This goes without saying, but the role of a pharmacy technician requires one to have precision, ethics, and a great understanding of various units. As the primary assistant to the pharmacist, these professionals are responsible for everything from compounding medications and processing insurance claims to ensuring patient safety.

Now, if you are aiming to pursue this career, your first step should be to enroll in an online pharmacy technician course, specifically, a live, instructor-led program. 

The next step is to make the most of your training program to ensure that you can maximize your learning and enter the workforce quickly.

The Essential Skills Learned in an Online Pharmacy Technician Course

Before knowing how to make the most of your pharmacy technician training course, it’s important to learn what essential skills are required for this role, so that you can focus on them. Also, this way you can ensure that you’ve enrolled in the right program. Your training should focus heavily on these core areas:

Pharmaceutical Calculations: This is arguably the most challenging and crucial component. You must master metric conversions, dosage calculations, compounding formulas, and ratios to ensure patient safety. Errors here are critical.

Pharmacology and Drug Classification: You will learn the top 200 drugs, their generic and brand names, their classifications (e.g., narcotics, beta-blockers), and their therapeutic uses.

Pharmacy Law and Ethics: Understanding federal laws like HIPAA and the rules governing controlled substances is mandatory for compliance and ethical practice.

Operations and Inventory: Managing stock, handling controlled substances, processing insurance claims, and assisting with accurate prescription processing.

Aseptic Technique: Learning sterile product compounding for hospital or specialized settings, which is often taught via online lab modules where you record and submit your technique for instructor feedback.

5 Strategies for Excelling in a Live Online Format

The structure of live online pharmacy technician courses is already great for your learning of concepts and skills. However, by implementing the following strategies, you can maximize your learning:

1. Master the Math Before Class Starts

Unlike general education, pharmacy calculations require strong foundational math skills (basic algebra, ratios, and conversions).

So, it’s a great idea to dedicate some time before the relevant module (check the schedule in the curriculum) to review your basic algebra and fraction manipulation.

If you are not strong in mathematics, you should practice problems daily. Use the live Q&A time to work through the hardest calculations with the instructor’s immediate feedback, ensuring you understand the methodology, not just the answer.

2. Ask Questions During the Live Sessions

The greatest value offered by live sessions is that you can clear your doubts, ask follow-up questions, and more from the instructors, and get them sorted out. 

For instance, when the instructor discusses processing a medication order, visualize yourself behind the counter. Ask questions like: “What is the red flag on this prescription?” or “What steps do I take if the patient’s insurance rejects the claim?” 

Pro Tip: You can go through the course material before the class and write down your queries and concerns. 

3. Use the Instructor’s Experience for Context

Another great thing about such programs is that instructors are not just teachers but most likely a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) with hands-on experience. This means that their knowledge extends far beyond the textbook.

Now, since they possess knowledge gained from experience, you can inquire about their real-life experiences with controlled substance inventory, handling drug recalls, or dealing with difficult insurance company phone calls. These anecdotes provide the critical context needed to understand why certain procedures are followed.

4. Create Notes and Annotate Your Study Materials

There is no easy way of saying this, but the volume of information you’ll need to cover during a pharmacy tech training course can be overwhelming. So rather than spending hours upon hours memorizing all the drug names and every single calculation, create a digital drug index. 

For instance, to learn and memorize the top 200 drugs, create your own digital flashcards or a spreadsheet listing Brand Name, Generic Name, Class, and Common Use. Review this index daily.

5. Prioritize Certification Exam Readiness

Your final goal is to pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) or the Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ExCPT). While the live course will provide practice quizzes and exams, you’ll need to review every single question you get wrong with your study group or instructor to understand the underlying pharmacy technician training concept, not just the correct answer. Read More about Students’ Education Inspiration