Pharmacy Technician

Contact Information 
Melissa Krava, associate professor/program director
melissa.krava@ndscs.edu
701-671-2114

Delivery Methods 
Face-to-Face: Wahpeton
Hybrid

The Pharmacy Technician program is designed to prepare students for careers performing and managing the technical distributive functions in pharmacies and pharmacy-related industries. By doing so, pharmacy technicians allow the pharmacist to concentrate on clinical services such as patient consultation, physician intervention, drug therapy analysis, and other clinical topics. The pharmacy technician performs functions of pharmacy practice that do not require a pharmacist’s professional education or judgment.

NDSCS offers two program options — a one-year (29 academic credits) Certificate and a two-year (62 credits) Associate in Applied Science degree. Both of these include six weeks of internship in community and institutional practice settings, which occur after all classroom requirements have been completed.

This advanced level program is jointly accredited by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP), 4500 East-West Highway, Suite 900, Bethesda, MD 20814 Phone 866-279-0681, and Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), 135 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 4100, Chicago, IL 60603, Phone 312-664-3575.

Students receive classroom, laboratory and practical experience covering community and institutional practice, sterile product preparation, manufacturing, inventory management, record-keeping, medical terminology, and drug products. Students also take courses in communications, writing, psychology and speech that will help provide them with the skills to advance in their careers. Upon completion of our program, the graduate will be eligible to become registered with the North Dakota Board of Pharmacy (which is required for employment) and are eligible for national certification.

The integrated Community Health Worker (CHW) curriculum prepares individuals to serve as vital links between healthcare systems and the communities they support. CHWs work to improve access to care, promote health education, and address social determinants of health by connecting individuals to resources and services. This online coursework with a required field-based internship, allowing students to gain practical experience within their own communities. Coursework covers advocacy and outreach, cultural competence, communication strategies, health promotion, and legal and ethical considerations in community health work.

Most pharmacies employ several technicians, and opportunities within the field are steadily increasing. Pharmacy technicians are found in community, hospital, and home health care pharmacies, as well as research institutions, manufacturers, and other industrial settings. Our graduates have enjoyed 100 percent job placement since our program’s inception in 1994.

Completed application for the federal criminal background checks will be required prior to internships. A previous felony conviction, alcohol or drug related misdemeanor may affect internship placements. The applicant must visit with the program director regarding this issue if it applies.

This program requires access to a personal laptop and printer, capable of completing the assignments/testing required by the program, with a current operating system and webcam/microphone. Tablets and Chromebooks are not compatible with online classes/testing.

Admission Requirements*

1. High school graduate or G.E.D.
2. Be 18 years of age before completion of program.
3. Complete the NDSCS admissions process and submit an official high school transcript and all official college transcript(s) to Enrollment Services.
4. Submit official ACT and/or placement testing results to Enrollment Services. Results must meet criteria to enroll in English 110 and ASC 90 Math or higher.
5. Applicants without a United States high school transcript (four years), will be required to complete English language proficiency exam(s) and meet the benchmark score(s) prior to continuing the selection process. Contact the program to schedule the assessment if this applies.

Students will be allowed to take PRMT 101 and PRMT 111 prior to admittance.

*Program Admission Requirements are subject to revision. Please check the department or program website under Program Admission Requirements for current information.

For experiential hours, specific immunizations, criminal background checks, and health insurance, are required by the program. Additional requirements could include but not limited to; drug screening/ finger printing and state background checks dependent on experiential site-specific student prerequisites. *All requirements must remain current while in the program and will be at the students’ expense.

Selection process details, contact information, and forms are located in the Pharmacy Technician Program Information and Selection Process Booklet available at www.NDSCS.edu/Pharmacy-Tech (click on Program Selection Process) or contact the program.

Award
Upon successful completion of the required courses, students will be awarded an Associate in Applied Science in Pharmacy Technician.