Vocational Training Program

Pharmacy Technical Assistance

Next sessions

September 11, 2023

September 9, 2024

Schedule

Monday to Friday, 8h30am to 3h20pm

Location

ACCESS Cleghorn
163 rue Cleghorn, Saint-Lambert, Qc, J4R 2J4

Duration

13 months (1230 hours / 82 credits)

Why enroll in this program?

**As this program is offered in a Hybrid format, students will require their own computer to follow the program and will be required at times to come into the building for evaluations and Practical/Lab training.**

Acquire the certified training required to pursue a rewarding career as a pharmacy technical assistant. Our dedicated teachers provide training in a modern pharmacy ward setting with the latest medical equipment. 

With 6 campuses located on the South Shore of Montreal, ACCESS has been a resource for the Riverside School Board community for over 40 years, empowering individuals who are 16 and older in their ongoing quest for academic and professional success.

  • The program is officially recognized by the Québec Ministry of Education, Recreation and Sports.
  • The professional training you receive opens doors to many jobs in both the public and private sectors.
  • Financial aid is available for eligible candidates at www.afe.gouv.qc.ca/en/

Program objectives

  • Provide students with the technical and basic skills, knowledge and attitudes needed to perform technical tasks while prioritizing the needs of the patient.
  • Acquire the latest technological skills to maintain and update patient files.
  • Acquire the communication skills needed to guide customers effectively.
  • Teach students to sell and distribute medical and pharmaceutical products.
  • Train students to establish effective helping relationships.

Special features of the program

  • The requirements of the job market and the legal conditions surrounding the hiring of pharmacy technical assistants are such that individuals graduating with a DVS in Pharmacy Technical Assistance must be at least 18 years of age by the time they enter the job market.
  • The term “drug” is used in different competencies to reflect the reality of the job market.  However, teachers may replace drugs with placebos or substitutes during the teaching process.
  • The Training students receive in the competencies Work-Related Tasks in Community Pharmacies and Work-Related Tasks in Health Care Institutions provides them with an opportunity to handle drugs as they learn their occupation in the workplace.
  • To be eligible for admission to this program, candidates must meet one of the following requirements:
    Persons holding a Secondary School Diploma or its recognized equivalent, for example, an Attestation of Equivalence of Secondary V studies, or a postsecondary diploma such as the Diploma of College Studies or a Bachelor’s degree
    OR
    Persons who are at least 16 years of age on September 30 of the school year in which their training is to begin and have earned the Secondary IV credits in language of instruction, second language and mathematics in the programs of study established by the Minister, or have been granted recognition for equivalent learning
    OR
    Persons who are at least 18 years of age upon entry into the program and have the following functional prerequisites: the successful completion of the General Development Test (see the following table), or recognition of equivalent learning
    OR
    Persons who have obtained Secondary III credits in language of instruction, second language and mathematics in programs established by the Minister are required to pursue general education courses, concurrently with their vocational training, in order to obtain the Secondary IV credits they lack in language of instruction, second language and mathematics in programs established by the Minister.
  • For more information on Functional Prerequisites, please visit the InfoRouteFPT website.
  • For a full list of required registration documents based on your status in Canada, click here.

Content of
program

Module title
Hours
Units
  • Analyze the occupation
    30
    2
  • Perform pharmaceutical calculations
    75
    5
  • Observe the laws, regulations and standards governing the practice of the occupation
    30
    2
  • Identify non-parenteral drugs and their characteristics
    105
    7
  • Take occupational health and safety precautions
    30
    2
  • Use pharmaceutical applications software for community pharmacies
    45
    3
  • Use pharmaceutical applications software for health care institutions
    45
    3
  • Do a practicum in the workplace
    75
    5
  • Perform customer service activities
    60
    4
  • Identify the characteristics of parenteral drugs
    60
    4
  • Make non-sterile preparations
    30
    2
  • Fill prescriptions in a community pharmacy
    135
    9
  • Fill prescriptions in a health care institution
    135
    9
  • Manage inventory
    45
    3
  • Make sterile preparations
    120
    8
  • Perform work-related tasks in a community pharmacy
    105
    7
  • Perform work-related tasks in a health care institution
    105
    7