Become a Pharmacy Assistant

Quick Facts

Delivery Method Online
Professional Certificate
24hrs Suggested Study Time
3 Months Access
Tutor Support
Study On Any Device
3668 Students

Master the skills that will prepare you for an entry-level position as a pharmacy assistant, and discover the steps you can take to become a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).

Health care is a booming industry these days, and pharmacy technicians are in high demand. In this online short course, you'll take a look at the many job settings and career paths open to you if you become a pharmacy technician. In addition, you'll master the skills you need to get an entry-level position as a pharmacy tech or clerk.

You'll start by learning basic terms for medical conditions and anatomy, gaining the skills you'll need to read prescriptions and patient records easily. In addition, you'll find out how common classes of drugs are made and how they work.

Next, you'll master the simple maths that every pharmacy tech needs to know. You'll learn how to calculate dosages accurately, practice using simple formulas and maths tools, and find out how to translate metric measurements into familiar household measures like teaspoons and tablespoons. Turning to the business side, you'll look at sales and find out how prescription pricing works.

In addition, you'll learn about the important laws and regulations that govern pharmacies. You'll also hone your communication skills, learning how to handle customers courteously and efficiently. And finally, you'll explore the steps you can take to enhance your career prospects by becoming a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT). By the time you're done, you'll be prepared to start your career in this popular and rapidly-growing field.

Courses are delivered to you through expertly executed lessons, online instruction and interaction with like-minded students. Our courses are designed to deliver all of the benefits of studying in a classroom whilst giving you the flexibility to study at a time and place to suit your needs. You can access your classroom 24/7 from any device with an internet connection.

This course has a 3 month duration. You'll complete comprehensive lessons, quizzes and assignments before submitting your final exam at the end of the course to achieve your certificate. Courses must be completed within the 3 month access period.

In this first lesson, you’ll discover what it is that pharmacy technicians actually do. You’ll explore the various types of pharmacies a technician can work in—there is so much more than retail stores and hospitals. We’ll talk about the education and skills pharmacists expect to see in a good technician. By the end of this lesson, you’ll realize the many different paths that a technician can take for a successful and rewarding career in the profession of pharmacy.

In our second lesson, I'll give you an overview of the science called <em>pharmacology</em>. We'll discuss the variety of ways drugs enter the human body, and we'll explore how those drugs work once they get inside. You’ll also learn how drugs can cause a positive or negative effect. A pharmacy technician who has this basic knowledge is a great asset to the pharmacist.

In today's lesson, we'll walk through the major laws that dictate how pharmacies operate. I know this topic might sound like it could be a little dry, but it's more interesting than you think, and it's important that pharmacy technicians understand their boundaries. We'll only cover federal laws in this course, even though some states may have different statutes. We'll review the difference between the various narcotic classes, along with some examples for each one. We’ll also discuss the importance of confidentiality and the penalties for violating this very important law. By the end of this third lesson, you should have an even bigger picture of what pharmacy is about and how important it is to be a very conscientious, detail-oriented person.

In this lesson, we'll go through a typical day in both a retail pharmacy and a hospital pharmacy, identifying both their similarities and their differences. When you finish this lesson, you might already have a good idea about which type of pharmacy technician you'd like to become.

Medical terminology seems like a foreign language. But, by learning about each part of the word, you can better figure out its meaning. In today's lesson, we’ll explore the meanings of the root words, prefixes, and suffixes that make up most medical terms, and then we'll practice using our knowledge of the smaller components to determine what the whole word means. Abbreviations are also a big part of medical terminology, so we’ll spend some time reviewing some of the more common ones used in our profession.

Today, we'll venture through some of the most common antibiotics, antifungals, and antivirals, and for each category, I'll give you an example or two of a patient taking that drug so that we can discuss what it is and gain a better understanding of why the doctor prescribed it.

In this lesson, we'll discuss some of the common drugs that doctors prescribe for high blood pressure and prevention of heart attacks. We'll also go over respiratory drugs, including asthma medicines and a variety of cough and cold agents. And, we'll discuss some of the drugs you might use to help with various stomach discomforts, like heartburn, diarrhea, and constipation.

Today, we'll take a look at some drugs that control pain. We'll explore some of the narcotic drugs, migraine medications, and the common pain relievers that customers can buy over the counter or obtain through a prescription. We'll also spend some time going over drugs that doctors prescribe for seizures, ADD/ADHD, and Alzheimer's disease.

In this lesson, we'll dive into the world of hormones. We'll discuss drugs that doctors prescribe to treat the thyroid, control diabetes, and provide birth control. We'll also look at some common drugs that patients use for eye infections—things like eye drops and ointments. Ear infections also require medications, so we'll talk about some of those, too.

Next, we'll take a journey through the metric and apothecary systems of measurements as we discuss how we use math in the world of pharmacy. We'll begin by practicing some common conversions and calculating some dosages for prescriptions. We'll also venture into some hospital math to learn how to determine IV flow rates. The last thing we'll cover will be a little business math. It'll be helpful for you to know how to calculate the prescription price and how to figure out how much money an insurance company will reimburse the pharmacy.

Today, we'll discuss the many ways we communicate in pharmacy. We'll talk about how to communicate with our fellow employees and other professionals, and we'll go over all the dos and don'ts of talking with customers.

In this lesson, we'll explore the outlook for a career as a pharmacy technician. We'll also revisit the key points you've studied on this journey toward becoming a pharmacy technician, and I'll share with you the next steps to take after you complete this course.

Lorraine Zentz

Lorraine Zentz has been a pharmacy technician since 1981. She currently works at a hospital pharmacy and has worked in all pharmacy areas (retail, home health, hospital, oncology, and training/education) during her pharmacy... Read more

Read Lorraine Zentz's Profile

Frequently Asked Questions

Once you've made the payment, we'll send you a confirmation email with a link to start your course. Feel free to get started whenever you're ready!

You'll have 3 months access to your course. In that time you are free to study at your own pace. The course duration is 24 hours.

Online learning is a flexible way to study that fits around your schedule, giving you the freedom to learn at your own pace from anywhere in the world. You'll have 3 months to complete the course and can take the multiple-choice questions and final exam whenever it suits you.

If you need help, you can contact us anytime. You can also join the discussion area where you can interact with other students. The discussion area for each lesson is open for the entire duration of the course.

Of course! We offer a 7-day money back guarantee. As long as you haven't completed the course, you can get a full refund within 7 days of enrolling.

We do not offer extensions or transfers for this self-paced course. However, you will have 3 months to complete the course, and if you need to cancel within the first 10 days of enrolment, we offer a money back guarantee.

What people are saying about our courses

I really loved this course and I'm sorry its over. I can't wait to advance my education in this area. Thank you so much.

Verified Student

I took this course to see if my daughter, who is in high school, would like to get into this field - she had a strong background in chemistry and math. I think she would be perfect. Thanks for all your help!

Verified Student

This course was exactly what I needed to show me that being a pharmacy technician is the career I want to pursue.

Verified Student

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The Learning Environment

From the moment that you enrol in the Become a Pharmacy Assistant you will become an integral part of our learning community. You'll find yourself with the freedom to learn at a speed that suits you, on any device, from anywhere in the world. Achieving your career goals no longer has to mean compromising family and work commitments.

Our Values

Learn At Your Own Pace

We believe in personalised learning. That's why we provide all the tools and support you need to succeed at your own pace. With flexible learning, you'll stay motivated and retain more information. Plus, you can balance your studies with work and family commitments to make your dreams a reality.

We Won't Break The Bank

Education should be accessible to anyone who wants to learn. That's why we offer some of the most competitive prices in the industry with payments plans for just $25 per week. Investing in your future is a smart choice and doesn’t have to break the bank.

Industry-Led Courses

There's no better way to learn than from experts with years of experience in your field. That's why each of our 200+ industry-led courses are designed to give you a real-life perspective on your industry. With our expert mentors, you'll learn from people who have a wealth of knowledge and experience, and who are passionate about sharing it with you.

Get The Personal Support You Deserve

At Vibe Learning, we're real people who are dedicated to providing you with personal support every step of the way. Our industry experts are not only professional and knowledgeable but also incredibly passionate about sharing their expertise with you. With their guidance, you'll gain invaluable insights and practical knowledge to help you succeed.

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Become a Pharmacy Assistant

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Microsoft Excel 2007 Advanced

Quick Facts

Delivery Method Online
Professional Certificate
24hrs Suggested Study Time
3 Months Access
Tutor Support
Study On Any Device
3272 Students

Discover the advanced features and functions of Microsoft Excel 2007 and find out everything this powerful program can do for you.

Any proficient Microsoft Excel user will agree that MS Excel is a very powerful analytical tool. Wouldn't it be great to learn how to effectively use all the advanced Excel features at your disposal? In this practical and information-packed course, you'll see how to maximise Excel's functions and capabilities.

Most organisations rely heavily on Microsoft Excel to consolidate, analyse, and report financial information. Your company is probably no exception. By learning these advanced techniques, you can become more valuable to your organisation. Your ability to generate information with increased accuracy, timeliness, and usefulness will lead you and others to better decision-making.

In this course, you'll see how to use the additional analytical tools provided by Excel add-ins. You'll become skilled in the use of validation to protect the integrity of your worksheets from other, less experienced users. You'll impress your coworkers by learning how to add functional and eye-catching controls to any worksheet and how to use scenarios and data tables to quickly perform multiple what-if analyses. You'll discover advanced techniques for PivotTables, such as creating calculated fields and calculated items. You'll become adept at consolidating and importing data from other sources, and you'll master the art of conditional formatting to highlight duplicate entries and other common worksheet problems. Learn how Excel 2007 table tools take the complexity out of table creation and management. As you become proficient at nesting functions within other functions, you'll be able to accomplish just about anything Microsoft Excel has to offer!

Over the next six weeks, we're going to explore Microsoft Excel 2007's new and advanced features. You'll learn how to use data analysis tools and techniques to improve your decision making, and you'll practice generating accurate data more quickly. By the end of this course, you'll be well prepared to contribute more value to your organization with your advanced understanding of Excel. To kick things off, we'll spend this first lesson exploring how you can modify Excel to streamline processes and make your work easier. You'll use the Excel Options dialog box to customize some of Excel's behind-the-scenes behavior, set up your Quick Access Toolbar, and take a look at the new and improved status bar and its customizable features. Mastering these processes will lay the foundation for our exploration of advanced topics throughout the course.

Today we'll explore the new table management features in Excel 2007, discuss how to use data forms with Excel databases, and look at a few alternative database techniques. You'll be glad to know that formatting and working with tables has gotten much easier in this latest version of Excel. Now, instead of applying filters, total rows, and formats separately, you can perform these actions through a single user interface. We'll delve into how it's done. You'll also learn how data forms provide a more user-friendly method for adding, deleting, and editing records in a table, and you'll practice using a data form to search for and view records that match specific criteria. We'll wrap things up with a brief look at some of the practical applications for data forms.

In this lesson, we'll tackle data validation techniques—your first line of defense against incorrect or missing data and the logical next step after data forms. You'll practice using whole number, decimal, date, time, list, and other forms of validation. After that, we'll explore the possibilities of custom validation, which allows you to apply validation on a cell or range of cells based on a formula you create. The possibilities for using it are limitless! You'll also learn how to create input messages and error alerts to guide the user's data entry, how to keep track of validation rules, and how to apply a custom validation rule to other cells so you don't have to create it all over again.

In the first three lessons, we covered what you might call intro-level advanced Excel topics, and now it's time to head into more complex territory. So, today, let's start working with custom controls—graphical objects that help facilitate data input and are sure to impress users. We'll start by getting your Ribbon set up to work with custom controls, and then we'll walk through some practice exercises. You'll learn how to create standard and drop-down list boxes, check boxes, option buttons, and group boxes. You'll also master the process of creating a dynamic list box, which allows you to control the values in one list box based on the values chosen by your user in a separate custom control.

Today you'll discover how to use conditional formatting. And I'm not just talking about creating validation based on cell values. We'll do a quick review of that process, just as a refresher, but after that we're going to focus on formula conditional formatting. We'll work through nine different practice exercises that explore row conditional formatting, and we'll briefly discuss how the formula works after each exercise. You'll see how to use conditional formatting to hide errors, to highlight records based on multiple criteria, to track and alert you about due dates, to find the differences between two lists, to shade every other row (my personal favorite), and more. I think you'll especially enjoy learning how to set up a scorecard, which will show you problem areas in red, possible problems in yellow, and everything running smoothly in green. (Your manager will love this.)

In this lesson, you'll learn how to use Excel's consolidation function to efficiently summarize data from multiple sources. A lot of people do this the hard way, but with Excel's automatic consolidation feature, you'll no longer need to develop a web of formula links to multiple sources. Good-bye, potential for human error! We'll begin with an exercise on consolidating data within the same workbook, and after that, you'll practice consolidating using an advanced technique with category labels and wildcards. Next, we'll step things up with a practice exercise on consolidating from multiple workbooks. You'll also learn how to use automatic and manual outlining to view or hide different levels or sections of your information.

Excel's functions (or predefined calculations) are too numerous to completely cover in one lesson, so today we'll just focus on a few important ones spanning four categories: <em>Logical, Database, Math & Trig, and Lookup & Reference</em>. We'll start today with an overview of functions, take a look at the Insert Function dialog box, and then practice working with the IF function, nesting functions, the DSUM function, and the VLOOKUP function—all of which will come in handy when you need to perform a quick, thorough analysis of your data. You'll also set up and use the Conditional Sum Wizard.

In this lesson, you'll find out all about importing external data. We'll begin with a practice exercise to get you comfortable with importing data from another Excel file, during which you'll see how to use the Microsoft Query Wizard. You'll test two methods for refreshing the target area for the imported data and find out how to edit an Excel query. After that, you'll do an import from an external database. Finally, you'll learn how to perform a Web query, which—you guessed it—allows you to import data from the Internet. The Web query feature is another new feature in Excel 2007.

It's time to look at data tables, which let you compare the outcomes of different versions of the same formula without slogging through the process of calculating each of them. Data tables are very powerful what-if analysis tools that are great for analyzing potential outcomes of personal or business financial decisions. In this lesson, you'll learn how to use two types of data tables: a one-variable data table (which lets you substitute just one variable into the formula calculation) and the two-variable data table (which allows you to change multiple aspects of the formula).

Today we'll explore three more of Excel's what-if analysis tools: Goal Seek, Scenario Manager, and Solver. You'll find out how to use Goal Seek to solve formulas backward—for example, you might want to do this if you knew the result you wanted but needed to determine how to change a single input cell in order to get that desired result. After that, we'll practice using Scenario Manager to create and save different input values and their results as scenarios (great for working on budgets). And finally, you'll put Excel's Solver to work to discover the optimal solution to models that have multiple variables and constraints.

In this lesson, you'll discover how to use PivotTables, which are excellent for summarizing massive amounts of data and viewing different cuts of the information quickly. There are two methods for creating PivotTables, and you'll practice using both. You'll also learn how to edit a PivotTable, how to filter the table to create individual reports, how to format a PivotTable to make it reader-friendly, and how to use calculated fields and items. After this, you'll create a PivotChart based on the data fields in your PivotTable. We may not be quite done with the course, but after mastering PivotTables and PivotCharts, you'll certainly be able to count yourself an advanced Excel user.

We'll begin our final lesson with a look at the functions available in the Analysis ToolPak, including two of my favorites: the Moving Average and Sampling tools. You'll complete an exercise using advanced filters, and then I'll show you some of my favorite Excel tips and tricks. You'll find out how to work with the View Side by Side tool and how to use the Watch Window to keep tabs on your data when you're updating a workbook. We'll wrap things up with practice exercises using array formulas and the AutoSum Tool. When you're done with this lesson—and the course—you'll want to pass along the techniques you've learned to friends and colleagues who are still be wrestling with Excel!

Chad Wambolt

Chad Wambolt is a graduate of Boise State University, where he obtained his bachelor's degree in accounting. He has spent his entire professional career in the finance field, working for both privately and publicly held companies with sales rangin... Read more

Read Chad Wambolt's Profile

Frequently Asked Questions

Once you've made the payment, we'll send you a confirmation email with a link to start your course. Feel free to get started whenever you're ready!

You'll have 3 months access to your course. In that time you are free to study at your own pace. The course duration is 24 hours.

Of course! We offer a 7-day money back guarantee. As long as you haven't completed the course, you can get a full refund within 7 days of enrolling.

What people are saying about our courses

Thank you for a GREAT class. I enjoyed it very much and will be using the skills that I have learned in my job.

Verified Student

The lessons were well thought out and easy to follow. The chapters were concise and not too overwhelming. Links and other info was made available if we wanted to dig deeper on a subject. Many thanks for developing a good class for Excel 07.

Verified Student

Very informative, perfect course, would like another course to continue the studies, and amazing supplementary material. It really helped in the learning process!

Verified Student

See More Reviews

The Learning Environment

From the moment that you enrol in the Microsoft Excel 2007 Advanced you will become an integral part of our learning community. You'll find yourself with the freedom to learn at a speed that suits you, on any device, from anywhere in the world. Achieving your career goals no longer has to mean compromising family and work commitments.