Up-and-coming pharmacy technicians can take advantage of a new program expected to streamline work placements and get students working locally as quickly as possible.
According to a press release, Island Health has partnered with Vancouver Island University and Selkirk College to create a 15-month program aimed at supporting local hospitals, pharmacies and other health-care settings by offering a blend of online theory classes, in-person lab courses, and 10 weeks’ practicum in hospital and community settings.
Leah Hollins, Island Health board chairperson, said in a news release that pharmacy technicians play a crucial role in both hospital and community pharmacies.
“They perform essential duties related to prescription processing, medication packaging, compounding medications, and ordering and tracking of inventory. Additionally, in the hospital setting, they interview patients to ensure an accurate list of medications is available to the health-care team,” she said. “Without them, our medication system would collapse.”
According to Island Health, there are currently openings for pharmacy technicians in Vancouver Island hospitals, long-term care homes, and community settings, with an average starting salary of $50,000.
“Before completing the [pharmacy technician] program, I had no idea what a pharmacy technician was or what they did past counting pills in a retail pharmacy,” noted Hayley Price, who graduated from the program in 2017 and currently works at the Cowichan District Hospital. “Working in a hospital setting I am continually challenged by the large variety of things we do from dispensing drugs and typing up medication orders to purchasing medications and compounding sterile hazardous IV medications for the hospital’s chemotherapy infusion clinic.”
Applications are now open for the program’s next intake, with classes starting in August. For more information about the program, visit http://selkirk.ca/ptec.
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bailey.seymour@nanaimobulletin.com
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