College Diploma - Pharmacy Technician

Study to prepare compounds and sterile products, and to dispense medications. This full-time program includes both community and hospital practicum placements.

Prescription for Success, at Bow Valley College’s downtown Calgary campus, students study full-time and complete practicums in hospital and community pharmacies to obtain a Pharmacy Technician Diploma. 

The program has Full Accreditation Status with the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP), preparing graduates for the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada's national certification exam. Pharmacy technicians are regulated under the Health Professions Act and register with the Alberta College of Pharmacy.

Registered Pharmacy Technicians have an expanded scope of practice that includes responsibilities such as performing final checks on prescriptions and receiving verbal orders from prescribers. Other tasks include compounding mixtures, dispensing medications, or preparing sterile products such as eye drop compounds or intravenous mixtures. Demand is increasing and pharmacy technicians can earn up to $37/hour. 

This program offers over 350 lab hours in a state-of-the-art facility, this program integrates cutting-edge technology and emphasizes hands-on training to produce competitive dispensary-ready graduates. Students learn to prepare sterile products in authentic certified sterile production hoods and operate a PACMED® high-speed automated medication packager. 

Note: Students will be required to travel to various locations in order to complete their practicum placements. Every effort is made to accommodate students in placements within the timeframe of the program, however in rare instances there may be a delay in program completion until a placement can be arranged.