To accommodate the growing need for pharmacy technicians in Central Florida, beginning in August 2012, Seminole State College of Florida will launch a Pharmacy Technology and Management degree program.
“The specialty pharmacy sector has become a key, growing segment of the Central Florida economy,” said Angela Kersenbrock, associate vice president of the college’s School of Career and Professional Programs, “and there are not enough people who have the skills to work in these pharmacies. Our new program, based at our Altamonte Springs Campus, can help fill this tremendous need by training up to 120 students per year.”
Seminole State College will become the only public college in Central Florida offering a comprehensive pharmacy technology program approved by the Florida Board of Pharmacy.
The new program will use the sophisticated simulation labs shared by all of the college’s healthcare programs at the Altamonte Springs Campus. In addition, pharmacy technology students will benefit from a state-of-the-art lab dedicated to their specialty.
Seminole State’s program will offer two routes into this fast-growing industry, which is expected to generate about 250 job openings a year in Central Florida during the next five years:
• An Associate in Science (A.S.) Degree in Pharmacy Management
• A Pharmacy Technician Applied Technology Diploma
And because Seminole State is a state college, the program costs about one-third the price of a comparable education at a private or for-profit college, Kersenbrock said.
The four-semester diploma program “is more community-based,” said Cheryl Cicotti, associate dean of healthcare programs. After passing the national board certification exam, graduates will be able to work in retail pharmacies such as Walgreens or CVS.
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