Pharmacy Technicians, or assistants, help licensed pharmacists within a pharmacy setting. They may help with preparing prescription medications, provide customer service or perform administrative duties such as answering phones, stocking shelves and operating cash registers. Pharmacy Technicians also have the opportunity to work in hospitals, medical clinics, and retail or mail order pharmacies.
There are four steps to becoming a Pharmacy Technician in B.C. First you must complete an accredited Pharmacy Technician Program. Upon completion of the program, you must undergo a structured practical training session. Once you have completed the required amount of hours in the structured training you will have to write and pass the Jurisprudence/Ethics exam and then the PEBC -- Qualifying Exam. Once all four steps have been completed you will be a regulated Pharmacy Technician.
There are currently 10 career colleges in British Columbia offering the Pharmacy Technician Program. They are all located in the Lower Mainland with the exception of Thompson Career College, which is located in Kamloops, B.C.