Pharmacy Technician (St. John’s)

Keyin College, St. John’s campus, is pleased to announce our Pharmacy Technician Program has been awarded FULL ACCREDITATION from the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP).   Please visit CCAPP for more information on the Stages of Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs.

CCAPP accreditation means that graduates of this program are eligible for direct admission into the Pharmacy Technician Qualifying Examination which is a requirement to becoming a Registered Pharmacy Technician through the Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board (NLPB).  For more information on the Technician Regulation Process, please visit NLPB.

Over the past five years, there has been substantial focus placed on the regulated status of pharmacy technicians. In 2007, The National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) prepared the Professional Competencies for Canadian Pharmacy Technicians at Entry to Practice. These competencies describe the roles and responsibilities of pharmacy technicians as regulated health care professionals, articulating that pharmacy technicians’ expertise focuses on the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the technical elements of prescription and patient information, and of product and drug distribution. Please go to NAPRA for more information on the Model Standards of Practice for Canadian Pharmacy Technicians.

Keyin’s 72 week Pharmacy Technician program will prepare the graduate for employment as a pharmacy technician in community, hospital and long-term-care pharmacy environments. Graduates will gain knowledge relevant to the technical and clerical aspects of the pharmacy profession, including inventory management, pharmacy software, and third party billing. Throughout the program, inter- and intra-professional experiences are stressed and evaluated along with other skills in extensive on-site laboratory sessions and during the workplace practicum.

Methods of teaching and learning activities vary in the Pharmacy Technician program. They include lectures, multimedia technology, simulated experiences, discovery techniques, group discussion, and structured labs. Students will be given an opportunity for job shadowing during the program and upon completion of the academic portion through the experiential training.

ROLE OF THE PHARMACY TECHNICIAN

Pharmacy technicians are now a regulated health profession in Newfoundland and Labrador. This has led to an expanded scope of practice for pharmacy technicians allowing them to take on more responsibility within the technical aspects of dispensing pharmacy practice. Pharmacy technicians are now responsible and accountable for ensuring the safety and quality of product preparation and release as well as for collaborating with pharmacists and other health care professionals to help deliver the best possible patient care. The role of the pharmacy technician now requires them to focus on the technical aspects of prescription filling with tasks that include:

• obtaining, entering and recording patient information
• obtaining verbal orders from prescribers
• transferring prescriptions to and from other pharmacies
• preparing and compounding prescriptions
• ensuring prescriptions are complete and authentic have been prepared correctly by performing a final check
• providing technical information to a patient such as training on a device
• assisting in compiling best possible medication histories for patients

Pharmacy technicians are needed in community and institutional pharmacies.