Lone Star College-Tomball is excited to announce that in Fall 2015 students will have the opportunity to earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in Pharmacy Management. This exciting new offering will allow students eager to take advantage of the high demand for pharmacy professionals the chance to enter the workforce prepared for advanced opportunities in the field.
With the aging baby-boom population and increasing healthcare needs, employment for pharmacy technicians is very high. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook, employment for pharmacy technicians is expected to increase 20 percent from 2012-2022, which is categorized as faster than average. This equates to an additional 70,700 jobs in the field within the 10-year period. According to program director Diana Broome, “Our students are prepared to work in a variety of pharmacy settings and with their classroom instruction, laboratory training, and 320 hours of clinical experience, we are confident to meet the community needs of providing educated and qualified certified pharmacy technicians.”
Pharmacy technicians are paraprofessionals who work under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist to assist with activities that do not require the professional judgment of the pharmacist. LSC-Tomball has offered a certificate in Pharmacy Technology since 2005 and all 31 credits from the program will transfer into the new AAS degree, which will be by LSC-North Harris as well as LSC-Tomball.
To enter the Pharmacy Management AAS degree plan, students must first complete the accredited Pharmacy Technology Certificate program, pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) exam, and then acquire an active registration with the Texas State Board of Pharmacy as a certified pharmacy technician.
The AAS degree will require an additional year of course work from the certificate program. The purpose of the AAS degree program is to prepare graduates for managerial, supervisory and customer service type positions in hospital, community/retail, and other pharmacy related industries. Further emphasis is placed on communications, sciences, health, analytical skills and decision making. Broome said, “Lone Star College is the only institution in the state that is offering the Associate of Applied Science degree in Pharmacy Management. We are excited that our students will have this unique opportunity to further their education.”
For those interested in learning more about Lone Star College-Tomball’s pharmacy technology program, Information sessions will be held at the following dates and times: April 20 at 4 pm, April 22 at noon, June 16 at 2 pm, June 18 at noon, and July 7 at 2 pm. All sessions will be held Room 215 at LSC-Tomball’s Health Sciences Building, located at 700 Graham Drive in Tomball. The information session is free and the public is encouraged to attend. For more details about the information session or about the program, contact Debrah Burgh at 281.826.5398 or Debra.Burgh@lonestar.edu.