According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Pharmacy Technician occupations are expected to grow 12% by 2026. To help meet this workforce demand, Chattanooga State is enrolling students for its 12-month technical certificate course in Advanced-level Pharmacy Technology. This certification is the area’s only American Association of Health-Systems Pharmacists (ASHP) accredited and Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) recognized program.

Pharmacy Technician graduate Catharine Isac was astounded by what she learned and how her life changed within the course of a year’s time. “With such a high demand for Pharmacy Techs, I was offered a job during each of my rotations,” she states. Catharine says she is grateful to her instructors for the effort provided in preparing her and her classmates for the workforce, including instruction on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during lab work.

According to Program Director Dr. Nancy Watts, the program boasts an impressive 100% job placement rate. Graduates can look forward to a local average starting salary in the $15-18/hour range with benefits in a variety of health care settings such as hospitals, community chain, independent, and compounding pharmacies, insurance companies, animal hospitals, and physician offices. Chattanooga State’s program includes a course in Sterile Product IV Admixture and Chemo preparation.

The 2020-2021 program is scheduled for online virtual lectures via Zoom and hybrid/in person laboratories for a total of three days per week. Students who qualify for financial aid, TN Promise or TN Reconnect scholarships may want to explore this opportunity for a good paying career in less than a year. Applicants need to be at college-level in English and reading and be able to pass a criminal background check and drug screen. Previous classes have been composed of diverse student populations ranging from recent high school graduates to those with prior degrees looking for a career change.

For more information on the Advanced-level Pharmacy Technology program visit http://www.chattanoogastate.edu/pharmacy-technician-certificatechattanoogastate.edu/pharmacy-technician-certificate for online application and complete program information, including a July 28 information session at 10 a.m. or email Jodi.Seiber@Chattanoogastate.edu.