Pharmacy technician-Mature student

psycho-hope

Any mature students starting the pharmacy tech course in September, I got offered a place today, just wondering if there is anyone else on boards whose starting then too, might be handy to know one or 2 people to say hello to on the first day:D

PatsyR

Hi I was just wondering how you're getting on with the course, what you do day to day. I'm strongly thinking of doing it next year as a mature student

Queenalocin

PatsyR wrote: »

Hi I was just wondering how you're getting on with the course, what you do day to day. I'm strongly thinking of doing it next year as a mature student

For first year - in college pretty much 9-5, Tues, Wed and Thurs, classes are a mix of lectures and labs, subjects include Over The Counter Medicines, Drug Actions and Uses and Calculations/Computing. You are required to spend 1 day per week on work placement in a pharmacy and you should try to organise this before you start in college.

For second year - May - Dec, full time work placement, then back to college in January for the same set up as for first year only without the 1 day placement. Exams in summer and bobs your uncle - you are a pharmacy technician:)

marnieb

Hi there
Just wondering how you like the job of pharmacy technician once qualified? Am also considering this course as a mature student and would love some feedback, is the course very intense? Can you choose to do the work experience on a Mon or Fri or is that chosen for you and do you get paid for the 6 month work experience part?

thanks

psycho-hope

marnieb wrote: »

Hi there
Just wondering how you like the job of pharmacy technician once qualified? Am also considering this course as a mature student and would love some feedback, is the course very intense? Can you choose to do the work experience on a Mon or Fri or is that chosen for you and do you get paid for the 6 month work experience part?

thanks

hi, yep the course work is fairly intense lots of weekly assignments and lots of learning, classes are Tuesday wednsday thursday so you can do your work experience any time outside that, its 25 weeks, one day a week in first year, you may get lucky and get paid for your 6 month placement but most people dont especially if you are doing your placement in a hospital like I will be., feel free to send me a message if you have anymore questions

Queenalocin

marnieb wrote: »

Hi there
Just wondering how you like the job of pharmacy technician once qualified? Am also considering this course as a mature student and would love some feedback, is the course very intense? Can you choose to do the work experience on a Mon or Fri or is that chosen for you and do you get paid for the 6 month work experience part?

thanks

Course is hard work, basically a full college week crammed into 3 days! You need to be open to doing your work placement on Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday, remember work in community pharmacy can be 9-9 or later, 7 days a week. It is up to you to find a placement and then it will depend on your tutor what days you are required to work. Very few people are paid for 6 months, but the course is set up to allow you work part-time somewhere else outside of pharmacy (if you can get paid work or have family committments)

owenlynch1310

Hi ,

I was just wondering does anyone know if completion of the pharmacy tech course makes it easier to get into a pharmacy degree even as a mature student ?

Queenalocin

It can make it a bit easier, but you need to have an average of 75% in your final exams. You usually still need honours chemistry and biology so we recommend that our graduates do those subjects in the year between graduating and entry to pharmacy if they haven't done them already. Some of our graduates have gotten onto courses in UCC, RCSI, TCD, Brighton and Jordanstown. Jordanstown is particularly good as it is a more practical course than the others.