American Medical Careers Announces Training Program for Certified Pharmacy Technicians

300 hour, 10-week program includes lecture, lab and externship

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities are expected to be good for full-time and part-time work as pharmacy technicians, who help licensed pharmacists provide medication and other health care products to patients.

“We’ve developed an intense, quality program to train pharmacy technicians and to prepare them much faster than other training programs to take the Pharmacy Technician Board Exam and receive national certification,” said Karl Kaufman, president of American Medical Careers.  “Many of our students are looking for viable employment in the medical field, and our programs enable them to take those first steps up the career ladder at a faster pace.”

The school’s Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) 10-week program includes 140 hours of lecture, 40 hours of laboratory skills training, and 120 hours of mandatory unpaid on-the-job clinical externship.  Graduates are then eligible for national certification.  

Employment opportunities for pharmacy technicians are typically available in retail pharmacies, grocery stores, mass retailers, hospitals, clinics, pharmaceutical wholesalers, mail-order and online pharmacies, and others that provide medications.

“In addition to providing our students the technical skills they need, we work with them to develop behaviors that demonstrate a high degree of professionalism and customer service,” added Kaufman.  “We offer a supportive environment that encourages learning.”

American Medical Careers works with hundreds of area employers to place candidates in non-paid externships and with paid employment following graduation.  Though the school does not guarantee employment, Kaufman indicates that many employers actively seek their graduates.

    American Medical Careers, originally established in 2002 as Genesee CNA Academy, has rapidly expanded its program offerings.  It recently was approved as one of three career schools in Michigan to offer the LPN certificate program.  This program will be launched at its Flint campus in April 2007.  Among its patient care specialist programs, students can earn certifications as nurse’s aides (CNA), phlebotomy technicians (CPT), EKG technicians (CET), patient care technicians (CPCT),  clinical medical assistants (CCMA), and medical administrative assistants (CMAA).