Pharmacy Technician

The Pharmacy Technician programme is offered via both traditional delivery and distance education delivery. Its objective is to prepare students for eligibility to register with the Texas State Board of Pharmacy by providing training in the skills and competencies needed for success in a pharmacy setting. Students may learn basic pharmacology, pharmacy operations and procedures, business communications and computer software, combining classroom instruction with ample hands-on experience, and receive instruction in finding and retaining a job.

Students train in classrooms that simulate various pharmacy settings with the equipment and supplies found in a pharmacy, and use computers throughout their training. Graduates will be able to function as a primary pharmacy technician under the direction of the pharmacist, process and compound prescription and medication orders, perform the required calculations, know the brand and generic names, uses and side effects of at least 200 commonly used prescription drugs, and maintain medication and inventory control systems.

The programme includes hands-on lab hours, an on-the-job externship, preparation for career certifications, 20 skill badges, professional skills training, hybrid learning, and day classes. The Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) exam fee is included in tuition if taken within three months of completion, and the Texas State Board of Pharmacy trainee registration and fingerprint session fees are included in tuition; Microsoft Office Specialist is available at additional cost.

Southern Careers Institute was founded in 1960 and received its initial accreditation from the Council on Occupational Education in 1991. It trains students at eight Texas campuses and online, and its campuses are authorized testing sites for the National Healthcareer Association and Certiport. Students earn skill badges as they progress, and SCI Connect, the school’s career services portal, lets students build a profile with their resume, skill badges and videos of them performing job tasks for employers who post jobs there.

Before you start. Prior to the start date, you must visit the school and tour the campus (if you are enrolling in a programme with on-campus classes) and complete an interview with a licensed representative in the Admissions department.

Age and education. You must be at least 16 years of age. An applicant who is under 18 at the time of admission must provide proof of a high school diploma or GED and have written permission from a parent or legal guardian, who co-signs the enrollment agreement. You must provide verifiable official documentation of completion of secondary education within 21 calendar days of starting school: a high school diploma or transcript showing the graduation date, a home school transcript, a recognised high school equivalency certificate, an associate degree from an institution accredited by an agency recognised by the US Department of Education, or a foreign credential evaluated by a NACES member or a TEA-listed evaluation service.

Criminal history. Prospective students must provide criminal history information. Anyone with a convicted or pending felony violent crime, a convicted or pending serious felony drug crime, any sex offense conviction or pending felony sexual case, or who is a registered sex offender is not eligible for enrollment in any programme. SCI reserves the right to conduct criminal background checks.

English. SCI does not provide ESL instruction; classes are taught in English. Students whose primary language is not English must document English proficiency, for example graduation from an English-speaking secondary institution, a TOEFL iBT score of 61, an IELTS level of 6, or a grade of C in an intermediate ESL course.

SCI admits students without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, age, disability, or any other factor prohibited by law.

Pharmacy Technician requirements. To be eligible for an externship in a retail or hospital pharmacy, students must be registered with the Texas State Board of Pharmacy (TSBP) as a pharmacy technician trainee, which requires an online application and a fingerprint session; these fees are included in tuition. Registration may take up to six months, and students complete the application and fingerprinting after their first three-week course. Students with convictions or deferred adjudications may not be approved, and the board also reviews certain misdemeanors.

Shifts. The estimated completion time is 33 weeks. Allied Health and Business day classes run Monday to Thursday from 8:00 am to 3:10 pm.

Modules. SCI programmes run in three-week modules scheduled continuously; the externship module is six weeks. For ground programmes on the flex schedule, assignments and in-person lab classes are scheduled on two set days a week, and lectures are completed online through video instruction that can be watched at any time of day before the hands-on labs. Schedules are representative and may vary by campus and programme.

Externship. The externship is the final course; students start at their assigned site on the first business day after their last classroom course. Externship schedules should be 40 hours per week, are available only during the day (including for evening students), may require commutes, different shifts or weekend work, and are unpaid.

Tuition: $18,450.00; mandatory fees: $0.00; total: $18,450.00.

Graduates may find entry-level employment in hospitals, clinics, retail pharmacies, wholesale pharmacies, and pharmaceutical companies as a pharmacy aide or pharmacy technician. To be eligible for employment as a Pharmacy Technician, students must pass a nationally approved certification exam and register with the Texas State Board of Pharmacy as an Initial Technician.

Pharmacy Technicians can also work in long-term care facilities, mail-order pharmacies, research and development, insurance companies, and government agencies. SCI states that its Pharmacy Technician programme has been determined to meet the requirements to sit for the profession’s licensure exam in Texas.

Career services. Career Services are available to active students and graduates. Staff strive to meet every student before graduation for an exit interview that includes a customised job-search profile, an entry-level resume and a mock interview; they provide resume and interview help and work with local employers to match their needs with graduates’ skills. SCI does not guarantee employment or a specific starting salary.

Orientation. Before beginning their programmes, all new students attend an orientation session to hear about the campus and the learning experience and to meet the administrative staff, faculty and other students. Campus department directors explain the student support available and clarify students’ responsibilities and expectations. Students registered for distance-education courses also attend an online orientation that introduces the learning platform and the standards for postings, plagiarism, online etiquette and attendance.

Classes. SCI programmes run in three-week modules scheduled continuously (the AAS in Nursing runs in 15-week terms), and the externship module, where a programme has one, is six weeks. Learning new material may require at least five additional outside hours for every 20 hours spent in lecture or laboratory. To graduate you must complete all courses within the maximum time frame and earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.0; graduation ceremonies are typically held twice a year.

Support. Student services include tutoring, attendance advising and academic advising, and SCI gives referrals to community resources for housing, childcare, employment, transportation, mental health services and alcohol and drug counselling. SCI does not provide housing. Students receive skill badges to mark milestones and help market their skills.