New Career Pathway Leads to Success as a Pharmacy Technician
Fleming College School of Education, Health and Wellness Launches Unique Pharmacy Technician Program
Fleming College is now accepting applications for their new Pharmacy Technician program, a new and innovative diploma program developed for an emerging career in the health profession.
The unique Pharmacy Technician program features an industry-based curriculum, a new state-of-the-art and multi-functional training lab and access to the largest selection of online and published resources organized specifically for Pharmacy Technician students. More importantly, the College’s program has also been awarded Provisional Accreditation status by the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP) for the term 2012-2015. This is a new designation with the Regulated Health Professions Act.
“Achieving Provisional Accreditation status is a key element for our program graduates,” stated Fleming Pharmacy Technician Co-ordinator Amanda Mushynski. “Not only does this recognition verify that Fleming students receive excellent training, it also qualifies graduates for registration with the Ontario College of Pharmacists.”
As a CCAPP accredited College, Fleming Pharmacy Technician graduates will be eligible to pursue registration with the Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP). Upon success, graduates can use the Registered Pharmacy Technician (RPhT) designation.
The program’s well-articulated curriculum is very unique. To advance the level of training for Pharmacy Technicians, Fleming courses have been designed in partnership with health industry professionals to ensure that students:
— Are highly trained and well-prepared for the National Pharmacy Technician Qualifying exam — made up of The Pharmacy Board of Canada Part 1 Multiple Choice Questions and Part 2 Objective Structured Clinical Exam),
— Receive more in-depth careful instruction that will enable students to prepare dosage forms such as medicated lollipops for children,
— Attain heightened awareness and study on how to prevent errors and understand the importance of accurate dispensing, prescribing and administering of medications when providing optimal patient care in the hospital and community settings.
“Our new Pharmacy Technician program is quite unique,” added Mushynski. “The curriculum design delves deep into the profession to provide a solid academic foundation and an applied learning experience that gives Fleming College graduates an edge over the competition when securing employment.”
Along with a distinct curriculum, Fleming College has set a new teaching standard with their new, multi-functional and state-of-the-art 2,000 square-foot lab. The modern lab features a fully-networked dispensary and laptops, one for each student, that are set-up with the latest industry computer software.
In addition, Fleming Pharmacy Technician students have access to a large selection of online subscriptions and many excellent published learning resources that compile a leading-edge library specific to the Pharmacy Technicians profession.
“Fleming College is committed to developing new and innovative programs,” stated Fleming President Tony Tilly. “We achieve excellence in student learning and career success by evolving our programs to ensure that students acquire the knowledge, skills and experience that are relevant in today’s job market.”
Pharmacy Technician students at Fleming learn specialized skills that support the work of pharmacists and other health professionals. They will learn the how to prepare, label and provide medications, compound prescriptions, manage third party drug plan claims, deliver medical device training, manage pharmaceutical inventories, and interact with patients and a variety of health care providers. Graduates will be qualified for a variety of positions in retail and hospital pharmacies, long-term care facilities, government and specialized pharmacies.
As Pharmacist roles change to meet regulatory needs and expanded practice, the need for skilled Pharmacy Technicians to take on high-level tasks has become evident. It is expected that Pharmacy Technicians will be one of the highest demand careers in Canada.
The College accepted its first Pharmacy Technician class in September 2011.
To join this growing field and assist registered pharmacists in the pharmaceutical industry, visit
Applications will be equally considered if received on or before February 1, 2012. Any application after this date will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis. This is important for over-subscribed (highly popular) programs where more applications are received than there is space available.
The Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs
CCAPP is responsible for the accreditation of the professional degree program in pharmacy at the universities in Canada and of pharmacy technician programs in the college-level system. CCAPP also conducts accreditation services and prepares evaluation reports for selected international professional pharmacy degree and pharmacy technician programs meeting CCAPP criteria for international reviews.
Fleming College
Located in the heart of Central Ontario, Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. Named for famous Canadian inventor and engineer Sir Sandford Fleming, the college features more than 100 full-time programs in Business and Technology, Continuing Education and Skilled Trades, Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Visual Arts, Education, Health and Wellness, and Law, Justice and Community Services. Fleming College has 6,000 full-time and 10,000 part-time students, and more than 60,000 alumni.
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For more information:
Paula Walton, Communications Officer, Fleming College 705-749-5530 x 1370 or paulaw@flemingc.on.ca