LOCATION/DELIVERY MODES & START DATES
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Delivery Legend:
On Campus
On Campus: All courses in this program will be delivered onsite at a CNA campus or at an approved location. Some courses may have online elements.
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Blended
Blended: Some courses, or parts of courses, in this program will be delivered onsite at a CNA campus or at an approved location, while other courses, or parts of courses, will be delivered online or virtually to students at another location.
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Online - Asynchronous
Online - Asynchronous: Delivered fully online with no scheduled classes, and allows students to learn on their own schedule, in a flexible environment, within a certain time frame.
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Online - Synchronous
Online Synchronous: Delivered fully online with live, scheduled videoconference classes. The instructor and the students in the course engage with the course content and each other at the same time, from different locations.
Prince Philip Drive - On Campus delivery - September 2025
Dispensing the best of care.
Pharmacy technicians are essential in the collaborative approach to patient care. Since the global pandemic, the scope of practice of pharmacy technicians has expanded, leading to improved health outcomes for patients. By communicating with patients, pharmacy technicians collect information that is used to direct clinical decision making.
With the goal of keeping the pharmacy a safe environment for staff and patients, these technicians prepare essential medicines for a range of patients, from those critically ill in hospital intensive care units to patients in the community pharmacy setting. There are also opportunities in pharmaceutical manufacturing, where their skills are in demand for the production of new and innovative medicines.
This two-year program has a strong focus on developing professionalism to benefit the student, pharmacy team members, and future patients. You will learn best practices regarding patient interactions, such as communication and ethical responsibilities. Collection of accurate medication histories using multiple sources will be learned along with effective counselling techniques to best educate patients on how to use medication devices optimally.
Technical training within the program includes proficient use of pharmacy computer systems, compounding custom medicine forms, optimizing product distribution, labelling based on specific patient needs, recording and managing drug inventory, injection training, and mixing intravenous medicines for critically ill patients. Rigorous prescription assessment will also be practiced to ensure safe dispenses for patients and to prevent medication errors.
You will learn to collaborate with pharmacists and other healthcare team members to support and promote the patient's health, well-being and lifestyle, while applying effective business principles in the pharmacy practice setting.
Pharmacy technicians need to have calculation and technical preparation skills that are highly accurate and precise. In addition, strong interpersonal skills and competence are required to operate safely within a legal and ethical framework.
If you are looking to make a difference in the lives of patients and want to provide effective and genuine care in a collaborative team-based approach – join us today!
Program Highlights
- Graduates will have the opportunity to sit for the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada for national certification
- Learn the skills required for current scope of practice such as counselling on use of medical devices and verification of medications before release to the patient to ensure accuracy and safety
- Develop proficient prescription assessment skills to prevent medication errors
- Engage with technological tools that assist in the provision of optimal pharmaceutical care and pharmacy services
Did You Know?
- Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) is a hotspot for this kind of job! The national average for an area this size is 331* employees, while there are 430 here.
- Earnings are high in Newfoundland and Labrador. The national median salary for Pharmacy technicians is $42,717, compared to $46,800 in the province.
- Job posting activity is high in Newfoundland and Labrador. The national average for an area this size is three (3*) job postings/month, while there are five (5) here in NL.
*National average values are derived by taking the national value for Pharmacy technicians and scaling it down to account for the difference in overall workforce size between the nation and Newfoundland and Labrador. In other words, the values represent the national average adjusted for region size.
OBJECTIVES
Upon successful completion of this program graduates will be able to:
- Interact professionally and ethically with patients to establish positive working relationships that promote health outcomes.
- Collect patient information to establish accurate medication records used to inform clinical decision making.
- Educate patients regarding medication information and the effective use of medication devices.
- Increase accessibility of medications to patients through transfers between pharmacies and navigation of billing issues
- Verify dispensed medications to ensure accuracy and safety for patients.
- Maintain inventories of medications and address product shortages
- Assess legality of prescriptions and compare to current patient therapies to reduce risk of medication errors.
- Compound a wide range of non-sterile and sterile medications.
- Administer parenteral therapies such as flu and Covid vaccinations.
- Manage workflow within the pharmacy to ensure efficient medication dispensing.
- Support pharmacist clinical services through collection of accurate patient information.
- Collaborate with other healthcare professionals within a patient's circle of care.
ACCREDITATION
The Pharmacy Technician program is seeking accreditation with the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs.
CURRICULUM
This 2-year program includes a combination of training at CNA, Health Authorities and community pharmacies across the province. Graduates of this program are eligible to write both the national pharmacy technician license examination set by the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) and the NLPB Registration Examination required to register as a Pharmacy Technician in Newfoundland and Labrador.
CERTIFICATIONS
Students must possess valid Standard First Aid with Basic Life Support (BLS) certification to be eligible for graduation from the College.
CLINICAL PLACEMENTS
Clinical placements are a required element of this program and students will be assigned placements at approved training sites. There is no guarantee that students will receive a placement at their preferred clinical site. All expenses associated with the completion of clinical placements will be the responsibility of the student.
Students require a clear Certificate of Conduct (Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Check) to be permitted into a clinical placement. Students with an unclear Certificate of Conduct are advised to contact
student.placements@cna.nl.ca prior to beginning the program.
ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS
At the time of application to the Pharmacy Technician program, applicants MUST be completing or have completed one of the following:
1. High School
High School Graduation Certificate with a 60% overall average in the following (or equivalent):
i. English 3201 or 3202 (minimum 60%)
ii. Mathematics chosen from:
Advanced: 2200, 3200 (50% minimum in each course)
Academic: 2201 (50% minimum), 3201 (60% minimum)
iii. Science:
Biology: 2201 and 3201 (minimum 60% in both courses)
Chemistry: 3202 (minimum 60%)
Note: If BL3201 was taken before September 2020, only BL3201 is required. If BL3201 was taken after September 2020 both BL2201 and BL3201 are required.
Note: CNA will not apply newly revised requirements to the disadvantage of an applicant whose high school courses were established by earlier requirements.
2. College Transition (prior to 2024, students would have completed Comprehensive Arts and Science (CAS) Transition)
College Transition Certificate with the following courses:
i. English (minimum 60%):
CM1060,
CM1061
ii. Math (minimum 60%):
MA1040,
MA1041
iii. Four Science courses:
a. Biology (minimum 60%):
BL1025,
BL1026
b. Chemistry (minimum 60%):
CH1035,
CH1036
3. Adult Basic Education (ABE)
Adult Basic Education (Level III) Graduation with Degree and Technical Profile (overall 60% average) including the following courses (or equivalent):
1 English (minimum of 60%) 3101A, 3101B, 3101C or 3102A, 3102B, 3102C
2 Mathematics (minimum of 60%) 1101A, 1101B, 1101C, 2101A, 2101B, 2101C, 3101A, 3101B, 3101C
3 Science from two of the following sections:
a. Biology (minimum 60%) 1101, 2101A, 2101B, 2101C, 3101A, 3101B, 3101C
b. Chemistry (minimum 60%) 1102, 2102A, 2102B, 2102C, 3102A, 3102B, 3102C
Applicants with Adult Basic Education (Level III) Graduation with a different Profile (and appropriate grades) may be eligible for admission to the program provided the appropriate selection of courses including those outlined above have been completed.
4. Mature Student Requirements
Applicants who do not meet the education prerequisites for this program, must be at least 19 years at the time of application and out of school for at least one year may be considered on an individual basis under the Mature Student Requirements; for more information regarding the Mature Student Requirements please refer to
Procedure AC-102-PR Admission.
Note: ESL students only – must meet School of Health Sciences English proficiency as outlined in
Policy No. AC-102-PR.
Additional Requirements Upon Acceptance
- Valid** Certificate of Conduct, including Criminal Record and Vulnerable Sector Check.
- Students will require a current Certificate of Conduct (Criminal Record and Vulnerable Sector Check) prior to starting their program. Applicants with a criminal offense listed on their Certificate of Conduct (Criminal Record and Vulnerable Sector Check) may be denied access to clinical placement by the College's clinical partners and may be unable to complete their program.
- Students will need to complete a Student Pre-Placement Immunizations and Communicable Diseases Screening with their Health Care Provider. Completing the immunization record will require physician's visits, blood tests, and a TB screening test; detailed instructions are included on the Student Pre-Placement Immunizations and Communicable Diseases Screening. The applicant is responsible for ensuring that all medical requirements are fulfilled, and the screening form complete before submission. Certain vaccinations require a series of immunizations over a period; therefore, it is essential to start the process as early as possible. The applicant is also responsible for all associated costs (vaccinations, laboratory testing, physician fees, certificate of conduct fees, etc.).
(See the Additional Information for Health Sciences Applicants (
Definitions and Regulations) section of the calendar or under the Admissions Regulations section of our website for details.)