Get the Skills to Become a Pharmacy Technician
8 Month* Pharmacy Technician Career Training in San Antonio, TX
Pharmacy Technicians often act as the bridge between patients and physicians or pharmacists. As a Pharmacy Technician, you’ll be integral to the success of any pharmacy. You’ll be responsible for helping licensed pharmacists fill and dispense medications prescribed to patients by medical professionals.
The best way to see if Southwest Schools is the right fit for you is to come and tour the school. You can tour our facilities and meet with students and instructors. Schedule a tour now or Get more info.
Becoming a Qualified Pharmacy Technician
At SWS, we want you to make the most informed decision before you take the next step with us. Our faculty and experienced teaching staff care about your success, so it’s important for us that you understand how Pharmacy Technician School will benefit your future!
Program Mission
To equip the graduate with the skills, knowledge, and abilities to perform the duties that are required of a pharmacy technician in a pharmacy environment.
Program Objective
Students will learn the basic pharmacology skills, pharmacy operations, preparing medications for dispensing, labeling, and refill authorization, transcribing physician’s orders and hospital charts, drug product election, business communication, computer applications, job readiness, keyboarding, and procedures for acquiring all necessary information. This program will assist students in preparing for the Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) exam. Although the program is designed to prepare students to take CPhT exam, the school cannot guarantee students will pass the exam.
Job Opportunities
Graduates may find employment as a pharmacy technician in a retail pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, pharmaceutical facility, drug-related companies, and residential pharmacy.
| Course Number |
Course Name |
Clock Hours
|
Qtr. Credit Hours |
|||||||
|
B101 |
Business Communication For Careers 1 |
25 |
. |
. |
25 |
2.5 |
||||
|
B102 |
Business Communication For Careers 2 |
25 |
. |
. |
25 |
2.5 |
||||
|
B103 |
Business Communication For Careers 3 |
25 |
. |
. |
25 |
2.5 |
||||
|
C101 |
Computer 1 |
10 |
40 |
. |
50 |
3.0 |
||||
|
C102 |
Computer 2 |
10 |
40 |
. |
50 |
3.0 |
||||
|
C107 |
Computer 7 |
5 |
20 |
. |
25 |
1.5 |
||||
|
J100 |
Job Readiness |
5 |
20 |
. |
25 |
1.5 |
||||
|
K101 |
Keyboarding 1 |
10 |
40 |
. |
50 |
3.0 |
||||
|
O101 |
Office Procedures 1 |
20 |
5 |
. |
25 |
2.0 |
||||
|
O102 |
Office Procedures 2 |
20 |
5 |
. |
25 |
2.0 |
||||
|
O103 |
Office Procedures 3 |
20 |
5 |
. |
25 |
2.0 |
||||
|
P100 |
Professional Development |
25 |
. |
. |
25 |
2.5 |
||||
|
P101 |
Introduction to Pharmacy & Pharmacology |
20 |
5 |
. |
25 |
2.0 |
||||
|
P102 |
Anti-Infectives & Pharmacy Law and Regulations |
20 |
5 |
. |
25 |
2.0 |
||||
|
P103 |
Nervous System, Drugs, Dose Forms & Routes of Drug Administration |
20 |
5 |
. |
25 |
2.0 |
||||
|
P104 |
Anticonvulsants & Community Pharmacy |
20 |
5 |
. |
25 |
2.0 |
||||
|
P105 |
Respiratory, Gastrointestinal & Basic Measurements |
20 |
5 |
. |
25 |
2.0 |
||||
|
P106 |
Urinary & Cardiovascular |
. |
5 |
. |
25 |
2.0 |
||||
|
P107 |
Muscle Relaxant, Hormones & Topicals |
20 |
5 |
. |
25 |
2.0 |
||||
|
P108 |
Chemotherapy & Nutrition |
20 |
5 |
. |
25 |
2.0 |
||||
|
P109 |
Certification Preparation Review |
20 |
5 |
. |
25 |
2.0 |
||||
|
P110 |
Calculation |
50 |
. |
. |
50 |
5.0 |
||||
|
P200 |
Externship |
20 |
. |
125 |
125 |
4.0 |
||||
|
TOTAL |
. |
430 |
220 |
125 |
775 |
55.0 |
||||
25 Clock Hours – 25 Lecture 2.5 Quarter Credit Hours
Students will learn how to use basic grammar and parts of speech.
(Prerequisite: None)
25 Clock Hours – 25 Lecture 2.5 Quarter Credit Hours
Students will learn sentence structure to write effectively. Emphasis is on punctuation and skills needed for effective business english. (Prerequisite: None)
25 Clock Hours – 25 Lecture 2.5 Quarter Credit Hours
Students will learn correct usage in written and oral communications for business. (Prerequisite: None)
50 Clock Hours – 10 Lecture 40 Lab – 3.0 Quarter Credit Hours
Students will learn basic use of word processor and spreadsheet applications.
(Prerequisite: None)
50 Clock Hours – 10 Lecture 40 Lab – 3.0 Quarter Credit Hours
Students will learn basic use of database and presentation applications.
(Prerequisite: None)
25 Clock Hours – 5 Lecture 20 Lab – 1.5 Quarter Credit Hours
Students will learn Rx software for use to fill prescriptions. (Prerequisite: None)
25 Clock Hours – 5 Lecture 20 Lab – 1.5 Quarter Credit Hours
Students will learn how to develop possibilities for employment by preparing resumes and interviewing successfully. (Prerequisite: None)
50 Clock Hours – 10 Lecture 40 Lab – 3.0 Quarter Credit Hours
Students will learn how to perform the proper keyboarding and formatting techniques. Students will have a goal for speed and accuracy to reach 29 words per minute.
(Prerequisite: None)
25 Clock Hours – 20 Lecture 5 Lab – 2.0 Quarter Credit Hours
Students will learn business office procedures, filing, office machines, processing mail, and ethics. Prerequisite: None)
25 Clock Hours – 20 Lecture 5 Lab – 2.0 Quarter Credit Hours
Students will learn the telephone systems and procedures for communicating properly, time management and working with others. (Prerequisite: None)
25 Clock Hours – 20 Lecture 5 Lab – 2.0 Quarter Credit Hours
Students will learn the fundamental business calculations used in today’s workplace, processing and understanding financial information. (Prerequisite: None)
25 Clock Hours – 25 Lecture 2.5 Quarter Credit Hours
Students will learn basics of personal and office skills necessary for today’s workplace. (Prerequisite: None)
25 Clock Hours – 20 Lecture 5 Lab – 2.0 Quarter Credit Hours
Students will learn the role of pharmacy technician, basic concepts of pharmacology, common terms, abbreviations, and Terminology. (Prerequisite: None)
25 Clock Hours – 20 Lecture 5 Lab – 2.0 Quarter Credit Hours
The students will learn antibiotics treatment, action, side effects, and dispensing. Students will understand the differences between fungi and viruses. Students will learn the law and regulations that govern the practice. (Prerequisite: None)
25 Clock Hours – 20 Lecture 5 Lab – 2.0 Quarter Credit Hours
Students will learn sources, and uses of drugs. Students will learn the introduction to pathologies of the nervous system. (Prerequisite: None)
25 Clock Hours – 20 Lecture 5 Lab – 2.0 Quarter Credit Hours
Students will learn various types of drugs to treat other CNS disorders. Students will learn dispensing, labeling, billing third-party insurance, receiving, inventory, and compounding. (Prerequisite: None)
25 Clock Hours – 20 Lecture 5 Lab – 2.0 Quarter Credit Hours
Students will learn the drug actions linked to respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. Students will practice basic measurement systems. (Prerequisite: None)
25 Clock Hours – 20 Lecture 5 Lab – 2.0 Quarter Credit Hours
Students will learn the drug actions linked to urinary and cardiovascular systems.
(Prerequisite: None)
25 Clock Hours – 20 Lecture 5 Lab – 2.0 Quarter Credit Hours
Students will learn the drag actions linked to muscle relaxant, hormones, and topical. (Prerequisite: None)
25 Clock Hours – 20 Lecture 5 Lab – 2.0 Quarter Credit Hours
Students will learn recombinant drugs and chemotherapy. Students will learn vitamins, nutritional and alternative supplements. (Prerequisite: None)
25 Clock Hours – 20 Lecture 5 Lab – 2.0 Quarter Credit Hours
Students will complete a comprehensive review in preparation for certified pharmacy technician exam. (Prerequisite: None)
50 Clock Hours – 50 Lecture 5.0 Quarter Credit Hours
Students will learn the essential calculation concepts and skills used by the pharmacy technician. (Prerequisite: None)
125 Clock Hours – 125 Ext. 4.0 Quarter Credit Hours
Students will perform on-the-job training that utilizes the skills that the student has learned in class in a pharmacy, hospital, or other appropriate healthcare facility. (Prerequisite: Completion of program course requirements)
Day Classes:
Monday – Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. with a 10-minute break for every 60 minutes of scheduled time and a 30-minute break for lunch from 12:10 to 12:40.
Night Classes:
Monday – Thursday 5:45 p.m. to 9:55 p.m. with a 10-minute break for every 60 minutes of scheduled time.
Weekend Classes:
Saturday and Sunday 8:00 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. with a 10-minute break for every 60 minutes of scheduled time and a 30-minute break for lunch from 12:10 to 12:40.
Program Length
Weekdays: 33 Weeks classroom study + 5 Weeks Externship
Night Classes & Weekend Classes: 49 Weeks classroom study + 5 Weeks Externship
Graduation Criteria
The student must complete a total of 775 clock hours (55.0 Quarter Credit Hours) within 150% of the published length of the program, and have satisfactory progress in both academic, as well as, practical training. The student must maintain an average of at least 70% GPA.
I am Graduate of the Pharmacy Technician program at Southwest Schools. The teachers at Southwest are the best. You are not a number at Southwest, the teachers care about you and your future.
Is a Career as a Pharmacy Technician Right for You? Take the SWS 'Pharmacy Technician Career Training Readiness Quiz'
This fun, online quiz takes 3-minutes to complete and you’ll get a personalized report. Identify your strengths and social style plus the training and positions you’re best suited for. Get Your Career Training Readiness score now.
Job Opportunities
- Retail Pharmacy
- Home Health Agencies
- Drug-related Companies
- Long-term Health Care Facility
- Healthcare Clinics
- Prescription Manager
- Pharmaceutical Companies
How Much Can Pharmacy Technicians Make?
The most recent salary information comes from the 2021 Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median annual wage for pharmacy technicians was $36,740 in May 2021**. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $28,740, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $47,580**.
How Long Does It Take To Become A Pharmacy Technician At SWS?
At SWS, we know your time is valuable. That’s why we take pride in our ability to provide small class sizes so that students get personal teacher attention. This allows us to help you get through the pharmacy tech classes in a timely manner.
- For Day Classes, the Pharmacy Technician program takes just under 8 Months* to complete.
- For Night Classes, the Pharmacy Technician program takes just under 12 Months* to complete.
- For Weekend Classes, the Pharmacy Technician program takes just under 12 Months* to complete.
Is a Rewarding Career as a Pharmacy Technician Right For You? Get More Info…
If you’re interested in learning more about a career as a Pharmacy Technician and exploring whether Southwest Schools is right for you, fill out the form on this page to receive more information.
For immediate questions, call 210-921-0951.
*Program length when completed in normal time.
**Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Pharmacy Technicians, on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/pharmacy-technicians.htm (visited June 12, 2023).