Frequently Asked Questions

General Information

Hybrid training means that we divide time between online and in-person instruction. 

Didactic Simulation Externship
Online only Online and In-person In-person

The program is over 420 hours and can be completed in 6 or 12 months depending on the amount of time students can dedicate to their studies. For example: students who dedicate ~20 hours a week to the program will graduate in 6 months, while students who dedicate ~10 hours a week to the program will graduate in 12 months. It is required that students finish the program within 12 months of starting. 

Yes, our program has obtained accreditation through the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)/Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). This accreditation credential ensures that our program meets or exceeds a nationally recognized standard of excellence.

  • Role of the pharmacy technician
  •  Medication error prevention and safety
  • Pharmaceutical calculations
  • Pharmacology
  • Community pharmacy practice
  • Institutional pharmacy practice
  • Non-sterile compounding
  • IV sterile admixture
  • Federal and state laws and regulations

No,  positions are filled based on availability and at employer discretion.

Instructional materials and modules intended to teach the content. PTTP didactic content is all done online.

The simulation portion of the program is hands on learning and practice. Students will demonstrate gained knowledge to the program coordinator.

The experiential rotation portion of the program is hands on learning and practice in our OHSU pharmacies. Students will work alongside other pharmacy technicians and pharmacists to practice the skills learned in an active pharmacy setting. Students will demonstrate gained knowledge to a preceptor.

No, OHSU PTTP will not be accepting transfer credits.

Electives

  • Expansion of the experiential sites beyond the traditional outpatient and institutional rotation sites
  • Electives will be an addition to the program and is not a requirement for program completions
  • Electives will be available after completion of the program
  • Students can sign up for one or all offered electives
  • Various outpatient sites
  • Inpatient services
  • Various ambulatory sites
  • Specialty and mail order
  • Compounding services
  • Adult Meds-to-Bed and medication history
  • Pediatric Meds-to-Beds and medication history
  • Students will have the opportunity to explore different avenues of our enterprise, providing them a broad overview of pharmacy
  • Students will be allowed to shadow and train with employees gaining an understanding of technician roles and responsibilities within the different departments
  • This broad exposure allows the student to be able to find an avenue that sparks their interest
  • This will result in student satisfaction and lead towards employment longevity

Licensing and National Certification

The Oregon Board of Pharmacy requires state licensure to work as a pharmacy technician.

The Oregon Board of Pharmacy requires a national certification AND state license to work as a certified pharmacy technician.

  • Visit the Oregon Board of Pharmacy webpage
  • Complete a pharmacy technician application and fulfill necessary requirements
  • Allow ~1 month for processing
  • After completion of National Certification Exam, complete application for Certified Pharmacy Technician
  • Oregon Board of Pharmacy webpage
  • Take national certification exam to become a certified pharmacy technician (CPhT). Exams are offered through either:
  • PTCB – Pharmacy Technician Certification Board
  • NHA - National Healthcareer Association
  • Oregon Board of Pharmacy webpage
  • PTCB webpage
  • Maintain continuing education (CE) requirement for renewal every 2 years
  • Apply for renewal prior to expiration

Technology

Users accessing didactic content need to have computer systems that are able to access the internet and play multimedia files (video/flash/html5).  Headphones or speakers are needed for audio, or closed captioning can be used if speakers are not available.

Minimum Recommended
Computer Type PC (not Mac) PC
CPU 2 GHZ 2 GHZ or higher
Memory 4 GB 4 GB or higher
Operating System Windows 7 Windows 10 or higher
Browser Chrome, Firefox, IE 11 Chrome, Microsoft Edge
Flash Version 11 11 or higher
Network Bandwidth 256 kbps 2 Mbps down / 3Mbps up
PDF Viewer PDF Viewer PDF Viewer
Other Camera; Speakers & Microphone or Headset Camera; Speakers & Microphone or Headset

In order to facilitate the proper operation for the OHSU Pharmacy Technician Training Program platform, customers must ensure appropriate network connectivity and firewall traversal for the following IP address domains:

1. .therapeuticresearch.com
2. .vimeo.com
3. .practice.xyz
4. .ziggeo.com
5. .zendesk.com

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