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Healthcare

Pharmacy Assistant in Halifax

Discover rewarding career opportunities as a Pharmacy Assistant in Halifax. Working under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist, you will assist with essential tasks to ensure the pharmacy or related department operates smoothly and efficiently.

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Type

Diploma

Duration

32 Weeks

Internship

6 Weeks

Program Outline

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About The Program

Begin your healthcare career in Nova Scotia with this comprehensive program.

The 32-week Pharmacy Assistant Diploma program at Eastern College in Halifax, Nova Scotia is your entry point into a crucial role within the pharmacy sector. This program delivers thorough training in pharmacy compounding, laws and ethics, medication preparation and dispensing, and inventory management.

You will experience a dynamic learning environment with practical pharmacy simulations that prepare you for real-world success. The Pharmacy Assistant course includes a 6-week field placement, providing hands-on experience and the chance to grow your professional network.

Career Opportunities

As a Pharmacy Assistant, you’ll play a key role in a healthcare team, committed to delivering top-notch pharmaceutical care to consumers. Graduates of the Eastern College Pharmacy Assistant program often find positions in retail pharmacies, home healthcare services, insurance companies, institutional settings, and with pharmaceutical distribution wholesalers and manufacturers.

Employers Who Have Hired Eastern Grads

  • Costco Pharmacy 
  • Shoppers Drug Mart 
  • Pharmachoice 
  • Medicine Shoppe

Salary

89 %

Employment Rate*

$ 19

Average Wage/hr**

$ 25

High Wage/hr**

*Employment Rate based on 2022 contactable Eastern graduates employed in a related field within 12 months.

Source: workingincanada.gc.ca

NOC Code: 3414 - **Wage data rounded down to the nearest dollar and based on Nova Scotia data. Average wage doesn't reflect the starting salary but represents the middle value between lowest to highest wages. Local (or regional) income may vary. Last updated in Jan 2024.

Available Learning Options

At Eastern College, you can choose the learning option that meets your needs. This program is currently available in:

On-Campus

Instructor-led classes held in-person at one or more of our 4 campuses.

Pharmacy Assistant in Halifax

Duration: 32 Weeks

Internship: 6 Weeks

Online: Remote Classes

Instructor-led classes on a set schedule, held remotely live on video over the Internet.

Pharmacy Assistant in Halifax

Duration: 32 Weeks

Internship: 6 Weeks

Program Details

If you’ve been exploring pharmacy assistant courses at colleges in Nova Scotia and want to start a career that enhances patient care and supports essential healthcare functions, look no further.

The Pharmacy Assistant program at Eastern college’s Halifax campus is tailored to provide you with the foundational skills and knowledge needed for entry-level roles in retail pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies. You’ll gain expertise in areas such as prescription processing, pharmacy software, compounding methods, and inventory management. Additionally, you’ll learn to maintain precise and confidential records, manage third-party billing, and communicate effectively with healthcare professionals.

Combining expert instruction with hands-on experience, you’ll graduate prepared to make a meaningful contribution in various pharmacy environments, including retail settings, mail-order services, and patient education roles within pharmaceutical companies in Nova Scotia. Graduates often secure positions in retail pharmacies, mail-order pharmacies, and roles related to patient education in the pharmaceutical industry.

Students enrolled in the program will receive:

  • Classrooms that stimulate real-world pharmacy settings, including relevant equipment,
  • Microsoft Office, Microsoft Imagine Standard, and Windows are included in the program fees.

 

Course Listings: New Brunswick
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Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Introduction to Accounting with Quickbooks
This course introduces basic accounting concepts and procedures. This course addresses double-entry accounting, analysis of source information, classes of transactions, and the accounting cycle. Using these critical concepts, accounting skills are applied and integrated to record transactions using proper procedures and forms in both a manual and computerized accounting system, QuickBooks.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Intermediate Accounting with Sage 50
This course continues the exploration of accounting procedures in payroll, petty cash, and bank reconciliations. Central to this course is the merchandising firm and its accounting cycle, appropriate valuation of inventory, and cost of goods sold calculations. This material will be applied in both a manual and computerized accounting system, Sage 50.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Accounting Technician Internship
On successful completion of the classroom hours of this program, you will be placed in a 200-hour internship at an outside organization. You will have the opportunity to apply their newly developed knowledge and skills in a real-world environment.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Advanced Accounting
In this course, you will build on principles learned in the intermediate accounting courses. You will be introduced to more advanced concepts regarding assets and liabilities including accounting for bad debt, depreciation and long-term assets, cash flow analysis, and temporary and long-term investments. In addition, you will learn how to record the effects of partnership and corporate activity and analyze financial statements for decision-making.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Business Communication
This course is designed to provide a basic understanding of communication skills in business environments. Focus will be placed on both written and spoken communications. You will review the basic writing process with emphasis on the mechanics of writing. You will also learn the importance of effective spoken communication, deliver an oral presentation, and participate in a mock meeting.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Client Relations
In this course, you will learn the fundamentals of how a strong relationship with clients is developed and maintained. Professionalism, the importance of living up to obligations, and the various forms of prompt and attentive communication are discussed. The course will also provide you with the skills you need to articulate organization image and how to identify and adapt to specific client behavior styles and how to measure and take corrective actions to provide client satisfaction and ensure positive relations. The course also introduces practical techniques needed to deal with clients that are angry and upset and explains the significance of maintaining and encouraging the loyalty of clients.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Career Planning and Preparation - Level 1
This course will introduce you to and provide practice in using the tools required for a successful job search. The concepts covered in this course will help you maintain a career-focused approach throughout your studies so that you are better prepared to conduct a job search after graduating. Specifically, you will learn how to identify your soft and hard skills and how to articulate your abilities in a clear and concise Elevator Pitch that will appeal to employers and resonate with industry contacts. You will learn about the job search resources available to you including using career websites, creating LinkedIn profiles, accessing the “hidden” job market, and networking. You will examine sample résumés and cover letters and begin the process of creating your own professional résumés and cover letters that align with current conventions for content, organization, and formatting. You will also learn about the role of references, thank you letters, workplace philosophies, and strategies for success including maintaining a professional image and using proper etiquette when communicating with potential employers and industry contacts.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Career Planning and Preparation – Level 2
This course builds on concepts and skills introduced in the Career Planning and Preparation Level 1 course. In this subsequent course, you will update and refine your résumé and LinkedIn Profile. You will continue writing cover letters and learn the value of customizing cover letters to specific job postings. You will have the opportunity to apply this knowledge as you conduct a job search and write a cover letter tailored to an ideal job post. Through research, you will create a list of top employers and target current industry opportunities. You will learn about current methods for applying to job postings using technology. You will also gain an understanding of the job interview process, typical interview questions and possible responses, and expectations of both the interviewer and interviewee. In addition, you will engage in practical application of the interview process through role-play. Topics such as negotiating salary, self-management, and on-the-job success for placements and post-graduate employment will be also covered.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Digital Literacy for Professionals
This course introduces the fundamental concepts and principles of learning and working in a digital environment. This course will cover the following elements: using devices and handling information, creating and editing information, communicating and collaborating, and being safe and responsible online.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Diversity in the Workplace
This course introduces diversity and its strengths in the workplace. Among the topics covered are the strengths of diversity, its occasional challenges, how to manage diversity in the workplace, and the value of diversity training. Diversity in group dynamics is also addressed, with an emphasis on the strengths of a heterogeneous group and types of diversity.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Microsoft Excel
This Microsoft Office Excel course is created to help you build and validate the skills needed to succeed in today's economy. It will also provide you with the skills and knowledge you need to use Microsoft Office Excel effectively in all aspects of your personal and professional lives. Excel is the world's most popular spreadsheet software. Whether you are managing a household or running a small business, Excel will help you develop useful techniques to help business processes. This course is computer intensive and demands basic computer proficiency and a basic understanding of spreadsheet software. You are expected to make arrangements to meet proficiency needs as necessary.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Interpersonal Communication
Effective interpersonal communication is vital for the success of any organization. It impacts working relationships, productivity, and a variety of other business activities. This course introduces the concepts of effective interpersonal communication in the workplace, considering internal and external professional relationships. You will also will learn about telephone etiquette, which will prepare you to answer calls with confidence and professionalism, respond to customer/client inquiries effectively, and handle customer/client complaints. You will leave the course prepared to navigate the complexities of interpersonal communication with colleagues and clients.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Introduction to Business
This course builds understanding of the competitive business environment and the strategies businesses employ to succeed amidst changes in the dynamic business landscape. You will gain insights into ethical issues and economic challenges, the role of leadership, and the importance of enterprise in any business structure. You will also engage in HRM systems and identify factors that motivate and demotivate workers. You will learn the importance of focusing on customer needs to develop a marketing mix that effectively appeals to target customers.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Microsoft Outlook
This Microsoft Outlook course builds and validates the skills businesses need to succeed in today's information economy. It will also provide you with the skills and knowledge you need to use to effectively manage emails, contacts, calendars, and tasks. Outlook has become the corporate standard electronic personal organizer. These are the foundational skills needed to communicate using Outlook in a variety of positions within an organization. This course is computer intensive and demands basic computer proficiency and a basic understanding of email software. You are expected to make arrangements to meet proficiency needs.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Microsoft PowerPoint
This course will show you how to create and modify basic presentations by using Microsoft Office PowerPoint. You will explore the PowerPoint environment and create a presentation; you will format text on slides to enhance clarity and visual appeal; and you will also add and modify graphical objects in order to finalize and deliver a presentation. This course is computer intensive and demands basic computer proficiency and a basic understanding of PowerPoint software. You are expected to ensure you meet proficiency requirements for working in this environment.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Student Success Strategies
This course stresses the importance of developing non-technical skills to enhance personal, academic, and career success. The course will address strategies that are important for all adult learners, such as managing finances, maintaining health and wellness, understanding learning styles, setting goals, and honing practical study skills (such as memory, reading, and test-taking techniques). In addition, this course emphasizes strategies needed to succeed in your program, such as navigating technology efficiently, interacting and engaging with peers and facilitators/instructors, and managing learning time and space.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Microsoft Word
This Microsoft Office Word course is created for you to build and validate the skills businesses need to succeed in today's information economy. It also provides you with the skills and knowledge you need to use Microsoft Office Word effectively in all aspects of your personal and professional lives. Word is the world's most popular word processing software. Learning how to create, edit, format and print documents, enhance work with formatting, use bullets and numbering, add simple borders, tables, headers/footers, organizing data columns, and styles, are the foundational skills needed to perform in many positions. This course is computer intensive and demands basic computer proficiency and a basic understanding of word processing software. The course combines Theory/demonstration by an instructor with readings, trainings, projects, and a final exam for you to work on in a simulation-based environment. You are expected to ensure you meet proficiency requirements for working in this environment.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Financial Planning Essentials
You will develop vital mathematical skills applicable to financial planning. You will gain a practical understanding of economic and political concepts relevant to financial planning, enhancing your proficiency in effective business writing techniques. The course explores administrative aspects of financial plans and the regulated process of financial planning in Canada, fostering your comprehension of their future roles as successful financial planners.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Foundations of Small Business
This course introduces the contemporary management skills required to manage small businesses. Students will examine the role of management, identify effective management, and explore techniques aimed at improving management skills in an ever-changing business environment.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Managerial Accounting
In this course, you will learn how to effectively use the accounting information that is required by managers to plan, direct, and control the operations of their business organization. You will gain an understanding of managerial accounting data pertaining to cost systems, cost behaviour, cost-volume-profit relationships, decision-making, and budgeting.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Personal Income Tax
The course examines contemporary income tax policies, rules, and legislation concerning individual taxation. You will apply your foundational understanding of income taxation principles and practices, gaining hands-on experience in preparing tax returns. Practical application of the law to real-world issues is emphasized through exercises, problems, cases, and tax preparation software.
Course Listings: Nova Scotia
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Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. CPR and First Aid/WHMIS
In this module, you will complete several certifications/trainings. The CPR component provides you with comprehensive CPR training. It includes the latest first aid and CPR guidelines and meets federal and provincial regulations for Standard First Aid and CPR. Topics include: preparing to respond; the EMS system; check, call, care; airway emergencies; breathing and circulation emergencies; first aid for respiratory and cardiac arrest; wound care; head and spine injuries; bone, muscle and joint injuries; sudden medical emergencies; environmental emergencies; and poisons. The WHMIS component teaches you the basic elements of WHMIS 2015 and the Global Harmonization System. This covers the safety measures and guidelines to be followed when exposed to or working with hazardous materials.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Anatomy, Physiology and Terminology
This course will introduce the foundations of the language of medicine and will develop medical vocabulary through the study of the structures and functions of the major body systems. Topics include medical terminology; general body organization; and the skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular, lymphatic, immune, respiratory, digestive, urinary, nervous (including special senses and psychiatric disorders), integumentary, endocrine, and reproductive systems.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Pharmacy Compounding
This course is an introduction to drug preparation and dosage forms. Students will gain an understanding of ingredients used in preparing pharmaceutical products. Students will gain knowledge and hands-on experience in non-sterile compounding. This course involves the application of both pharmacy math and pharmaceutical abbreviations in the compounding and dispensing of medications.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Career Planning and Preparation - Level 1
This course will introduce you to and provide practice in using the tools required for a successful job search. The concepts covered in this course will help you maintain a career-focused approach throughout your studies so that you are better prepared to conduct a job search after graduating. Specifically, you will learn how to identify your soft and hard skills and how to articulate your abilities in a clear and concise Elevator Pitch that will appeal to employers and resonate with industry contacts. You will learn about the job search resources available to you including using career websites, creating LinkedIn profiles, accessing the “hidden” job market, and networking. You will examine sample résumés and cover letters and begin the process of creating your own professional résumés and cover letters that align with current conventions for content, organization, and formatting. You will also learn about the role of references, thank you letters, workplace philosophies, and strategies for success including maintaining a professional image and using proper etiquette when communicating with potential employers and industry contacts. An introduction to Occupational Health and Safety is also provided with specific focus on employees’ rights and responsibilities, workplace health and safety policy and programs, and hazard identification and control.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Career Planning and Preparation – Level 2
This course builds on concepts and skills introduced in the Career Planning and Preparation Level 1 course. In this subsequent course, you will update and refine your résumé and LinkedIn Profile. You will continue writing cover letters and learn the value of customizing cover letters to specific job postings. You will have the opportunity to apply this knowledge as you conduct a job search and write a cover letter tailored to an ideal job post. Through research, you will create a list of top employers and target current industry opportunities. You will learn about current methods for applying to job postings using technology. You will also gain an understanding of the job interview process, typical interview questions and possible responses, and expectations of both the interviewer and interviewee. In addition, you will engage in practical application of the interview process through role-play. Topics such as negotiating salary, self-management, and on-the-job success for placements and post-graduate employment will be also covered.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Digital Literacy for Professionals
This course has four units that introduces you to the fundamental concepts and principles of learning and working in a digital environment. The first unit introduces you to using devices and handling information with topics on operating systems (Windows, MAC, and Linux), computer organization (folder management and naming conventions), cloud storage (including Microsoft OneDrive), types of web browsers including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari), and fundamental troubleshooting. In the second unit, you will become familiar with creating and editing information through learning about file formats (pdf, mp4, docx), productivity (including iWork and Microsoft Office Suite) and creativity (Adobe, Canva, iMovie) platforms, and basic introduction to Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The third unit on communicating and collaborating will introduce you to web conferencing applications (Slack, Zoom, Microsoft Teams), mail applications (including Microsoft Outlook and Gmail,), project management tools (Trello, Asana), and time management tools (including Todoist, Outlook Calendar, and iCal), and building rapport virtually. In the final unit, you will gain an understanding on etiquette, cybersecurity, and digital wellness. After completing this course, you will have enhanced digital literacy skills as a professional in the working and learning environment.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Pharmacy Assistant Field Placement
The field placement component of the program is the practical application of a student’s knowledge and skills in an industry environment. The focus of the field placement is within a retail pharmacy to emphasize a customer-centered approach; therefore, the field placement is not within a hospital setting. The duration of the field placement is 6 weeks, during which the student must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 200 hours of work experience.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Pharmacy Mathematics
This course begins with a review of basic mathematics and its application to pharmacy calculations. Mathematics used in retail pharmacies, namely: business math; prescription pricing; and calculating medication dosages, are studied in this course. In order to prepare the student for a wide range of pharmacy settings, calculations used in specialized and institutional pharmacies are also discussed.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Pharmacology
This course will introduce the basics of pharmacology and include a review of physiology and the basic mechanisms of action involved in diseases/disorders of body systems. Students will learn to distinguish between the trade names and generic names of drugs and identify classifications of drugs used in the treatment of diseases and disorders.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Pharmacy Law and Ethics
This course offers students the opportunity to learn about both Federal and Provincial legislation that governs pharmacy in Canada today. A solid understanding of jurisprudence (pharmacy law) is essential for Pharmacy Assistants to perform well in the field of pharmacy. The provincial act as it relates to pharmacy and third party billings will be discussed in detail. This course will also introduce students to ethical concerns that are becoming increasingly important in pharmacy and health care in general.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Pharmacy Software
This course provides instruction and hands on training with Kroll, one of the leading computerized dispensary systems in the pharmacy industry. Students will be required to: enter patient, prescription and doctor information; generate labels; and practice accurately and efficiently filling prescriptions by selecting the correct medication. Pharmacy reports will also be generated using Kroll in order to give students the pharmacy software experience necessary to enter the workplace with confidence.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Retail Pharmacy Practice
This course will introduce students to the roles and responsibilities of Pharmacist and Pharmacy Assistants. It will also teach students the procedures to prepare and dispense medications, which include prescription interpretation skills, billing and inventory as well as medication safety. This course also addresses professionalism, work ethics and communication in the workplace.
Icon-Quiz-Small Created with Sketch. Student Success Strategies
In this orientation module, you will focus on achieving success from day one. You will develop non-technical skills to enhance your personal, academic, and career success. You will explore learning styles, including visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning. You will also enhance your practical study skills, such as memory, reading, note- and test-taking techniques. Personal exercises will focus on teamwork, decision-making and problem-solving skills, setting SMART goals, and maintaining a positive attitude. You will also explore techniques for managing change, stress, and conflict.
Admission Requirements
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  • Student has Grade 12 or equivalent or meets criteria for Mature Student Status.
  • Mature students must be 19 years of age, pass a qualifying test, and provide a Letter of Intent OR resume that supports their skills and aptitudes to be successful in the program.
  • The approved qualifying test for this program is the Wonderlic test. A passing score for this program is 14.

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