Pharmacy Technician
Undergraduate Program
Diploma Credentials
Download Fact Sheet
Canadian Imperial College offers an Undergraduate Pharmacy Technician Diploma Program. This is a 49-week program that will prepare students for a rewarding career as a Regulated Pharmacy Technician. As a valuable member of the pharmacy team, graduates will be able to assist the pharmacist with a variety of tasks including processing prescriptions and dispensing medications to patients, compounding non-sterile and sterile products, inventory management, medical device training and other pharmacy activities. Graduates will possess the knowledge and technical training to work as a Pharmacy Technician in a variety of health care settings, such as hospitals, long-term care facilities and community pharmacies.
| School | Health |
| Credits | 60 |
| Course Length | Five semesters (1-year) |
| Hours | 20 hrs/week x 49 weeks |
| Credential | Diploma |
| Delivery Options | Onsite, Online, and Combination. |
| Instruction Options | Full-time |
| Offered | Fall and Winter |
| Practicum | Yes |
| Tuition | (See breakdown below) |
| Home Student | CAD 21,000.00 / year |
| International Student | CAD 28,000.00 / year |
Regular Applicants
- Secondary school graduation or equivalent;
- With the successful completion of
- Biology 30,
- Chemistry 30,
- Mathematics 30-1 or Math 30-2
- English Language Arts 30-1 or English 30-2
Mature Applicants
- Mature applicants are at least 19 years of age and have been out of the full-time senior secondary study for at least one year.
International Applicants
- Applicants who are not national students who meet the guidelines established for international students studying in Canada by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
- All applicants must be high school graduates or equivalent;
- With the successful completion of
- Biology 30,
- Chemistry 30,
- Mathematics 30-1 or Math 30-2
- English Language Arts 30-1 or English 30-2
- Applicants must have proof of English Proficiency test with results.
- Applicants with non-English documents must provide English translated and notarized documentation.
Minimum English Proficiency Test Result
Recommended English Proficiency
- IELTS- International English Language Testing Service:
- Overall Band of 6.5.
- With nothing less than 6.
- TOEFL (TOEFL iBT® and TOEFL® Essentials™):
- Overall score of 91.
- with nothing less than 25.
Additioanlly Accepted English Proficiency
- MELAB- Michigan English Assessment Battery:
- Overall score of 81
- with nothing less than 80
- CanTest- The Canadian Test of English for Scholars and Trainees
- ** CanTEST does not report total scores/point
- with nothing less than 4.5
Additional Requirements:
- Negative Criminal Record Check including a vulnerable sector check.
- Immunization report showing current immunization and free of communicable diseases.
- Interview with Pharmacy Technician Program Coordinator.
Graduates of the program will qualify to write the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) Qualifying Exam and register with the Alberta College of Pharmacy (ACP). Fully Licensed Pharmacy Technician can find employment in:
- hospital pharmacy,
- community pharmacy or
- long-term care pharmacy.
Being a Pharmacy Technician can be a stressful and physically challenging career and applicants should be prepared to be standing for long periods of time and must have good manual dexterity and computer / typing skills. Please refer to the Working Conditions and Traits & Skills sections of the ALIS website Pharmacy Technician: Occupations in Alberta – alis for a list of what to expect as a Regulated Pharmacy Technician.
| Title | Hours |
Semester 1 | |
| Foundations of Pharmacy | 75 |
| Professional Roles and Ethics | 50 |
| Jurisprudence | 50 |
| Medical Terminology/Anatomy/Physiology/Pathology | 75 |
| Title | Hours |
Semester 2 | |
| Pharmacology | 100 |
| Pharmacy Caclulations | 100 |
| Pharmacy Computer Systems | 50 |
| Title | Hours |
Semester 3 | |
| Non-Sterile Compounding | 75 |
| Community Pharmacy Practice | 100 |
| Inter/Intra Professional Collaboration | 25 |
| Professional Skills | 50 |
| Title | Hours |
Semester 4 | |
| Sterile Compounding | 100 |
| Pharmacy Calculations II | 25 |
| Hospital and Institution Practice | 75 |
| Preparation for Practice | 50 |
| Title | Hours |
Semester 5 | |
| Community Pharmacy Practicum | 160 |
| Hospital Practicum | 160 |
| Elective Practicum | 40 |
Pharmacy Technician Courses
Foundations of Pharmacy: The Foundations of Pharmacy course provides students with the introductory content they need to understand what a pharmacy is, the roles in a pharmacy and the organizations involved in regulating and governing the pharmacy profession. The origin of drugs and different ways of classifying them will be presented to the students. The different routes of administration and dosage forms that medications are available in will also be taught to the students. Students will learn what a prescription is and the basics of deciphering the information to create instructions for the patients to follow.
Professional Roles and Ethics: The Ethics and Professionalism course provides students with the knowledge of ethical principles and professional behaviors expected in the practice of pharmacy. Students will be taught the importance of performing in a professional, ethical, legal, and competent manner. This course will explain the ethical and professional standards that apply to licensed pharmacy professionals on a provincial and national level. Student will learn the importance of effective communication and the value of teamwork within patients circle of care. Types of medication errors and the importance of reporting them will also be discussed.
Jurisprudence: The Jurisprudence course will provide the students with the understanding of legislation and regulations that govern the pharmacy profession. They will become familiar with federal and provincial laws and regulations. The students will learn the drug schedules and the conditions that must be met to dispense medications. They will also discuss the importance of privacy and confidentially within the health care system.
Medical Terminology/Anatomy/Physiology/Pathology: The Medical Terminology, Anatomy and Physiology course will allow students to master the modern terminology of healthcare and learn techniques for decoding any new term throughout their careers. Students will develop an understanding of the technical language of medicine and are introduced to medical terminology and its essential suffixes and prefixes, and then guided through each key body system. Common medical acronyms, drug names and laboratory tests will be introduced to the students.
Practicum
Students are required to complete an unpaid2 practicum in a community pharmacy and a hospital pharmacy. Students will be required to use the skills and knowledge they acquired while they were in the program in a real-world setting. While every effort will be made to place a student in a site of their choice, there are no guaranteed placements. Practicum availability may be outside of Edmonton and the surrounding areas.3 The student may be required to work some evening, weekend, and holiday shifts to get the best representation of the workflow of a pharmacy.
2 To avoid any bias, if the student currently works in a pharmacy they cannot complete their practicum at that site, or any site they may have worked at in the past. They also cannot complete the practicum at a site where they have a close personal relationship with another pharmacy employee / proprietor.
3 Transportation, living accommodations and other costs related to clinical placements are the responsibility of the student.
*Graduates of this program will also receive certification in First Aid and CPR.
