Associate of Applied Science in Pharmacy Technology
Prepare for a Career in a Fast-Growing Medical Services Field
When you graduate from St. Catharine College’s 2-year Pharmacy Technology program, you will be well on your way to a fulfilling career in a busy hospital pharmacy or other pharmacy technician position. SCC’s Pharmacy Tech program is Kentucky’s first and only nationally accredited Associate Degree of Applied Science in Pharmacy Technology (all other programs in the state are one-year certificate programs). As a student of the program, you will learn in small classes where instructors get to know you well and provide lots of personal attention. You will also participate in a clinical rotation program that acquaints you with various pharmaceutical environments including a retail pharmacy, a community hospital and an acute care hospital.
Students who complete the Associate’s degree take two semesters of general education courses and two semesters of Pharmacy Technology core. In addition to the two-year Associate’s degree, the program is also available as a one-year certificate program in which the student takes only the pharmacy core. Some students use the Associate’s degree program as a way to gain insight as to whether Pharmacy School is right for them. The courses in this program, though not requirements for Pharmacy School, can provide some insight into whether you would like to work as a pharmacist. In this case, the student would strongly emphasize additional courses in math, physics, chemistry and biology.
Special Program Highlights and Features:
- Our Pharmacy Tech program is constructed on the ASHP model curriculum including Aseptic Technique and IV Room Management.
- SCC’s Pharmacy Technology program immerses students in the environment where they will one day work. It includes rotations in a retail pharmacy, community hospital and an acute care hospital.
- The program includes interesting field trips such as the annual meeting of the Kentucky Society of Health System Pharmacists (if held during the school year) and guest speakers who help students gain an accurate understanding of the challenges in the field.
- Class work includes discussions focused on relevant medical issues of the day such as medication error prevention, the advantages of childhood vaccinations and other such topics.
- Instructors are willing to assist students in locating employment, if desired.
- During the final semester, students take the national certification exam that will qualify them for employment in this demanding field.
- In addition to what is covered in most Pharmacy Technology programs, students learn about hazardous waste management and gain an understanding of the investigational drug clinical process, including clinical trials.
- Our Pharmacy Technology program is the only nationally accredited program in the state of Kentucky offering an Associate of Applied Sciences degree (other programs in Kentucky hold accreditations from national agencies, but do not offer the degree).
Interesting Courses You Might Take
Dosage Calculations – Learn the math needed to perform common pharmacy calculations. Areas covered include ratio and proportion, weight-based dosing, BSA, various measurement systems, nomograms, alligations, and calculations needed for preparing IV fluids.
Current Issues in Pharmacy Practice – In this capstone course, among other activities students use critical thinking skills to design a game using the information learned in the program to demonstrate pharmacy knowledge. Students complete an aging assignment, a research paper and a mock job interview. Sitting for the CPHT exam is required to pass the course.
Aseptic Technique and the IV Room – Students learn aseptic technique and the guidelines for USP 797. They also gain an understanding of issues surrounding a “clean room” and use a laminar flow hood and vertical flow hood. Beyond learning sterile technique, students will learn how to read orders, select a medication, calculate the dose, reconstitute the drug and correctly prepare syringes and IV fluids.
Meet the Instructors
Assistant Professor Jeannie Oldham, Program Director, has 31 years experience in an acute care hospital facility at the University of Kentucky at Lexington. She is completing a doctoral degree in Health Promotion and holds a Master of Science and bachelor's degree in Agricultural Economics.
Career Outlook for Major
Employment within the Pharmacy Technician field is anticipated to grow by a full 25 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures. This increase is much higher than the growth experienced by other occupations in the U.S. economy. The increase is due in large part to the vast increase in middle-aged to elderly citizens who typically require more prescriptions.
