Imagine earning your credential through flexible, hybrid learning while securing a job before graduation—it’s not a dream, it’s the reality for students of Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s two-year, nationally accredited Pharmacy Technician diploma program. Offering the convenience of online learning with the rigor of hands-on training, the program prepares graduates for one of health care’s essential and in-demand roles.
“Our students consistently tell us they feel ready for the workplace,” says Sue Mack-Klinger, program head. “That confidence comes from a mix of online learning, intensive labs and real-world experience.”
Pharmacy technicians are in high demand and Sask Polytech is helping meet that need with well-prepared, skillful graduates who consistently find employment before graduation.
Accredited by the Canadian Council for the Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs, Sask Polytech’s pharmacy technician diploma is the only one of its kind in Saskatchewan. Year over year, 98 per cent of graduates pass the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada licensing exams. Graduates must pass these exams to be licensed to practice as a registered pharmacy technician.
The program was already planning for online delivery before COVID-19 and the pandemic accelerated the move to a hybrid model that remains today. Most courses are delivered through live, interactive online sessions.
“The flexibility of online learning allows students to work evening or weekend shifts and keep up with their course work. It also means more time for studying and personal wellness,” says Mack-Klinger.
Students can access pharmacy software remotely, review course content at their own pace and connect with instructors for real-time feedback. When it’s time to master meticulous skills, such as sterile medication preparation or compounding, students move into Sask Polytech’s in-person labs, where small classes ensure tailored one to one support.
“You can’t learn how to draw a needle or compound a cream by watching a video,” Mack-Klinger says. “You need to feel it, practice it and repeat it.”
Hands-on learning starts early in the program. At the end of year one, students work in community pharmacies to observe and support pharmacy operations. In year two, eight weeks in labs simulate dispensary and compounding practice to prepare students for practicums.
By this stage, learners are considered practice ready, applying their knowledge with
professional preceptors in real clinical environments through eight weeks of practicums—four
in a community pharmacy and four in a hospital pharmacy.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority is the largest employer of pharmacy technician graduates, but opportunities extend to community pharmacies, compounding pharmacies, education, administration and advocacy roles.
Pharmacy technicians play a critical role in patient care, preparing and distributing medications with precision. Their work ranges from simple labeling to complex calculations for sterile preparations, skills that require accuracy, attention to detail and collaboration with pharmacists and other health professionals.
As pharmacy services expand, technicians are more vital than ever. “Pharmacy is often the first point of contact for patients,” says Mack-Klinger. “Technicians need empathy, communication skills and a strong understanding of the health care system to make proper referrals.”
Mack-Klinger encourages more people to consider pharmacy technician as a career. “It’s a profession that combines science, precision and patient care. If you want a rewarding role in health care, this is it,” she says.
Start your health-care career with flexible learning and strong job prospects in the Pharmacy Technician diploma program.
