Purpose

This full time program prepares graduates for employment as pharmacy technicians in a variety of settings including community, hospital and long-term care pharmacies. Graduates will have the skills and knowledge necessary to perform the technical and administrative functions required to provide patient-centred pharmacy services. In addition, students learn to be responsible and accountable for ensuring patient safety and for accuracy and quality of product preparation and release. Students learn to collaborate with other health care professionals in the promotion of wellness and delivery of pharmacy services. Graduates will meet the entry-to-practice competencies outlined by the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA).

This program welcomes diverse applicants.

Duration

The Pharmacy Technician Program is 37 weeks of full-time study. Students must complete the certificate within two years of starting the program.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, graduates will be able to:

1. Perform the role of a pharmacy technician within current legal, ethical and professional standards.

2. Establish professional relationships with patients and healthcare providers in order to optimize pharmaceutical care.

3. Prepare pharmaceutical products safely and accurately using a variety of distribution systems.

4. Manage the practice setting effectively to ensure safe and efficient pharmacy services.

5. Integrate health promotion and public health initiatives into pharmacy practice.

6. Demonstrate the ability to access relevant information and apply knowledge to make evidence-informed decisions in pharmacy practice.

7. Use effective communication and professionalism when providing to or collaborating with healthcare providers and patients.

8. Establish and maintain collaborative intra- and inter-professional relationships.

9. Develop, implement and evaluate quality assurance policies, procedures and activities to optimize patient safety.

Admission Requirements

• Grade 12 graduation or equivalent.* 
• Chemistry 11 or equivalent with a minimum C+ grade completed within the last ten years

• Biology 12 or equivalent with a minimum C+ grade completed within the last ten years
• Completion of the VCC Health Sciences Math Assessment scoring minimum 80%
• Certified keyboarding speed of minimum 40 net words per minute with a maximum of 5 errors
• Attend a Program Information Session

• English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirement:
  1. Applicants who have completed three years of full-time, face-to-face secondary or post-secondary education at an accredited Canadian institution where English is the language of instruction must achieve the following scores on VCC’s Adult Basic Education (ABE) Assessments:
     • Reading           60
     • Writing ENGL 0991 level
  2. Applicants who have NOT completed three years of full-time, face-to-face secondary or post-secondary education at an accredited Canadian institution where English is the language of instruction must achieve the following scores on  the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) OR the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Scores are valid for 2 years only.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), Internet-based test (iBT)

• Speaking        23
• Writing            25
• Reading          22
• Listening         21

Total: 91

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic test only

• Speaking         7.0
• Writing             7.0
• Reading           6.5
• Listening          7.5

Overall Band: 7.0

*Grade 12 graduation or equivalent is a requirement mandated by the Canadian Council for the Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP).

Note: For applicants who have NOT completed three years of full-time, face-to-face secondary or post-secondary education at an accredited Canadian institution, the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) and the College of Pharmacists of BC only accepts the TOEFL and IELTS as proof of English Language Proficiency. No other evidence, including completion of VCC coursework or other studies in English outside of Canada, or VCC’s English Language Assessment will be accepted.

Upon acceptance:

• Students must submit a negative TB test taken within 6 months of acceptance to the program. If the TB test is positive, a negative TB chest x-ray is required.
• Criminal Record Check (CRC). Students in this program are required to complete a CRC. The CRC must be completed according to VCC's Criminal Record Check instructions. Students whose CRC results indicate they pose a risk to vulnerable populations will not be able to complete the requirements of the program (e.g. practicums) or graduate. 
• Up-to-date immunizations are highly recommended, and are required for practicum placements.

Program Requirements

Plan of Study Grid

Term One		Credits
PHAR 1101	Professional Practice 1	4.5
PHAR 1102	Pharmacology & Therapeutics 1	3
PHAR 1103	Pharmacy Calculations 1	1.5
PHAR 1104	Pharmacy Communications 1	1.5
PHAR 1105	Pharmacy Management 1	1.5
PHAR 1106	Community Pharmacy	7.5
	Credits	19.5
Term Two
PHAR 1201	Professional Practice 2	2
PHAR 1202	Pharmacology & Therapeutics 2	3
PHAR 1203	Pharmacy Calculations 2	1
PHAR 1204	Pharmacy Communications 2	1.5
PHAR 1205	Pharmacy Management 2	1.5
PHAR 1206	Hospital Pharmacy	7
PHAR 1207	Sterile Products	3
PHAR 1208	Practicum Preparation	1.5
	Credits	20.5
Term Three
PHAR 1309	Practicum	13
	Credits	13
	Total Credits	53

This guide is intended as a general guideline only. The college reserves the right to make changes as appropriate.

Evaluation of Student Learning

Students’ progress in the classroom, online and the lab setting will be evaluated. Theoretical concepts will be evaluated through quizzes, tests, exams, case studies, projects, presentations and assignments.

Evaluation of practical skills will be based on checklists and practical exams.

Each semester must be successfully completed before the next one can be started. It is not possible to re-do part of a semester in this program.

Students must achieve a minimum ‘B’ (72%) in all courses, and a minimum program term grade point average of ‘B’ (72%) to advance into subsequent courses/terms in the program. In addition, students must meet the zero tolerance criteria in pharmaceutical calculations in PHAR 1203 and prescription checking in PHAR 1106 as required by the accreditation body - the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP). Students will have three attempts for each zero tolerance assessment. If a student fails to achieve 100% after three attempts on either assessment, they will not be able to progress in the program.

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)

Prior learning assessment and recognition is not available for this program.

Transcript of Achievement

The evaluation of learning outcomes for each student is prepared by the instructor and reported to the Student Records Department at the completion of semesters. 
 
The transcript typically shows a letter grade for each course. The grade point equivalent for a course is obtained from letter grades as follows:

Grading Standard

Transcript of Achievement

Grade	Percentage	Description	Grade Point Equivalency
A+	90-100		4.33
A	85-89		4.00
A-	80-84		3.67
B+	76-79		3.33
B	72-75	Minimum passing grade	3.00
B-	68-71		2.67
C+	64-67		2.33
C	60-63		2.00
C-	55-59		1.67
D	50-54		1.00
F	0-49	Failing Grade	0.00
S	70 or greater	Satisfactory – student has met and mastered a clearly defined body of skills and performances to required standards	N/A
U		Unsatisfactory – student has not met and mastered a clearly defined body of skills and performances to required standards	N/A
I		Incomplete	N/A
IP		Course in Progress	N/A
W		Withdrawal	N/A
Course Standings
R		Audit. No Credit	N/A
EX		Exempt. Credit Granted	N/A
TC		Transfer Credit	N/A

Grade Point Average (GPA)

1. The course grade points shall be calculated as the product of the course credit value and the grade value.
2. The GPA shall be calculated by dividing the total number of achieved course grade points by the total number of assigned course credit values. This cumulative GPA shall be determined and stated on the Transcript at the end of each Program level or semester.
3. Grades shall be assigned to repeated courses in the same manner as courses taken only once. For the purpose of GPA calculation of grades for repeated courses, they will be included in the calculation of the cumulative GPA.