This is published for informational purposes. Every effort is made to insure accuracy. However, the provisions herein are not to be regarded as an irrevocable contract between the student and the College. The College reserves the right to change any class, fee, provision or requirement at any time, taking precautions that such changes do not work hardship on students enrolled.
Pharmacy Technicians work under the supervision of licensed pharmacists to perform technical duties in the systematic operation of the pharmacy by providing health-care services and medications to patients. Technicians may perform operational and technical duties as pharmacists; however, a pharmacist must check all of a technician’s work before medicine can be dispensed to a patient. In addition, any issue involving professional judgment must be referred to the pharmacist.
Duties may include, but are not limited to:
Compounding (measuring, weighing, and mixing) medicinal drugs
Preparing and labeling medicines
Filling bottles and capsules with the correct quantity of medicine
Issuing medicines to customers
Stocking and taking inventory of prescription and over the counter medications
Maintaining patients' medication profiles on computerized or written records or forms
Filling orders for unit doses and prepackaged pharmaceuticals
Preparing insurance claim forms
Depending on the position, the technician may also manage third party billing, answer telephones, direct customers to items or to the pharmacist for medication consultation, receive written prescriptions, clean and sterilize dispensing bottles and instruments, answer questions regarding location of non-drug products, and operate a cash register. Since Pharmacy Technicians interact daily with co-workers, patients, and health-care professionals, good communication and interpersonal skills are essential.
The Pharmacy Technology Program at SRJC was established in 2001 funded by a grant from the Longs Drugs Foundation. A major in Pharmacy Technology is also available.
Developed from an identified community need, SRJC’s Pharmacy Technician Program maintains high standard of health-care education. The SRJC Pharmacy Technology Program is a Regional program. We service students in 5 counties; Marin, Sonoma, Solano, Lake and Mendocino county. The open access policy allows for any interested student. There is no application process. Annual Summer semester co-hort selection is based on SRJC College priority registration. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the educational requirements for an AA/AS degree while building priority registration.
A panel of accomplished and committed instructors work as a team to prepare students for retail and commercial job environments through an outstanding, multitiered health-care education. When students have mastered SRJC’s rigorous curriculum, they are well prepared for a meaningful career as a Pharmacy Technician.
The Pharmacy Technician Program is available as a Career Certificate and as an Associate in Science Pharmacy Technology Major. Students are encouraged to acquire their AS or AA degree concurrently. To earn an AA/AS degree a student needs to complete 60 units (degree applicable courses are numbered 1-299), a general education pattern (Option A, B, or C) and Pharm Tech major courses (25 units).
For additional clarification about the AA/AS degree requirements please contact the counseling office. Make an appointment with a Health Sciences Counselor by calling (707) 527-4451. If you are returning to school after several years, call the Reentry Office at (707) 527-4375 to access information and support services.
Both programs will prepare students to be registered Pharmacy Technicians and for employment in a variety of pharmacy settings.
Each year between 35 and 40 students earn their Pharmacy Technology Certificate. Out of that number about 1% students continue their education to become pharmacists or other health care professionals. About another 1% move to another state and about 1% move to other counties. The remaining 19 to 24 students, about 50% continue in their education to become IV Inpatient Hospital Pharmacy Techs with the completion of Summer Pharm 157.
The balance of graduates take their careers into the Retail Pharmacy sector. Many students are hired directly from their Clinical Rotation sites and have pharmacy jobs before graduation. In the five county area CVS, Safeway and Walgreens are the largest employers.
Program Mission Based on the major missions of the college, the faculty of the Pharmacy Technology Program at Santa Rosa Junior College is dedicated to facilitating the growth and development of enrolled students in becoming competent entry-level pharmacy technicians to function within the healthcare community they serve.
Program Objectives The major goals of the Santa Rosa Junior College Pharmacy Technology Program are to assist the enrolled students: - in performing skills with accuracy, utilizing skills in the workplace, and demonstrating proper equipment handling. - in utilizing critical thinking, recognizing quality, adapting and demonstrating good communication in clinical environment, as well as demonstrating good oral and written communication - in demonstrating professionalism and understanding of ethical decision making
Program Student Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this program, students should be able to gain growth and development in becoming pharmacy technicians with high ethics, professionalism, effective communication skills, critical thinking skills, clinical competency, and the highest patient care quality in mind.
Upon successful completion of this certificate, the student will be able to:
1. Pharmacologically classify a drug after having been presented with its generic name, brand (trade) name, chemical name and indication; 2. Interpret current federal and state legislation and name the agencies regulating the practice of pharmacy; 3. Create patient profiles utilizing information obtained from the prescription and the patient; 4. Read and write proper medical notation on the drug order and interpret information on drug labels and stock bottles; 5. Calculate the oral dosages of drugs, both solid and liquid forms based on currently accepted pharmaceutical mathematics; 6. Describe the pharmacological action, therapeutic effects, common side effects, doses and drug interactions of common medications prescribed to treat dysfunction of selected body systems; 7. Describe common pharmaceutical measuring, weighing and compounding devices and accurately use the metric, apothecary, avoirdupois and household systems to count and measure.
Successful completion of the Pharmacy Technician Program qualifies the student to apply to the California State Board of Pharmacy for licensure as a pharmacy technician, which is a legal requirement for employment. Graduates are encouraged to sit for the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam. Currently not a requirement, many employers provide increased compensation to pharmacy technicians once they become nationally certified.
A Snapshot of the Program's Certificate Semester Courses ~ Face to Face Courses are on Fridays and Saturdays (8am to 3pm and 8 am to 1 pm, respectively- subject to change)
Summer Semester: Pharmacy 150 Online
Fall Semester: Pharmacy 100, Pharmacy 101, Pharmacy 151, Pharmacy 152, Pharmacy 154 A
Post Program Completion Electives Summer Semester: Pharmacy 157 Elective Inpatient IV Hospital Aseptic Technique Training Hybrid
Fall Semester: Pharmacy 157 L Elective Inpatient Clinical Rotation
Please note that the program has mandatory background and drug tests.
Important Notice Concerning Eligibility for Clinical Sites in the Pharmacy Technology Program
Mandatory Background Clearance/Conviction Information ~ Mandatory Drug Screening Requirement for Students
WARNING: ALL STUDENTS registering for the ANY of the Pharmacy Technology coursework with the objective of completing the total program, MUST have a 100% CLEAR background check and drug screening.
Background checks are commonly completed on health care personnel, including students and volunteers. Current and prospective pharmacy technology students must at all times meet applicable employer security standards for placement in mandatory clinical rotations at selected sites.
Every student registered for the Clinical Site Rotations in the program will be required to submit to a background and drug screening prior to beginning clinical rotations as part of their clinical requirements. To complete a background check the applicant must have a valid social security card.
A history of felony conviction(s) or any bar, exclusion or other ineligibility for federal program participation could render a student ineligible for clinical placement.
If a student cannot obtain background and drug clearance, it will not be possible to place the student in the clinical areas, which is a required component of the program. In the event that a student cannot obtain a background and drug clearance, they cannot be placed. Students who are found to be ineligible for clinical placement will be unable to complete mandatory clinical rotations.
The following information was provided by Kaiser of Northern California. These restrictions prevent a student from being at any of their facilities. Students who are restricted from one institution that the Pharmacy Technology program uses are restricted from attending clinical rotations, since we rotate students to different facilities throughout the program. Therefore, accepted students who have any of the following convictions or a positive drug screening are not able to be in the Pharmacy Technology program due to clinical facilities restrictions.
A student with a background check that indicates any of the following felony and/or misdemeanor convictions within the last 7 years is not eligible for a clinical placement.
-DUI -Shoplifting - Violent crimes such as murder, rape, sexual assault, kidnapping, attempted murder, assault with deadly weapons. - Crimes involving theft, embezzlement, burglary, forgery, fraud, arson, identity theft. - Sex crimes including sexual molestation, and sex crimes against children, or any conviction for which a candidate is required to register as a sex offender with a state or federal agency. - Drug related crimes such as drug theft, sales, distribution, manufacturing and possession of controlled substances. - Multiple convictions (more than one conviction for same or different crime). - Name posted on any government sanctioned or debarred list Kaiser Hospital Memorandum, 2007
A student with a background check that indicates any of the following felony and/or misdemeanor convictions within the last 7 years anywhere in the United States is not eligible for clinical placement.
**Please note: if your background and drug screening is not clean, you may be contacted and advised that you can stay in the class but we will be unable to place you in an externship site. Without going to externship you are unable to pass the class. ** Keep in mind that we are not attorneys and therefore cannot give you legal advice.
Mandatory Drug Screening Requirement for Students
The Joint Commission requires that all staff members, students, instructors and volunteers meet new standards relating to criminal background and freedom from drugs. Clinical agencies hold students to the same standards as they use for their employees; therefore, in order to be placed in clinical students will be required to clear a urine drug screen test.
Any student with a positive result will not be allowed to participate in clinical training at contracted facilities that require drug testing. Since all students rotate through these facilities and clinical is a required element of each semester in the program, students will not be allowed to continue in the program.
Refusal to participate in the drug-screen portion of the requirement shall be interpreted as the student's unwillingness to complete the checklist of requirements and therefore that student will not be allowed to participate in clinical courses and will be dismissed from the program.
