Ohio State University has a pharmacy school that offers a nuclear pharmacy tech program that takes one year to complete. The certificate program prepares you for the board certification exam required for employment. During the program, you will complete coursework and a rotation in the nuclear medicine department and pharmacy at Ohio State University Medical Center and the Nuclear Pharmacies at Grant and Riverside Hospitals. Additionally, you will tour a nuclear reactor, PET imaging facility, nuclear cardiac imaging center and cyclotron particle accelerator.
The University of Buffalo in New York state offers a Nuclear Medicine Technology program as part of its bachelor of science degree program. Students learn the technical skills, patient care and administrative functions required to work in this field. After completing the program, students are prepared to take the national certification examinations in nuclear medicine technology. To apply for this program you must be in your junior year of college and have a minimum grade point average of 2.0 and 2.5 in the required prerequisite math and science courses, respectively.
The Purdue University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences offers a Nuclear Pharmacy Certificate program that meets the educational guidelines for both the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the American Pharmaceutical Association. The course takes one week to complete. In addition to coursework, students get hands-on training in a nuclear pharmacy working under the supervision of an authorized nuclear pharmacist. Students must complete periodic computer-based exams to monitor their progress in the program.
The University of Arkansas offers a bachelor's degree nuclear pharmacy tech program through its college of pharmacy. The program is also available online in conjunction with the University of Mexico. Coursework includes radiation physics, radiation instrumentation, radiation protection, mathematics of radioactivity, radiation biology and radiopharmaceutical chemistry. Students also learn about ordering, receiving and storing radioactive materials along with how to use dose calibrators as well as calculate, prepare and administer patient doses.