Healthcare

Pharmacy Technician Bridging

Do you have work experience as a pharmacy assistant? You can now advance your career with our part-time Pharmacy Technician Diploma Program

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Type

Diploma

Duration

48 Weeks

Internship

Unavailable

Program Outline

View Outline

Program Outline NS

About The Program

The Pharmacy Technician Bridging program is designed as a pathway for pharmacy assistants with work experience to advance their careers to become a Pharmacy Technician. This part-time program is 100% online and incorporates training in the workplace to ensure that students develop the “hands-on” skills they need to be employed as a Registered Pharmacy Technician.

Career Opportunities

The bridging diploma program will provide a pathway for pharmacy assistants to pursue a career as a pharmacy technician in community or hospital pharmacies, long term care pharmacies, and specialty pharmacies.

Employers Who Have Hired Eastern Grads

Nova Scotia Health Authority
Costco Pharmacy
Shoppers Drug Mart
Pharmachoice
Sobeys Pharmacy
Lawtons Drugs
Medicine Shoppe

Salary

100 %

Employment Rate*

$ 18

Average Wage/hr**

$ 27

High Wage/hr**

**Employment Rate based on 2022 contactable Eastern graduates employed in a related field within 12 months.

Source: workingincanada.gc.ca

NOC Code: 32124 - **Wage data rounded down to the nearest dollar and based on Nova Scotia data. Average wage doesn't reflect the starting salary but represents the middle value between lowest to highest wages. Local (or regional) income may vary. Last updated in Feb 2024.

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Program Details

There is a growing demand for healthcare professionals across Canada including Pharmacy Technicians who play an important role in the effective delivery of medications. Pharmacy Technicians also work closely with pharmacists to provide pharmaceutical care to clients. The Pharmacy Technician Bridging diploma program is delivered online and includes only 3 hours of instruction per week, which gives students the flexibility to work and attend classes online. The course will cover topics such as professional practice skills, pharmacology, product preparation and management of drugs distribution systems. Graduates of the program will have met the academic requirements necessary to pursue licensure as a Pharmacy Technician in provinces that have approved Bridging as a pathway to licensure; including Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Course Listings

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Management of Drug Distribution Systems

This course will examine various drug distribution systems in pharmacy practice and prepare learners to effectively manage operations in different practice settings to ensure safe and effective drug supply and distribution. Learners will explore distributive functions in institutional settings, as well as common drug plans and their formularies, adjudication challenges, inventory management elements, and common business practices. Accurate product release within the parameters of the pharmacy technician role receives special emphasis.

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Pharmacology

This course provides a practical, applied approach to pharmacology. Through a variety of learning tools such as assignments, quizzes, case studies, and group work, the student will enhance their ability to practice competently and contribute to a safe patient care setting. Participants will gain basic knowledge related to the pharmacological uses of drugs within a variety of commonly encountered medical conditions.

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Product Preparation

This course addresses the theoretical knowledge and practical skills essential for safe and accurate preparation of sterile and non-sterile pharmaceutical products. For non-sterile preparation, students will focus on compounding practices for various internal and external preparations and specialty dosage forms, equipment and tools, professional guidelines, standards and legislation, pharmaceutical calculations, and documentation requirements. For sterile product preparation, areas of emphasis include infection control, aseptic technique, parenteral dosage forms, accurate calculations, appropriate use of equipment, and quality control. Best practices associated with the preparation of TPN and antineoplastics are also covered.

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Professional Practice

Students will be prepared for entry to practice in four main areas of focus: ethics and professionalism, legal requirements, scope of practice, and communication skills. Through a variety of learning tools, the student will enhance his/her ability to practice competently within the professional practice framework.

Admission Requirements

Student has completed Grade 12 or equivalent.
Proof of a minimum 2000 hours of experience working in Canada as a Pharmacy Assistant within the previous 3 years.
Language proficiency requirement as per the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA).

Career Quiz

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Instructor Quote

Pharmacy technicians are health professionals that are in demand. Graduates can be assured they will find work they will love in a great variety of settings from hospitals to community pharmacies to specialty stores even in insurance companies or IT companies that service pharmacies - the sky is the limit. The role of the technician has expanded quickly and will continue to grow as pharmacists take on more roles. This is an exciting time to be part of a rapidly changing profession and help shape the future of pharmacy.

Karen Barberie

Pharmacy Technician Instructor