This comprehensive 72-hour class will prepare students to work as a pharmacy technician in a retail or other pharmacy setting and to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Boardªs PTCB exam. Course content includes: pharmacy medical terminology, the history of pharmacy, the pharmacy practice in multiple environments, pharmacy calculations and measurements, reading and interpreting prescriptions and defining drugs by generic and brand names. Through classroom lecture and hands on labs, students will review dosage calculations, drug classifications, the (top 200 drugs˜, I.V. flow rates, sterile compounding, dose conversions, aseptic technique, the handling of sterile products, total parental nutrition (TPN), dispensing of prescriptions, inventory control and billing and reimbursement. In addition to classroom lecture and labs, this class includes a clinical externship through a local pharmacy.