Health Career Training
Programs
A Partnership Between
Gavilian College
Community Education
And
Boston Reed College
Gracia Brown
Discover a Career
in Healthcare!
Pharmacy Technician
Course Fee: $2299.00
Class Begins: Saturday, May 10 through December 20, 2008
Hours 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Classes do not meet: May 24, July 5, August 9, August
30, November 29, 2008
Boston Reed College
Founded in 1991
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Graduated– 35,000 + (sum total of all programs)
Current Enrollment- As of the fall of 2007—3645 students
actively enrolled in our programs.
Locations- Boston Reed is currently teaching in 123 cities
throughout the State of California, Maryland, Florida,
Texas, Louisiana and Maine.
Faculty- Boston Reed has over 900 faculty members.
Pass rate – 83% of students who begin a program
successfully complete the program.
Student Loan Program– Annually an estimated 200
students, who would otherwise not be able to take a
program, will receive loans from SLM Financial Corporation
to finance their education.
Boston Reed College
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Externship Partners- Boston Reed provides the
externships for all programs through partnerships with
almost 5000 healthcare providers so students can
complete the externship portion of the program.
Externship Outcomes- 98% of students complete the
externship portion of the program successfully. Of those
completing, 50 % received an excellent rating and 44%
received an outstanding rating.
Job Placement– While we do not offer a formal job
placement program, 85% of those graduates selfreporting are using the skills they learned in a job or
another educational setting.
Health Industry Need
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Six of the ten fastest growing
occupations from 2005-12 are in the
allied health field
According to the US Department of
Labor the need for Pharmacy
Technicians is expected to grow 30%
by 2012
Pharmacy Technicians can expect a
pay range of $12 to $24 per hour
Wanted – Health Care
Professionals!
An increasing life expectancy is
positioning the health care industry
as the key employer in the coming
decade.
Why is there an increased
demand? Any Guesses?
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Older population – need for skilled healthcare
workforce
Baby boomers approaching need for medical
assistance and medications
Increased retail outlets – including pharmacies in
Target, Costco and Wal-Mart
Change to 24 hour retail pharmacies – more
employees for shifts, California law now allowing 1
Pharmacist to oversee 2 Pharmacy Technicians per
shift, (used to be 1:1)
More skilled healthcare professionals leaving the
workforce due to retirement
Pharmacy Technician
Program Summary
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Course designed to prepare students for
eligibility to become a Registered Pharmacy
Technician in the State of California.
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27 weeks plus Externship
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182 hours of classroom instruction
120 hours pharmacy externship
Full staff of experts at Boston Reed College
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State Registration Process
Externship Placement
Student Records
What is a Pharmacy
Technician?
Pharmacy technicians work under the direct
supervision of a licensed pharmacist and perform
many pharmacy-related functions. They refer any
questions regarding prescriptions, drug
information, or health matters to a pharmacist.
Pharmacy technicians work in a wide variety of
practice settings.
Where Do Pharmacy
Technicians Work?
Other than retail pharmacies, Pharmacy Technicians also
work in these types of employment venues:
 Long term care facilities that have pharmacies in house
 Outpatient clinic pharmacies (such as hospital pharmacies that
serve their clients which are different from inpatient or retail)
 Health care providers including infusion and hospice
 Closed door pharmacies, which are those that prepare, mix or
package special types of compounded drugs or those that are
mail order processing only
 Research labs or biotech companies
 VA Hospitals & Correctional Facilities
 Instructors or program coordinators at colleges/schools
Are There Jobs?
● Walgreen’s indicates they will hire 10,000
Pharmacy Technicians over the next 5 years.
● CVS Pharmacy has developed an Apprenticeship
and Incumbent Worker Program to help promote
jobs and interest in this booming industry.
● Costco, WalMart and Target have pharmacies in
most all of their stores.
● This occupation is appropriate for all ages, Gen X,
Gen Y and Baby Boomers
Pharmacy Technician
“In the world of pharmacy, it’s increasingly the
technicians who are minding the store.”
Occupational Outlook Quarterly
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Does most of the work in preparing and selling
prescriptions (Pharmacists focus on patient care)
(Pharmacists check every prescription that technicians
prepare before it is given to a patient)
Techs retrieve, count, pour, weigh, measure, and mix
medication
Prepare labels and select prescription containers
66% in retail environment
Pre-Requisites
 Basic
English and Math
Prescreening
 18 years of age by externship
placement
 High school diploma or
equivalent (GED)
Before Registering
ENGLISH LANGUAGE & MATH SCREENING
ASSESSMENT
 In order to succeed in the course you must
have a basic mastery of the English language
as well as knowledge of basic mathematical
calculations.
 Sample Prescreening tests at
www.BostonReedCollege.com/students
Course Content
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Methods of Evaluation (80%
completion required)
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Pre-assessment Math and English
Quizzes
Workbook Assignments
Memorization
Competency Check-off
2 Midterm Exams
Final Exam
Externship
Equipment and supplies provided
During Course
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Access to the Internet, an email account and
access to a printer are required.
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Required weekly handouts for the course are
available online and must be printed out and
brought to each class session. Print out the first
week’s materials prior to the first class session.
Available for download at
www.bostonreed.com/students
Externship Eligibility
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Prior to externship, proof of completion
of the following:
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Current Physical Examination,
• Tuberculosis screening (TB test)
CPR For the Healthcare Provider
Current Resume
Competency in or completion of basic
computer operations
Externships
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Externship placement coordinated by Boston
Reed College staff
Boston Reed has contracts with national retail
pharmacies, clinics, and hospitals
Hours range from 8-40 hours/week
Students will be placed within 90 days of course
completion if available 40 hrs/wk, 180 days if
less than 40 hrs/wk
Students are not paid during externship
After Completing the
Externship for Pharm Tech
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Students turn in Externship Booklet to Boston
Reed and receive Certificate of Accomplishment
Obtain fingerprint and background screening
(must be done after externship)
Mail certificate of accomplishment and other
required documents with fee to State of
California Board of Pharmacy
Pharmacy Technician Graduates also eligible to
take the National Pharmacy Technician
Certification Board (PTCB) Exam. Not required in
California, but some employers incentivize staff to obtain PTCB
certification, (renewed every 2 yrs.)
State Registration Process
for Pharmacy Technician
After Your Pharmacy Technician Externship:
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Graduates are required to submit to the California Board of Pharmacy to
document your qualifications for licensing.
You will also have to answer questions regarding current or past drug/alcohol
abuse, mental disorders, convictions of law violations, etc. A background
check by the Department of Justice will be performed.
In addition to the completed application, the Board will require you to submit:
 Live Scan fingerprints
 Photograph of yourself
 A check or money order for your registration fee
The Board of Pharmacy, in its duty to protect the public
health and safety, can deny a license to any person deemed
to be unfit to practice as a pharmacy technician.
National Certification
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National Certification of Pharmacy Technicians
A Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) has successfully passed
the national Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB)
exam. This exam tests the knowledge and skills required of a
Pharmacy Technician.
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Certification is voluntary in most states, including California. In other
states, the PTCB exam is required.
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PTCB - A person is not eligible to sit for the PTCB exam, or to recertify
for the CPhT credential, if convicted of a felony that occurred within
the last five (5) years, and/or if the conviction was drug or pharmacyrelated.
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Whether the exam is required or not, most states, including California,
require that Pharmacy Technicians must be registered with the State
and can then pursue employment.
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A practice test and test-prep textbook will be included with your course
curriculum.
Cost Comparisons
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What other schools charge
for Pharmacy Technician courses
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College Certificate - $2195 - $2495
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College/University Credit or Non-Credit
Certificate Programs - $4000 - $6000
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Private schools - $6000 - $10,000
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Major cities - $10,000 - $17,000
Questions?
Gavilan Community College/Community
Education
408-847-2514
Community Education Office hours:
M-F: 9am-4pm
http://gavilan.augusoft.net
Course Registration
Boston Reed College
800-830-2228
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SLM Financial Loan Status
Externship Information/Questions
Student Records