The Pharmacy Technology Program prepares individuals to assist the pharmacist in the duties that a technician can legally perform and to function within the boundaries prescribed by the pharmacist and the employment agency.
Students will prepare prescription medications, mix intravenous solutions and other specialized medications, update patient profiles, maintain inventories, package medications in unit-dose or med-card form, and gather data used by pharmacists to monitor drug therapy.
Vocational diploma programs are designed specifically for those who wish to enter a trade prior to completing an associate degree and may be completed in as little as three semesters by non-developmental students on a full-time basis.
Certificate programs train men and women for immediate employment and may be completed in as few as one or two semesters on a full-time or part-time basis.
Students should consult with their advisors to help plan a program of study to complete program course work and fulfill the minimum general education competency requirements that must be met prior to graduation from the chosen program of study.
Graduates from the program may be eligible to take the National Certification Examination to become a certified as a retail, hospital, or nursing home pharmacy technician. They may also begin a career in a research laboratory, wholesale drug company, or pharmaceutical manufacturing facility.
Students are encouraged to begin preparation for the sequences of major courses early so that there will be time for them to complete pre-requisite courses, including BIO 163, and other requirements before they begin in the fall semester. As many as three semesters may be required to complete these pre-prerequisite courses depending upon the student’s placement.
SCC Requirements
- Completion and return of the SCC Application for Admission.
- Submission of a copy of high school diploma or GED certificate.
- Completion of reading, writing, and math placement assessment.
- Reassessment may be done only once, but no earlier than three months after the first assessment.
- Meeting with an SCC counselor.
Submission of Required Documentation
Continuation in the in the Pharmacy Technology Program is contingent upon the submission of the required documentation on or before the specified date communicated by the college. These requirements include but are not limited to:
- Completed health form
- TB test within last three months
- Immunizations (required)
- Three tetanus vaccines (one within last 10 years)
- Two MMRs or two rubeolas, one rubella and one mumps or positive titers
- Immunizations (strongly recommended and waiver required)
- Hepatitis series
- Varicella or positive titer
- Certification of ability to perform essential functions
- Malpractice insurance
- OSHA training
- Certification from students that provides evidence that they meet the conditions of physical health and/or physical capability at a level that is acceptable to and in keeping with safe care to the public
- Certification from students that provides evidence that they meet the conditions of emotional health at a level that is acceptable to and in keeping with safe care to the public
Students will be provided a copy of the SCC Allied Health Division Medical Records and Health Certification Form with detailed admission requirements, along with a description of the essential functions of the program which students must be able to perform.
Students in the Pharmacy Technology Program with previous physical, emotional, or behavioral problems which conflict with the safety essential to pharmacy practice must provide professional certification that appropriate treatment and/or counseling has taken place and that the problem has been adequately accommodated to continue in the program.
Students in the Pharmacy Technology Program should take courses in the sequence specified in the curriculum master plan. They must achieve a grade of “C” or better in all Pharmacy and biology curriculum courses in order to complete the Pharmacy program or to meet any pre-requisites for program courses. Registration priority will be given to students in their first attempt of Pharmacy courses but students may re-register for a course in a subsequent semester if space is available.
The contract between Southeastern Community College and a clinical agency requires that the College abide by the existing rules and regulations of the agency. The College follows agency protocol regarding drug screening and criminal background checks. Accordingly, the College agrees to not assign, or to withdraw, any student from the clinical agency when the student is unacceptable to the agency for reasons of health, performance, positive criminal background check or other reasonable causes. Without access to the clinical facilities, students will be unable to satisfactorily complete the Pharmacy Technology courses. For further information, students should see the "Drug and Alcohol Policy" and "Drug, Alcohol and Their Health Risks" in the SCC Student Handbook.
At the discretion of participating clinical agencies students may be required (at their own expense) to be tested for the suspected consumption of alcohol/drugs. Students may be required to submit to testing after demonstrating behaviors or attitudes that may indicate the consumption of illegal substances or alcohol that interfere with the student's ability to provide safe and effective care. Clinical agencies retain the ability to refuse to allow individuals to work in their facility who may be using/abusing drugs/alcohol. Criminal background check and/or drug screening requirements are communicated to the students through the Dean of Allied Health programs or assigned designee
Dismissal of Students Faculty in the Pharmacy Technology program follow published college and Allied Health Division policies and practices that provide for identification and dismissal of students who do the following:
- Demonstrate physical or emotional problems which conflict with the safety essential to medical laboratory technology practice and do not respond to appropriate treatment and/or counseling within a reasonable period of time.
- Demonstrate unsafe clinical practices or behavior which conflicts with safety essential to Medical Laboratory Technology practice. Students who demonstrate behavior that conflicts with safety essential to Medical Laboratory Technology practice can be dismissed from the Medical Laboratory Technology Program regardless of whether treatment or counseling has occurred.
- Test positive for alcohol, illegal drugs, or legal drugs for which there is not a valid prescription at any time during enrollment in this program.
Students who demonstrate behavior that conflicts with safety essential to Medical Laboratory Technology or Phlebotomy practice or who have a positive test for alcohol, illegal drugs, or legal drugs for which there is no valid prescription can be dismissed from the Medical Laboratory Technology or Phlebotomy program regardless of whether treatment or counseling has occurred.
Students desiring to transfer into the Pharmacy Technology Program at SCC must meet the following criteria:
- Meet all program prerequisite criteria;
- Have been enrolled in the Pharmacy Technology Program at the former institution within the past twelve months;
- Have written verification of good academic standing and clinical performance from the former institution's Pharmacy Technology Program director.
All transfer pharmacy courses will be evaluated by SCC's Pharmacy Program Director. To be eligible to transfer, courses must be equivalent to courses offered at SCC in both theory and clinical experience. The Dean of Arts & Sciences will determine the transferability of general education courses.
- PHM 110 Introduction to Pharmacy
- PHM 111 Pharmacy Practice I
- PHM 115 Pharmacy Calculations
- PHM 118 Sterile Products
- PHM 120 Pharmacology I
- PHM 125 Pharmacology II
- PHM 140 Trends in Pharmacy
Lead Instructor: Sandra Nance