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Associate Degree in Pharmacy
- Length: 3 years (including one non-credit Foundation Semester
- On successful completion of 69 credits, the students would be eligible for the award of Associate Degree in pharmacy
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Pharmacy profession has been transformed from Drug centered to patient centered profession. The role of the pharmacy professionals has been extended towards patient care, promoting and assurance of rational and safe drug therapy for the individual patient. The pharmacy professionals can play much bigger role in the patient medication management by implementing the knowledge and skills gained during their academic education. This will help a lot in improving the therapeutic outcomes for the patients. Additionally, the pharmacy professionals are continued as key players in designing and manufacturing of new drug compounds and dosage forms. The development seen in the pharmacy profession is reflected directly on the pharmacy technician education, practice, roles and responsibilities.
The pharmacy technician will work collaboratively with pharmacists and other health care teams and will be committed to the patient centered care. Their expertise will focus on the knowledge, skills and abilities related to technical aspects of prescription and patient information and of product and drug distribution. Therefore, the pharmacy technician program graduates should have the knowledge, skills and abilities that enable them to play this expanded role. This necessitates the graduate to have a strong background in pharmaceutics and pharmacology and therapeutics and other aspects of the profession. Additionally, the graduate will be able to utilize this knowledge and skills during their practice in various pharmaceutical settings.
The pharmacy technician program in the College of Health Sciences offers a scientific education and training in the various pharmaceutical operations leading to the associate degree in Health Sciences. The program is offered over a period of 6 semesters including a Foundation Semester required of all new CHS students. During 2nd and 3rd year of their study there is a focus on professional courses in pharmaceutics, pharmacology, medicinal chemistry and hospital pharmacy. The laboratory and pharmacy practicum courses compose 60% of the total contact hours of the curriculum. In order to graduate, student must complete a total of 69 credit hours. The graduates of this program are fully prepared to work directly after their graduation in various pharmaceutical settings
 The major objective of the Pharmacy Technician Program is to prepare adequate knowledgeable trained pharmacy technicians who are competent to assume responsibilities in compounding, dispensing, storing and manufacturing of medicines and related items under minimal supervision in pharmacies, factories and other areas of drug management such as medical stores and quality control.
The graduate from the Pharmacy Technician Program should be able to carry out the following professional responsibilities:
- To compound pharmaceutical preparations according to hospital formularies and other internationally recognized pharmacopoeia standards.
- To dispense accurately drugs to patients, with appropriate labeling and necessary instructions for usage.
- To provide the advice to patients regarding the proper use and precautions of specific medicaments.
- To compound stock preparations and dispense specific medications those are equisitional for Hospital words, treatment rooms, clinics etc. With properly typed labels and necessary instructions for use.
- Apply the laws and Regulations regarding the Control for dispensing, and stocking of Narcotics, psychotropic and toxic drugs.
- Ensure that all the drugs and pharmaceutical products are adequately stocked to meet the demands, and making sure of their proper storage conditions and expiry dates.
- Prepare and submit requisitions, for the drugs and other medical related items needed for his work.
- Prepare inventory cards, and compile stock taking record in pharmacies, drugs stores, with special regards to their quantities and expiry dates.
- Compile data and submit statistical evaluations regarding any drug requested by supervisors.
- Recognize over dosage in submitted prescriptions and foresee the possible existence of incompatibilities (Physical, chemical or physiological) and alert the chief pharmacist for necessary consultation with the prescribing physician.
- Stock and arrange the hazardous, inflammable and corrosive solvents used in pharmacy in isolated vaults to avoid mishap.
- Attend to the cleanliness and safety of dispensing and storage areas, and attend to the proper maintenance of the equipment used in bulk manufacturing.
- To check and verify the drug items received with respect to physical apparent properties, expiry date and certificate of analysis as required.
- To update the drug record books.
- To maintain a proper order of the pharmacy library and periodicals.
The Pharmacy Program is a three year curriculum starting with a Foundation Semester for zero credit and basic science courses. This first year of study is the basis for the pharmacy professional subjects you will be studying in years 2 and 3. In the 2nd semester, one professional subject: Pharmaceutical Calculation will be given. In this subject you will study weight and measurements used in the pharmacy, calculation of doses and other mathematical skills needed in the field of pharmacy.
In year 2 and 3, you are going to study some of the pharmacy professional subjects namely: Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology and Therapeutics and Medicinal chemistry. Some of these subjects will have a practical session to enable you to practice some of the concepts studied in the theoretical part of the subject. Additionally, in the 2nd semester of year 2 and the 1st semester of year 3, you will be having training in the hospital and health centers pharmacies. Emphasis in this period will be on compounding, pre-packaging and dispensing of medications. In the last semester of study you will have pharmacy field practice. In this on job-training course, you will be exposed to situations where you should assume full responsibility as Pharmacy Technician.
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