Hospital Pharmacy Technician

Hospital pharmacy technicians are essential members of the healthcare team, working alongside pharmacists to ensure the safe and efficient delivery of medications to patients within the hospital environment. Their responsibilities encompass a wide range of tasks aimed at supporting medication management and patient care. These include, but are not limited to, inventory management, emergency response, medication reconciliation, and patient-specific preparation. With their expertise, attention to detail, and commitment to patient well-being, hospital pharmacy technicians play an indispensable role in the healthcare team.

Clinical Pharmacy Technician

Clinical pharmacy technicians work closely with pharmacists in specialized clinical settings, such as hospitals, specialty clinics, or outpatient care centers. Their role extends beyond traditional dispensing tasks to encompass various clinical responsibilities aimed at optimizing medication therapy and patient outcomes. A lot of the tasks they focus on include medication therapy management, patient assessment and monitoring, collaborative disciplinary care, and quality improvement initiatives. With their clinical expertise, professionalism, and dedication to patient well-being, clinical pharmacy technicians make valuable contributions to the healthcare team and positively impact patient outcomes.

Research Technician

Pharmacy technicians play integral roles in pharmaceutical research and development, supporting various aspects of the drug discovery, development, and clinical trial process. Working in research settings such as pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, or research organizations, research pharmacy technicians contribute to advancing scientific knowledge and improving patient care through their specialized expertise and technical skills. They perform laboratory support, drug formulation and preparation, clinical trial support, and data collection and analysis among many other responsibilities within a research function. With their technical expertise, attention to detail, and commitment to research excellence, research pharmacy technicians contribute to improving patient care and advancing the field of pharmaceutical science.

Long Term Care Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy technicians play a crucial role in supporting medication management services for residents in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities, rehabilitation centers, and hospice care settings. Working under the supervision of pharmacists, long-term care pharmacy technicians contribute to ensuring the safe, accurate, and timely delivery of medications to residents while adhering to regulatory requirements and promoting resident well-being. They are responsible for many things, for example: medication dispensing and distribution, regulatory compliance, resident education and support, and reconciliation and review of patient medication. With their dedication to patient care and adherence to professional standards, long-term care pharmacy technicians make valuable contributions to the quality of care provided in long-term care settings.

Government and Regulatory Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy technicians play essential roles in government agencies and regulatory bodies involved in drug regulation, public health, and research. Working in diverse settings such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), state health departments, and other regulatory agencies, government and regulatory pharmacy technicians contribute to safeguarding public health, ensuring regulatory compliance, and promoting pharmaceutical safety and efficacy. They can have a number of things they work on regularly, like regulatory compliance, drug approval and evaluation, and public education and outreach.  With their expertise, professionalism, and commitment to regulatory excellence, government and regulatory pharmacy technicians uphold the highest standards of pharmaceutical regulation and contribute to the protection and promotion of public health.

Pharmacy Technician Education at ANU

For many of these roles, not only do technicians need to have certification, but many also require education as well. With American National University’s Pharmacy Technician associate degree program, you can earn your degree to better your chances of making a break from retail pharmacy work. You’ll have two 120-hour externships (for a total of 240 hours) to gain experience within the field. You’ll gain a deep understanding of the job with our at-home lab kits and access to the real life pharmacy technology of PioneerRx – all included in the cost of your tuition. Not only that, but ANU will cover the cost of your background check so that you can get started in your future career without worry of extra costs. To find out more about our pharmacy technician degree program, go to virginia.an.edu.

American National University – Be live, in class, from anywhere.

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Laquae mentioned trouble finding a job in his career during the pandemic as the reason he began the pharmacy technician diploma program. And he returned to ANU because of the way we structured our curriculum.

“I love the school, I love the way the curriculum is set up, and I feel as if I went somewhere else, I probably wouldn’t put in as much effort,” Laquae reflects.

With his busy schedule, working two jobs while in school, scheduling flexibility is important. He explains, “if there’s something that I can’t do or if a particular Zoom course isn’t going to work that day, it can be changed to where it can better suit me. And I really, really enjoy that, because it helps.”

When it comes to his classes, Laquae enjoyed utilizing his lab kits in class. He describes all of the materials he received in them – from goggles, gloves, a scale, to even a lab coat. “I think that those courses where I’m going to be able to dive into that kit, I think that’s really, really going to prepare me in being a pharmacy tech,” he says. Laquae goes on to say that the small number of students in his courses has helped him focus as well.  In speaking about one of his classes where he utilizes his lab kit, “I think, in that course, there was maybe six of us in there. So it was really easy to dive in and be quick to ask questions… and help each other out.”

During his first time at ANU, Laquae fondly recalls a professor, Michel Awad, that he had that helped him through tough times. He attended during the thick of Covid, and like many others around the world, the pandemic took its toll on him. However, Michel was a beam of light that understood and worked with him throughout his course. “I can honestly say it’s just the rapport that can be built with the instructors at ANU – I really don’t think I would get that anywhere else,” he explains. Even in his time now, Laquae finds that speaking with his instructors and professors is not only easy but helps him better his education and experience.

Overall, of his entire time at ANU, Laquae has enjoyed the curriculum. He explains that it’s easy to navigate things like Canvas and his courses, everything is accessible, and everyone he speaks to is helpful.

“If there’s something I don’t understand or don’t get or find difficult to understand – I have the instructors right there, classmates right there. Everything is just at your fingertips.”

For his future goals, Laquae wants to move back home to Tennessee and wants to work in a pharmacy – working his way up from pharmacy technician. “I really want to see where this is going to take me… deep down in my gut, I feel like this is going to be it – this is my foundation,” he says of his program, “this is where I belong.” He hopes to go for pharmacy school in the future now that he is secure that pharmacy is the career he wants to be in.

“I would definitely refer ANU to anyone willing to further their education in whatever they’re looking to do,” he says. “Give ANU a try… you will not be disappointed because the help is there. The instructors are great, the financial advisors will walk you through everything. If there’s something you don’t understand… they will give you the resources you need for financial aid.”

His advice to those who start at ANU: “Ask questions – don’t be afraid. Don’t let your age in life hold you back. Go for it… The help is there, the instructors are great, you will be able to interact with people who are possibly going through the same things you are in life.”

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Donald Collins’ Story with ANU

As a veteran, Donald Collins wanted to pursue his education after struggling with an injury and being unemployed. With friends of his working at a large retail pharmacy chain, Donald wanted to become a pharmacy technician. He utilized the VRRAP before it closed in December of 2022 and that allowed him to pursue an education in his new field of pharmacy. Donald has been able to dedicate his time to learning the ins-and-outs of being a pharmacy technician with American National University’s 100% online diploma program. With his ambition and his drive to change his future, Donald became Term 232’s Pharmacy Technician Diploma Student of the Term!

Donald began pursuing his pharmacy technician career through his friends who worked within a large retail pharmacy. With the pain from his injuries, Donald worried about joining the field. However, he found ANU’s online program because of the reputation of our campus locations. “I really didn’t think I could do this because of the pain, mostly, but it’s getting better!” He says. With our 100% online programs, Donald earns the skills he needs to join a pharmacy without leaving his home. Donald learns from at-home lab kits and online access to the PioneerRx software used in today’s pharmacies. He gains a better education than one he would receive from on-the-job training!

Being a veteran, Donald wants to work closely with other veterans to ensure they receive proper care like he has before. He wishes to work in the Veteran Affairs hospital in their pharmacy. With those goals, he feels that ANU’s program is preparing him more than needed in other pharmacies.

“Everything [my professors] are teaching me is preparing me for that,” he describes, “I’ve taken a class to [use PioneerRx] on the computer, but the VA isn’t up to date with that… so I figured it would be a lot easier!”

His classes have allowed Donald to get the one-on-one attention he needs from his professors. He says, “two of my classes, I have been the only student… at first it was kind of scary being the only student. But it went well, I learned a lot!” Not only does he get to have a small class size, but he got to learn first-hand how experienced his professors are in their field.

“I learned a lot about the professors… a lot of their history and how they got where they are.”

Not only that, but he learns a lot from his textbooks. He mentions having stacks of notes for every bit of information he learns to commit it to memory. “And having the book read to you is pretty awesome. I just put it on my TV and just listen!”

Donald served four years in the National Guard, and he describes he was only activated one time in that four years to assist during the disaster of Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Because of his service, he was able to utilize the VRRAP benefits awarded to veterans in March 2021. That covered 12 months of tuition and a housing allowance for him for his education. “I just made it,” he says, regarding the deadline of December 2022 to put in applications.

“I tried to encourage a lot of people to do it – why wouldn’t you?”

His future goals include working in the Veteran Affairs hospital near him to not only make beneficial change to veteran healthcare, but to give back to those who have helped him.

Donald would definitely recommend ANU to those looking to pursue their higher education. He says, “because it’s online, you can be anywhere. One of my instructors was teaching from Hawaii one day!”

His advice to new students at ANU is: “Do not give up. I wanted to throw the towel in several times and I’m glad I didn’t!”

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American National University has recently been re-approved for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title I program. The WIOA program provides government funds for laid-off workers to enroll in approved programs for additional education that will give them greater opportunities. By helping them learn and develop new skills, we prepare unemployed workers for careers in the evolving global economy.

WIOA program approval extends to the following courses:

• Pharmacy Technician (Diploma and Associate’s)
• Paralegal (Diploma and Associate’s)
• Phlebotomy & ECG Diploma
• Network Support Associate’s
• Business Administration Associate’s
• Business Administration – Accounting (Diploma and Associate’s)
• Medical Coding & Billing Diploma
• Medical Assisting (Certificate and Associate’s)
• Health Information Management Associate’s
• Administrative Medical Assisting Associate’s

The application was approved by the Western Virginia Workforce Development Board (WVWDB) and Chief Local Elected Officials (CLEO) in Local Workforce Development Area 3 (LWDA3).

For more information on how you may qualify, call 833.388.1100, click, or Zoom an admissions representative today!

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