The demand for pharmacy technicians is expected to grow much faster than the average career field through 2016, according to new economic predictions. With that outlook, Barton Community College will begin a Pharmacy Technician Certificate Program this fall in collaboration with North Central Kansas Technical College, Hays campus.

All courses of the program will be offered online with the exception of the required pharmacology technician internship. Instructor for the courses will be Brian Dechant, Director of Pharmacy Technician Studies for NCKTC, Hays campus.

Dechant attributes the growing need for pharmacy technicians to the fact that the population of the United States is growing older and there is greater access to healthcare due to insurance and Medicare Part D for retirees. In addition, President Obama is pushing for even more access to healthcare in the current Legislature.

"That will lead to even greater access to healthcare and that path leads to the pharmacy to help relieve or cure symptoms," Dechant said. "These initiatives will increase the need for trained technicians to assist the pharmacist in all aspects of pharmaceutical care."

Job opportunities will be good for full-time and part-time technicians, especially those with formal training. Certified pharmacy technicians can expect greater earnings capabilities.
Many states formally recognize - either as a requirement or as a strong suggestion - that pharmacy technicians receive at least some type of formal training to insure that they have an understanding of pharmacy procedures, said Dechant, who is a licensed and national registered pharmacy technician with both military and industry experience.

Dechant has been teaching in the NCKTC Pharmacy Technician program for four years and has been director of the program for two years. He will teach the online courses for both institutions via NCKTC's platform. The students will enroll with their respective institutions.
Collaboration with NCKTC allows Barton to expand the number of healthcare career options it offers to students, said Leonard Bunselmeyer, Barton's Executive Director of Healthcare and Public Safety Education.

He said the Pharmacy Technician course complements choices already available at Barton, including Adult Health Care, Dietary Manager, EMT/Paramedic, Medical Assisting, Medical Coding, Medical Transcription, Medical Laboratory Technician, Nursing and Phlebotomist.
"The collaboration also allows Barton to draw upon the quality of an experienced director/instructor and it fits into the overall plan of the Kansas Board of Regents, which has been urging colleges to collaborate," Bunselmeyer said.

Pharmacy Technician courses offered this fall are Orientation to Pharmacy Technician, Pharmacology and Pharmacy Calculations, each for three hours college credit. Additional pharmacy technician courses offered for the certificate in the spring semester are Pharmacy Operations, three credit hours; Certification Review, one credit hour; and the Pharmacology Technician Internship, six credit hours.

General education courses required for the certificate are Medical Terminology, Customer Service and Business English.

Pharmacy technicians help pharmacists by counting tablets and labeling bottles. They also answer phones, stock shelves and operate cash registers. They refer questions regarding prescriptions, drug information or health issues to the pharmacist. All prescriptions must be checked by a pharmacist before they are given to the patient.

Pharmacy technicians can work in retail pharmacies, mail-order pharmacies, hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, grocery stores, department stores and mass retail businesses. Strong customer service skills are needed because pharmacy technicians work with patients, co-workers and healthcare professionals.

For more information about Barton's Pharmacy Technician Program, contact Bunselmeyer, 620-792-9393; e-mail, bunselmeyerl@bartonccc.edu. To enroll in the program, contact Barton's Enrollment Services, 620-792-9252 or 800-722-6842.

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