Pharmacy Technician Diploma Program

Step Into a High-Demand Pharmacy Career

Offered by Lewis University at the St. Augustine College Location

Lewis University’s Pharmacy Technician Diploma Program, offered at St. Augustine College provides students with the skills and knowledge needed to work in retail and hospital pharmacies, assisting pharmacists in medication dispensing, inventory management, and patient care. Through a blend of classroom instruction and hands-on experience, students develop the technical expertise required to excel in this growing field.

Employment for pharmacy technicians is projected to grow 6% by 2032, as pharmacists take on more direct patient care responsibilities. This 9-month program includes a 160-hour externship, ensuring that graduates have real-world experience before entering the workforce.

Lewis University’s Pharmacy Technician Diploma Program is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education to be offered at the Chicago campus of Lewis University. With dedicated faculty, career-focused coursework, and hands-on learning, students are prepared for success in a career as a pharmacy technician in medical settings in Chicago, Illinois, and across the country.

Take the First Step Toward Your Career

A rewarding career as a pharmacy technician can start with a program that gives you the skills to become a pharmacy technician in less than a year. Apply today and begin your journey at Lewis University.

*This program will have in-person classes for the clinical skills classes as well as Externship.

Pharmacy Technician Diploma Program Details:

Program Length: 36 weeks (9 months) including 160 hours of externship – 31 credit hours

The Pharmacy Technician Training Program will prepare you to learn the following administrative and clinical skills:

1. 1. Dispensing medication under a licensed pharmacist
   2. IM injection with training
   3. Compounding
   4. Electronic health records in pharmacy
   5. Trained in basic life support (CPR)

More than half of all pharmacy technicians work in retail pharmacies such as Walgreens, CVS, Jewl-Osco, etc. Some of the pharmacy technicians also work in hospital pharmacies.

These are transferable skills, meaning that you can take these skills learned during the Pharmacy Technician program and apply them to a variety of other roles, especially in healthcare, customer service, and administrative fields. 

Admission Requirements:

1. General Admission Requirements
   1. Be 17 years of age or older
   2. Be a high school graduate or hold an official transcript of the General Education Development (GED) test.
   3. Lewis University requires all students to take placement exams in English and Mathematics as part of the admission process. These no-pass, no-fail tests are designed to ensure that students are ready to enroll in the English adn Mathematics courses that are required in the Pharmacy Technician program.
2. Other Program Requirements
   1. An acceptable Criminal Background Check is required before externship.
   2. Physical Examination form will be provided by the Director of Allied Health, which will be filled out by the student’s primary care physician.
   3. The vaccinations and tests that will be required by clinical sites are the following:
      1. Hepatitis B vaccine – 3 series; at lease the first dose of the three series have been administered before the start of externship
      2. COVID-19 vaccines – primary doses as well as the booster doses
      3. TB testing – Quantiferon or PPD test

Accreditations:

Lewis University’s Pharmacy Technician Diploma Program is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and has been approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education to be offered at the Chicago campus of Lewis University.

Will be applying for specialized program accreditation with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).

Pharmacy Technician Diploma Program Academic Requirements:

General Education Requirements:

1. ENGL 11100: College Writing 1

Program Core Requirements

1. HUPR 19500-001 (3 credit hours) – Medical Terminology
2. HLSC 101 (3 credit hours) – General Anatomy and Physiology Lecture
3. HLSC 102 (3 credit hours) – General Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory
4. PHMT 105 (4 credit hours) – Law and Ethics and Principles of Pharmacy Practice
5. PHMT 115 (5 credit hours) – Hospital Pharmacy Practice
6. PHMT 125 (4 credit hours) – Billing, Records, and Inventory Management
7. PHMT 145 (4 credit hours) – Pharmaceutical Calculations
8. PHMT 210 (4 credit hours) – Pharmacy Externship – Retail – or Hospital-Based

Pharmacy Technician Career Outlook:

The demand for skilled professionals who complete a pharmacy technician certification program continues to grow. Employment for certified pharmacy technicians is projected to increase by 6% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations. As the role expands to include responsibilities like administering vaccines, those who complete a pharmacy technician training program or earn a pharmacy tech certificate are well-positioned to meet the rising need for pharmacy services, especially among the aging population and those with chronic conditions like diabetes.

With pharmacists taking on more direct patient care, pharmacy technicians are increasingly essential to daily operations. Graduates of a pharmacy technician course or pharm tech certification program are trained to handle critical tasks such as collecting patient information, transferring prescriptions, and verifying medication details. Enrolling in a pharmacy tech training program prepares students for a rewarding, in-demand healthcare career.