Course Description

Pharmacy Technician Basics gives you the foundation to work confidently in community and health-system pharmacies—focused on safety, speed, and service. You’ll learn the technician’s role, scope of practice, and how reliable workflow turns prescriptions into safe, timely therapy. Professionalism & Law • HIPAA, privacy, patient rights, error-prevention culture • DEA schedules, controlled-substance receipt/handling, pseudoephedrine logs • Look-alike/sound-alike safeguards and diversion prevention Day-One Workflow • Intake and data verification; build accurate patient profiles and allergy lists • Insurance/BIN/PCN processing, prior auth basics, third-party rejects, copay troubleshooting • Cashier procedures that protect PHI and keep lines moving Pharmacy Math (Step by Step) • Units/conversions, ratios/proportions, percent strength, dilutions, alligation • Days’ supply, quantity-to-dispense, partial fills, and simple IV flow-rate concepts • Calculator discipline and double-check habits that prevent errors Labeling, NDC & Standards • SIGs and clear labels; NDC structure and verification • Beyond-use dating, storage conditions, temperature logs, and fridge/freezer best practices Compounding & Aseptic Concepts • Non-sterile compounding per USP <795>: weighing, measuring, trituration, levigation, geometric dilution • Intro to sterile/aseptic per USP <797>; hazardous-drug awareness per USP <800> (PPE, containment) Pharmacotherapy Made Practical • Top 200 drugs by class and indication; counseling red flags and auxiliary labels • High-alert meds; allergy vs. adverse-effect recognition; when to escalate to the pharmacist Inventory & Operations • Ordering, receiving, lot numbers, expirations/recalls, cycle counts • Cold-chain handling and excursions; reverse distribution Communication & Service • Customer service scripting that’s clear, respectful, and efficient • Cultural humility and de-escalation with patients and providers • Professional phone etiquette and message routing Documentation & Quality • Bar-code verification, double-checks, end-of-shift reconciliation • Near-miss reporting and continuous-improvement mindset • Alignment with PTCB/NHA certification domains while staying job-ready Who Should Enroll • Adults (17+) entering pharmacy or cross-training team members Outcomes • Clean math, precise labeling, compliant workflow • Confident techs who communicate clearly and keep patients safe—from drop-off to pick-up