Healthcare

Pharmacy Assistant

Achieve a rewarding career in the pharmaceutical industry in less than a year. Strengthen your skills further with a 6-week internship for a real-world, hands-on experience.

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About The Program

With this intensive 32-week diploma program, you will learn in a classroom environment that simulates real-world pharmacy settings with the corresponding relevant equipment. Take advantage of our small class sizes to get the attention and guidance you deserve from our instructors, who are immersed in this dynamic industry.

Career Opportunities

As a Pharmacy Assistant graduate, you may work for pharmacists in retail pharmacies, home healthcare divisions/companies, institutional settings and pharmaceutical distribution wholesalers/manufacturers.

Note that some career options may require advanced degrees, further training or experience.

Employers Who Have Hired triOS Grads

Shoppers Drug Mart
Walmart Pharmacy
Toronto Western Hospital
Rexall Pharma Plus
Costco Wholesale Pharmacy
The Dispensary
Joseph Brant Hospital
Toronto Medical Pharmacy

Salary

84 %

Employment Rate*

$ 20

Average Wage/HR**

$ 28

High Wage/HR**

*Employment Rate based on 2021 contactable triOS graduates employed in a related field within 12 months.

Source: workingincanada.gc.ca

NOC Code: 3414/33103 - **Wage data rounded down to the nearest dollar. Average wage doesn't reflect the starting salary but represents the middle value between lowest to highest wages. Local (or regional) income may vary. Last updated in Dec 2022.

Program Details

Are you interested in working in the booming healthcare industry? Do you want to pursue your new career in a pharmaceutical environment? If so, then the Pharmacy Assistant program is just what you need to get a head start at your new job.

This program prepares you with all the fundamentals you need to serve consumers who require pharmaceutical care. You will take courses which provide you with the overview of theories and principles to succeed as a Pharmacy Assistant. You will learn how to accurately and safely process prescriptions, the proper extemporaneous compounding techniques, pharmacy software process, anatomy and physiology terminology, retail pharmacy best practices, CPR and First Aid, and pharmacy mathematics.

The program combines instructor-led training with a work placement designed to prepare students for a successful career in healthcare.

Students enrolled in the program receive:

6-week internship for hands-on experience.
Microsoft Office and Windows are included in the tuition fee.

Course Listings

Anatomy, Physiology and Terminology

This course will introduce the foundations of the language of medicine and will develop medical vocabulary through the study of the structures and functions of the major body systems. Topics include medical terminology; general body organization; and the skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular, lymphatic, immune, respiratory, digestive, urinary, nervous (including special senses and psychiatric disorders), integumentary, endocrine, and reproductive systems.

Pharmacy Compounding

This course is an introduction to drug preparation and dosage forms. Students will gain an understanding of ingredients used in preparing pharmaceutic products. Students will gain knowledge and hands-on experience in non-sterile compounding. This course involves the application of both pharmacy math and pharmaceutical abbreviations in the compounding and dispensing of medications.

Career Planning & Preparation - Level 1

This module introduces tools for planning and preparing for a successful job search, so that students can maintain a career-focused approach throughout their education program. Students will learn how to research opportunities and network for industry contacts, and use appropriate etiquette when communicating with prospective employers. Students will identify their personal skills, values and preferences for the workplace, begin preparation of a professional resume, cover letter, thank you note and references. Class discussions on various self-management topics introduced in Student Success Strategies will round out this module, which is a pre-requisite for Career Planning and Preparation – Level 2.

Career Planning & Preparation - Level 2

This module continues to build on the concepts and skills introduced in Career Planning and Preparation - Level I. Students will learn how to conduct an effective job search and identify various methods of applying for work with today’s technology. Students will create a personal list of “Top Employers” and target current industry opportunities, while finalizing their professional resume, portfolio and career correspondence. Students will learn to identify the different types and forms of interviews, practice responding to typical questions, and practice follow-up, evaluation and negotiation techniques they can use to ensure success. Self-management topics from Career Planning and Preparation - Level I will be reviewed, with a focus towards on-the-job success in both learner placements and post-graduate employment.

Digital Literacy for Professionals

This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts and principles of learning and working in a digital environment. This course will cover the following elements: using devices and handling information, creating and editing information, communicating and collaborating, and being safe and responsible online.

Pharmacy Assistant Internship

At the successful completion of the classroom hours of this program, students will be placed in a 200-hour internship at an outside organization. Students will have the opportunity to apply their new and developed skills in a real-world environment. Host sites include retail/community pharmacies.

Pharmacy Mathematics

This course begins with a review of basic mathematics and its application to pharmacy calculations. Mathematics used in retail pharmacies, namely: business math; prescription pricing; and calculating medication dosages, are studied in this course. In order to prepare the student for a wide range of pharmacy settings, calculations used in specialized and institutional pharmacies are also discussed.

Pharmacology

This course will introduce the basics of pharmacology. A review of physiology and the basic mechanisms of action involved in disease/disorders of body systems. Students will distinguish between trade name/generic name of drugs, also classifications of drugs used in treatment of such diseases and disorders will be taught.

Pharmacy Law and Ethics

This course offers students the opportunity to learn about both Federal and Provincial legislation that governs pharmacy in Canada today. A solid understanding of jurisprudence (pharmacy law) is essential for pharmacy Assistants to perform well in the field of pharmacy. The Ontario Drug Benefit Act as it relates to pharmacy and third party billings will be discussed in detail. This course will also introduce students to ethical concerns that are becoming increasingly important in pharmacy and health care in general.

Pharmacy Software

This course provides instruction and hands on training with ProPharm’s Nexxsys, one of the leading computerized dispensary systems in the pharmacy industry. Students will be required to: enter patient, prescription and doctor information; generate labels; and practice accurately and efficiently filling prescriptions by selecting the correct medication. Pharmacy reports will also be generated using Nexxsys in order to give students the pharmacy software experience necessary to enter the workplace with confidence.

Retail Pharmacy Practice

This course will introduce students to the roles and responsibilities of Pharmacist and Pharmacy Assistants. It will also teach students the procedures to prepare and dispense medications, which include prescription interpretation skills, billing and inventory as well as medication safety. This course also addresses professionalism, work ethics and communication in the workplace.

Student Success Strategies

This course stresses the importance of developing non-technical skills to enhance personal, academic and career success. This includes understanding learning styles and honing practical study skills, such as memory, reading, note- and test-taking techniques. Personal exercises will focus on teamwork, decision making and problem solving skills, setting goals and maintaining a positive attitude techniques for managing change, stress and conflict will also be explored.

Admission Requirements

You must:

have an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent OR be at least 18 years old when or before the program begins AND pass a qualifying test* that has been approved by the Superintendent. (The approved qualifying test for this program is the Wonderlic test with a passing score of 16.)
take the triOS College Business, Legal & Healthcare Entrance Exam with at least a score of 60%

* If you’re applying from other Canadian provinces, you must:

be at least 19 years old,
be out of high school for at least 1 year when the program starts, and
successfully pass an academic achievement test.

Please contact us for more details regarding admissions requirements if you are an international student.

Career Quiz

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Testimonial

I enrolled as a fresher without medical background. After graduating, I was immediately hired at the pharmacy where I completed my internship. The individual courses of the program covered all aspects of pharmacy procedures and policies. Our instructors often exposed us to advanced knowledge as they were also highly-experienced professionals.

Anisha P.

Pharmacy Assistant graduate