High school students looking to pursue a career in healthcare may want to consider the new Pharmacy Technician program available through the hospitals of Community Healthcare System.
A pharmacy technician performs pharmacy-related functions such as assisting customers/nurses, stocking medications, delivering medications within the hospital, operating cash registers, sterile and nonsterile medication compounding, inventory management, order fulfillment, quality control, and more. These duties are completed under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist.
“Employment of pharmacy technicians is projected to grow 12 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations,” says Elizabeth Clements, Director of Pharmacy Services at Community Hospital, where the training program will be piloted for the hospitals of Community Healthcare System. “As the demand for prescription medication increases, so does the need for support personnel. We are taking a proactive approach to fill this position now and in the future by expanding the training of pharmacy technicians.”
This 12-week program is ideal for high school graduates with an interest in the sciences and have taken courses that include biology, chemistry, algebra and English/composition
The training program includes classroom instruction, hands-on retail pharmacy experience, inpatient pharmacy experience, introduction to specialty pharmacy, introduction to ambulatory pharmacy, clinical education under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist and much more.
Community Hospital’s Pharmacy Department fills more than 55,000 outpatient prescriptions every year and processes more than 840,000 inpatient orders per year. Community Hospital’s Pharmacy department is regulated by the Indiana Board of Pharmacy. The department offers an American Society of Health-System Pharmacy accredited pharmacy residency program as well as a clinical experiential site of colleges of pharmacy. The hospital pharmacy serves as a site for ambulatory clinic services.
Tuition for the 12-week Pharmacy Technician program is $1,500. Upon successful completion of the course, graduates will be prepared to take a national certification exam. However, graduation is not contingent upon taking or passing a national certification or licensure examination.
Other admission requirements include:
- High school degree or equivalent
- Minimum overall GPA 2.50/4.0
- High school courses taken to include sciences (biology/chemistry), math (algebra) and English/composition
- References including personal, academic and previous employer, if applicable
- Criminal background check, drug screen, essential functions
- Onsite interview
Classes are scheduled to begin March 11, 2019. High school graduates interested in pursuing a career as a pharmacy technician and would like to request an application packet should contact:
Fred Tokarchuck IV, CPhT
Program Director/Technician Manager
Inpatient Pharmacy
901 MacArthur Blvd., Munster, IN 46321
219-703-1159/ fred.tokarchuck@comhs.org
