Your Path to Certification

Pharmacy Technician Essentials

About the Courseware

Author: Sarah M. Lawrence, PharmD, MA, BCGP
Copyright: 2025

Mapped to the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam, Paradigm’s new Pharmacy Technician Essentials program includes a comprehensive textbook, 20 pharmacy lab simulations, and several student resources. Aspiring pharmacy technicians will quickly build the skills base for exceptional, safe service to patients and the knowledge to continue advancing their career through certification.

First edition features:

  • Alignment with PTCE domain areas
  • Real-world case studies in every chapter
  • Study tools including information tables and appendices
  • Coverage of certification exam topics
  • Access to the Paradigm Pharmacy Technician Lab Simulations

Chapter 1 - Introduction to Pharmacy
Chapter 2 - Customer Service, Communication, and Professionalism
Chapter 3 - Pharmacology Basics
Chapter 4 - Medications by Body System
Chapter 5 - Other Medications
Chapter 6 - Federal Requirements
Chapter 7 - Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
Chapter 8 - Order Entry and Processing
Chapter 9 - Pharmacy Conversions and Calculations
Chapter 10 - Nonsterile Compounding
Chapter 11 - Sterile and Hazardous Compounding
Chapter 12 - Pharmacy Inventory Management

APPENDICES
Appendix A - Preparing for a High-Stakes Exam
Appendix B - Common Pharmacy Abbreviations and Acronyms
Appendix C - Commonly Prescribed Controlled Substances
Appendix D - PTCE Credentialing Guidelines and Requirements

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PTCE Exam Review from PharmCon freeCE

Access to PTCE Exam Review from PharmCon freeCE

Included with all of Paradigm’s Pharmacy Technician titles, this tool generates personalized study plans based on each student’s individual strengths and knowledge gaps. The PTCE Exam Review from PharmCon freeCE helps students identify the fastest path to a passing score and even indicates when they are ready to pass—taking the guesswork out of PTCE study.

PTCE Exam Review from PharmCon freeCE features:

  •  Optimized PTCE-aligned content
  •  Award-winning adaptive learning technology
  •  ReadySCORE proprietary exam readiness indicator
  •  700+ multiple-choice questions
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Pharmacy Technician Essentials Lab Simulations by SimTutor

Real-World Lab Simulations

Paradigm partnered with SimTutor to create state-of-the-art laboratory simulations that correspond to the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam domains. Easily gauge student comprehension and competency in and outside the classroom. Plus, SimTutor integrates with all major LMS platforms, which automatically send scores to the grade book.

Lab 1Dispensing a Controlled SubstanceCh. 6
Lab 2Reviewing a Patient Profile for CompletenessCh. 8
Lab 3Filling a PrescriptionCh. 8
Lab 4Preparing an Immunization for AdministrationCh. 11
Lab 5Creating Patient Instructions from PrescriptionsCh. 8
Lab 6Aseptic Hand WashingCh. 11
Lab 7Preparing an OintmentCh. 10
Lab 8Choosing Professional AttireCh. 2
Lab 9Developing Professional Communication SkillsCh. 2
Lab 10Receiving and Reconciling Pharmacy StockCh. 12
Lab 11Cleaning Up a Hazardous Drug SpillCh. 11
Lab 12Preparing Oral Syringes for AdministrationCh. 11
Lab 13Obtaining and Reconciling a Patient's Medication HistoryCh. 8
Lab 14Medication Therapy ManagementCh. 7
Lab 15Product VerificationCh. 7
Lab 16Point-of-Care TestingCh. 4
Lab 17Event ReportingCh. 7
Lab 18Identifying Prescription ErrorsCh. 7
Lab 19Reviewing Controlled Substance PrescriptionsCh. 6
Lab 20Reviewing and Referring Issues to PharmacistCh. 7

 

Pharmacy Technician Essentials PTCE and ASHP/ACPE Competency Guides

Competency Guides

Connect with us to receive the following two competency guides for Pharmacy Technician Essentials.

  • PTCE Credentialing Guidelines and Requirements
    • This mapping guide identifies the PTCE Credentialing Guidelines and Requirements addressed in each chapter of Paradigm's Pharmacy Technician Essentials and the PTCE domains associated with the module content.
  • ASHP/ACPE Alignment and Accreditation
    • This mapping guide correlates the entry-level elements of the revised ASHP/ACPE Accreditation Standards for Pharmacy Technician Education and Training Programs to Paradigm's Pharmacy Technician Essentials.
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