Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) has joined forces with University of the Sciences’ Philadelphia College of Pharmacy to provide an eight-week program to prepare individuals to become pharmacy technicians.

“The pharmacy technician field is a growing one,” says Jim Fox, MCCC’s Executive Director of Workforce Development. “There are over 1,400 pharmacy technicians employed in Montgomery County, and the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry expects a 12 percent growth rate statewide over the next decade. This training program prepares individuals to work in drug stores and hospitals, where they can earn family-sustaining wages.”

[uam_ad id=”54865″]

This 50-hour Pharmacy Technician Program prepares individuals to take the national Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE).  To accommodate full-time employees who may be considering a career change, the program will be held from 6 to 9:30 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday evenings, from Oct. 16 to Dec. 6 at MCCC’s Health Sciences Center, Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell.

To learn more about the program, interested students can attend the information session on Monday, Sept. 10, at 2 p.m. in Room 1770 of the Health Sciences Center, Blue Bell.

“We know this is an important and demanding occupation and we’re pleased to work with Montgomery County Community College to develop this program,” said Peter Miller, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at University of the Sciences (USciences). “We also understand that these workforce programs often start a career path toward higher education and advanced careers in the field. Our faculty are excited to provide instruction for this important training.”

“After we entered an articulation agreement for academic credit transfer with USciences last year, we started discussing better ways to work together and provide opportunities for Montgomery County residents,” Fox said. “USciences is the first College of Pharmacy in North America, and we are thrilled to be working with this world-class College to provide this training.”

MCCC and USciences have built significant relationships with employers including CVS Health, which accepts this program as an educational component of their Department of Labor registered Pharmacy Technician Apprentice program.  The CVS National apprenticeship program targets eligible youth (between 18-24 years old) to apply for a formal apprenticeship after completion of the Montgomery County Community College Pharmacy Technician training program and a 160-hour externship. The apprentices will receive on-the-job training, related instruction, and will eventually be prepared to sit for the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Board exam.  The Department of Labor approved apprenticeship program is being managed by PhillyWorks, MontcoWorks, and CVS.  Additional information on the apprenticeship program will be provided at the information session.

Visit https://www.mc3.edu/courses/bicec-1081-pharmacy-technician for more information.  Bernadette DeBias, 610-718-1967 is the contact at the Community College.

The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board advocates a single national standard for pharmacy technician certification, a position consistent with the approach used by other health professions, including the pharmacist licensure process. PTCB develops, maintains, promotes, and administers a nationally accredited certification and recertification program for pharmacy technicians to enable the most effective support of pharmacists to advance patient safety.

About Montgomery County Community College
For more than 50 years, Montgomery County Community College has grown with the community to meet the evolving educational needs of Montgomery County. The College’s comprehensive curriculum includes more than 100 associate degree and certificate programs, as well as customized workforce training and certifications. Students enjoy the flexibility of learning at the College’s thriving campuses in Blue Bell and Pottstown, at the Culinary Arts Institute in Lansdale, and online through a robust Virtual Campus.

As an Achieving the Dream Leader College, the institution is positioned at the vanguard of national efforts to increase completion, improve learning outcomes, and remove barriers to access for students. The College also is recognized regionally and nationally for its sustainability leadership, work with military veterans, community service and service learning opportunities, and use of classroom technology. For more information, visit http://www.mc3.edu.

About University of the Sciences

University of the Sciences has prepared students to be leaders and practitioners in the healthcare and science fields for nearly 200 years. Key to its distinctive education is a tradition of hands-on research and experiential learning that is evident in every graduate who has walked its campus. Since its founding in 1821 as Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, the first college of pharmacy in North America, USciences has grown to more than 30 degree-granting programs from bachelor’s through doctoral degrees in the health sciences, bench sciences, and healthcare business and policy fields. Discover how USciences students are proven everywhere they go at usciences.edu.

[uam_ad id=”54875″]