both LSC-North Harris and LSC-Tomball are accredited by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP)/Pharmacy Technician Accreditation Commission (PTAC). Both programs are also Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) certified.

• The Student Success Course Requirement is satisfied through successful completion of PHRA 1202.
• The capstone requirement is satisfied through successful completion of either PHRA 1371 Pharmacy Management Profession Skills or PHRA 1372 - Advanced Practice Skills for Pharmacy Technicians.