Pharmacy Technician (Distance Education) Program

With the shortage of regulated pharmacy technicians (RPhTs) faced by hospitals and other pharmacy settings across the country, there is no better time to become trained and ready to contribute to this essential health profession.

CTS Canadian Career College’s 78-week Pharmacy Technician program takes an innovative approach at providing quality education to those seeking a career in the pharmacy environment. The college is the first to offer the program through a blended distance education learning model, meaning students can take their theory-based courses online from their own homes or communities; there is no need to relocate to take the training on site.

Vision:
To be the recognized leader in pharmacy technician education as reflected in the quality of our graduates.

Mission Statement:
The Pharmacy Technician program strives to graduate pharmacy technician students who will:
• successfully obtain licensure,
• be the candidates of choice for employers, and
• be integral members of the pharmacy team committed to achieving optimal patient-centered care in collaboration with pharmacists and other health personnel.

Students acquire the knowledge, skills, and technical abilities to ensure both provincial and national standards of accuracy and safety required for pursuance of registration. In adherence to the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) Standards of Practice, graduates will master the areas of patient and prescription information as well as drug distribution.

This 1,800-hour program is taken over the course of three semesters. Check out the following table to see how those hours break down in terms of instructional delivery.

Theory-based portions are facilitated online. You will be given access to a state-of-the-art online learning environment, complete with activity based learning sequences and web-conferencing technology, to participate in instructor-led lectures and collaborative activities with your classmates. Various industry professionals, including pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and other health providers, will train you in pharmacology, microbiology, anatomy and physiology, compounding, retail and hospital pharmacy practices, and working in sterile environments, among other key topics. You will get the same experience as you would when taking on-site training… though instead of you asking a question to your instructor in a classroom, you can do so from your laptop in your own learning environment.

Your online training is complemented with a skills camp at the end of each semester. An additional week of skills camp training is provided with each semester (that is, you participate in a one-week skills camp after the first semester, a two-week camp after the second semester, and so on). These intensive skills camps are conducted at a CTS Canadian Career College campus in 40-hour weeks, again, to minimize the time students need to spend away from home. Our campuses have simulated lab environments with workstations enabling students to perform skills and competencies in a safe manner. Skills camps enable students to receive extensive, concentrated hands-on training in these simulated lab environments.

The final step of the program requires students to participate in 360 hours of practicum placement, where they will get the essential first-hand experience working in retail and hospital pharmacy settings (with 160 hours in each place). CTS Canadian Career College will work with institutions in communities across Ontario and other Canadian provinces to provide the most convenient placement options to its students.

This program was developed under counsel of the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP). As a graduate of this program, you will be eligible to complete the necessary steps to become a regulated pharmacy technician in Canada. These steps include completing Structured Practical Training (SPTs), the Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP) Jurisprudence exam (or other provincial Jurisprudence exams), the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) qualifying exams, and obtaining personal professional liability insurance. Regulation is mandatory to work as a pharmacy technician in any pharmacy in Ontario and all other Canadian provinces (except Quebec). Take your training from anywhere, and work anywhere upon having completed it. There is great freedom to be found in taking advantage of this educational opportunity! For more information, visit the OCP’s website and the PEBC’s website.

***ASK US ABOUT OUR 36 MONTH PAYMENT PLAN***

Enrolment Criteria:

• Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent (e.g., GED), or mature student status (19 years or older)
• English Grade 12 C or U, or equivalent (minimum grade required)
• Mathematics Grade 11 C or U, Grade 12 C or U or equivalent (minimum grade required)
• Senior Biology Grade 11 C or U or Grade 12 C or U or equivalent (minimum grade required)
• Senior Chemistry Grade 11 C or U or Grade 12 C or U or equivalent (minimum grade required)
• Successful completion of Program Interview;
  For International Students:
• TOEFL: 91 for iBT;
• IELTS: overall band of 6.5;
• MELAB: overall score of 81;
• CanTEST: minimum score of 4.5 for Speaking, 4.0 for Writing, 4.5 for Reading, and 4.5 for Listening
• Clear Vulnerable Sector Criminal Records Check must be supplied to the registrar prior to practicum.

Practicum Criteria: Physician’s Statement of Health form indicating up to date immunization.

Special Aptitudes: Organized and detail oriented; excellent communication skills; interest in medicine; inquisitive and flexible; neat in appearance; empathy for patients; work well under stress.

Program Tuition: $5,515.00/semester; Books: $1,500

Prior learning assessment & recognition (PLAR) is available upon request. Speak with your admissions counsellor for more information.