Retail Pharmacy (Occupational Skill Award) Admission Guide

RETAIL PHARMACY (OSA)

Program is not covered by Financial Aid

(Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admissions)

 
TermApplications Accepted
Application Review 
Application Status NotificationApplicaiton packet must submit via email

Spring:

January 2023

Sept.1, 2022 –

Until Seats Are Filled

From Nov. 1, 2022- Until Seats Are Filled

From Dec. 1, 2022- Until Seats Are Filled

 

co.phraadmit@hccs.edu

Fall:

August 2022

Jan. 18, 2022 –

Until Seats Are Filled

From February 2022 - Until Seats Are Filled

 From July 2022 - Until Seats Are Filled

Program Duration, Study Mode and Class Schedule Information
Program Duration (Number of Semesters)Study Mode

Full Time: 2 semesters

(Including 160 linical hours in 2nd semester)

 Part Time: 4 semesters  Face-to-Face and Offsite Clinical Rotations

 

  • Program days and times may vary, but you should plan to attend classes 4-5 days a week.
  • Day classes are generally between 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Evening classes are generally between 4:30p.m.- 10:00 p.m. (if scheduled).
  • Clinical rotations are 3 days per week from 9:00am to 5:30pm for a total of 160 hours. Please plan accordingly to ensure you have proper transportation.

 

Program Admissions Statistics

On average, approximately 50 students apply for admission each application period. Of these, approximately 25 applicants are typically accepted.

 

How Do I Submit An Application?

 1. Apply to HCC:

If you are new to college or transferring to HCC, your first step is to become an HCC Eagle by submitting a free admissions application to HCC. Please create a profile and complete an application to obtain an HCC student ID number: https://prod.applytexas.org/ . You will receive a welcome email response from HCC within 48 hours, be sure to save your HCCID-Number or P-Number/D-Number (if you are assigned one). If you have filled out an HCC application at any point, or you already have an HCC student ID number, please do not submit another HCC application. Multiple HCC new student applications and/or ID numbers are not allowed.

2. My Eagle HCC account checklist:

Please visit: myeagle.hccs.edu, review and take action on the HCC Policy Checklist and On-Boarding Checklist. Your To-do List may have four types of checklist items in your Student Center including Meningitis Vaccine and Texas Success Initiative requirements:

  • Meningitis Vaccine – Required for all college students under the age of 22. For more information on requirements, resources & any religious, medical, or online students exemptions, please visit: Meningitis
  • Texas Success Initiative requirements – If you have the "Texas Success Initiative College Readiness Requirements" Checklist on your pre-enrollment To-do List in the Student Center, you have to be placed into core courses one of two ways.
    - Have an approved exemption (reason) for not taking Texas Success Initiative Assessment 0 (TSIA2). Please visit: Texas Success Initiative Assessment/ Exemption for more information.
    OR
    - Take the Texas Success Initiative Assessment 0 (TSIA2). Please visit: Texas Success Initiative  Assessment for more information.

3. Meet with Advisors: 

You can meet with HCC advisors in person or virtually to determine eligibility for admission to the program. HCC can use the unofficial transcript(s) for the initial advisement purpose. Before accessing an in-person student service, students are encouraged to always reference the Virtual Lobby webpage for the most up-to-date hours of operations and locations www.hccs.edu/virtual-lobby.

4. Program Application:

In addition to the HCC admission application, you must complete and submit the typed Retail program application via email to co.phraadmit@hccs.edu with applicable supporting documents.

For this Occupational Skills Award (OSA) Certificate program you need to provide proof of an official or unofficial high school transcript or GED to process the application. 

All foreign transcripts must be evaluated for US equivalency and foreign transcripts must first be evaluated course-by-course by an approved evaluating To find a list of approved evaluation companies, please visit Foreign transcript/ Foreign Credit Evaluators. Then the official evaluation report must submit to HCC. The HCC Internal process can take up to 8 weeks for evaluation and transfer of course credits. 

International Students: If you are an international student planning to attend HCC on a status F-1, (DACA, refugee, L visa, H visa, etc.), please visit https://www.hccs.edu/support-services/international-students/. NOTE: students who apply to the OSA program must have a valid social security number so that they can apply for their Texas State Board of Pharmacy technician trainee registration. The TSBP pharmacy technician trainee registration is a requirement for placement into clinical rotations.
Veteran students: Please visit https://www.hccs.edu/support-services/veteran-affairs/ . Download and complete DDForm 214 & SF-180 Form and submit with the application.  

 

Program Application: Academic Course Requirements
Course Description

Student Success Course

N/A

Cumulative GPA

N/A

Prerequisite Courses

N/A

Recomended Courses

HPRS 1201, PHRA 1301, ENGL 1301

Academic Courses

N/A

Required official or unofficial high school transcript or high school diploma. 

Placement Test Not required. However, if you prefer to take HCC courses from the recommended courses prior to applying to this OSA program, TSIA testing must be taken for placement

Testing

N/A

 

 

Pre-Enrollment Process & Requirements

All application requirements must be satisfied by the close of the application. When the number of eligible applications exceed program seat availability, selective criteria are used to determine which applicants are offered admission.

If you are offered admission you will need to complete the following pre-enrollment requirements by a specific due date to maintain eligible status:

  • Complete the letter of Intent form by the deadline stated in the Admission Acceptance Offer email that will be sent to your email address submitted with the program application.
  • Cleared Criminal
Complete the mandatory Program Orientation on the date provided in your admission email. (Please clear your calendar so you are available to attend the mandatory orientations if you are offered admission as follows: Fall Term – plan to attend Orientation in July. Spring Term – plan to attend December).

Clinical Requirements for Program Progression & Completion

To provide students with the most robust clinical educational experience and to ensure that students progress and graduate as scheduled, it is highly recommended that applicants weigh all of their options before agreeing to a conditional acceptance into their desired health science program. In order to facilitate this decision-making, students should understand all of the requirements of their program, including clinical education.

To be placed in a clinical educational experience, students must comply with the guidelines and requirements of HCC clinical sites, including health and wellness directives. Most clinical sites require background checks, health testing, drug screens and immunizations, including proof of COVID-19 vaccination. 

Students are required to provide to HCC proof that students meet all clinical requirements, with the exception of their COVID-19 vaccination status.  Consistent with state law, HCC does not mandate the COVID-19 vaccination. Students have the choice to voluntarily disclose or not disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status through their HCC Castlebranch account.

However, most healthcare facilities do require the vaccine as a condition of employment, volunteering, or student clinical placement.  If a student chooses not to disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status or is not vaccinated, HCC may not be able to place the student in clinical rotations.  HCC will work to place such students into a clinical site that does not require the vaccine, provided such a site is available and HCC has an active affiliation agreement in place that meets the necessary conditions to provide an appropriate learning opportunity for the student.  However, HCC cannot guarantee that clinical sites that do not require the COVID vaccine will be available at the time the student requires placement.  At this time, many healthcare facilities are not accepting religious or medical exemptions for the COVID-19 vaccine for clinical students.

If a student chooses not to receive or to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination and no clinical sites are available to accept the student that do not require the COVID-19 vaccination, the student’s progression in the program and graduation will be delayed or stopped all together.  If a student cannot be timely placed in a qualifying clinical site, a student may not be able to complete the program. Our affiliate partners’ expectations are the same for our students as they would be when our students ultimately become employees in their chosen field.

Students with questions about clinical requirements and placement may contact the program director of their program of interest. 

HB 1508 requires the Following information be given students:

If you are applying for admission to a program that prepares an individual for an initial occupational license or certification and/or if you later decide to change to a program that prepares you for an initial occupational license or certification, in accordance with state law, please be advised of the following: 

  • An individual who has been charged or convicted of an offense or who is on probation may not be eligible for issuance of an occupational license or certification upon completion of the educational program.
  • It is the responsibility of the individual to immediately report to the program any change in status that would affect that individual’s eligibility to apply for a license or certification.
  • Local, state or national licensing and certification authorities may issue additional guidelines related to criminal history. Applicant should contact their respective licensing or certification authority for more details.

Most health care programs require all students, admitted to the program, to submit to a national background check which may include fingerprinting. Applicants are encouraged to review all applicable eligibility requirements related to the respective occupational license or Certification. Questions related to eligibility requirements should should be directed to the individual program and applicable licensing or certification authority.  

 

 

Estimated Costs

Tuition is estimated using the Texas resident rates. Out of district and out of state residents will have a higher tuition fees. Please visit http://www.hccs.edu/applying-and-paying/tuition-calculator/ for more information. Tuition is for core coursework only. General Education and Support courses are not included. These are high estimates; actual costs will vary depending on health insurance coverage.

Due to increases/decreases in books and supplements, please check the book store website at https://hccs.bncollege.com/shop/hccs-central/home for updated cost information. Only required books are included in the estimate.

Estimated Costs per Semester for Courses – (In District)

Pre EntranceAmount $
Criminal Background/Drug Screening 55
Immunization-COVID 19 75
Medical Insurance Varies
Sub Total 130
1st Semester (10 Semester hours) 
Tuition 851
Books 222.45
Uniforms 120
Parking (4months) Varies
SUB TOTAL 1,193.45
2nd Semester (4 semester hours) 
Tuition 344
Books 67.15
Parking (4months) Varies
SUB TOTAL 411.15
Total Program Cost 1,734.60

 

 

Program Information
Certification Testing

Graduates are eligible to take the PTCB exam or ExCPT exam.

Employment Opportunities

Certified Pharmacy Technicians(CPhT)/Registered Pharmacy Technicians(PhRT) may find employment as a pharmacy technician in retail pharmacies. 

Average Salary

Entry-level salary range between $ 30,000 and $42,000 annually.

 

Paying For College

 You can use a valid MasterCard, Visa, Discover, or American Express card to pay for tuition and fees. You can also use debit card with Visa or MasterCard logo, but not a non-USA credit card. Online payment via check is also available.
Check or echeck payments have a 10 day hold on release of official transcripts. International students or their parents can also pay online from their country of origin with their local currency, where applicable. Online payment from other countries can be made through “International Fund Transfer” payment option. 

Additional Options for Payment
  •  Financial Aid

If you need assistance paying for college, please visit the Coleman Financial Aid office for assistance or visit www.hccs.edu/applying-and-paying/financial-aid/

  • Scholarships

In addition to federal and state aid, scholarships are a great way to offset all or part of the cost of your education. Each year, HCC disburses approximately $2 million in institutional scholarships and the HCC Foundation provides $1.25 million in awards and scholarships (based on 2015-2016 year-end report). Please visit https://www.hccs.edu/applying-and-paying/financial-aid/scholarships/ for more information.

  •  Installment Payment Plan

If you are paying out of pocket and need assistance on how to setup a payment plan please visit Business Office at HCC Coleman or visit https://www.hccs.edu/applying-and-paying/student-financial-services/ for more information.

 

Required Essential Functions
Required Essential FunctionsStandards (Tasks)


 Psychomotor Skills

 
Gross Motor Stand and maintain balance.
Reach above shoulders and below waist.
Fine Motor

Fine motor control, strength, and endurance for repetitive motions (e.g., opening containers, keyboarding, and reaching for products). Good hand-eye coordination and finger dexterity (e.g., syringe manipulation).
Key/type and otherwise operate common desktop computer accessories.
Physical Strength & Endurance Lift up to 50 pounds.
Push and pull 50-100 pounds (e.g., medication carts). Stand for long periods of time (e.g., 8-12 hours).
Ambulate long distances for medication delivery (e.g., 1-3 miles daily in large hospital environment, such as required for clinical participation in educational setting).
Complete tasks within the required time limits.
Work long periods in safety equipment and aseptic garb.
Mobility Twist, bend, stoop, squat.
Move within confined and/or crowded spaces.

Cognitive Skills
Critical & Analytical Thinking

Demonstrate cognitive skills and memory necessary to measure, calculate, and reason, in order to analyze, integrate, and synthesize information.
Comprehend dimensional and special relationships. Use both long-term and short-term memory.
Apply knowledge and skills to new situations and/or problem-based simulation scenarios.
Safety

Abide by safety policies and procedures in classroom, laboratory, and clinical facility settings.
Exercise proper use, manipulation, and disposal of needles (e.g., syringes). Demonstrate appropriate use of protective garb when handling potentially harmful medications (e.g., chemotherapy medications).
Maintain awareness of alarms and emergency signals, and respond appropriately (e.g., monitors, fire alarms, hospital codes, etc.).


Sensory Skills
Observation

Distinguish increment readings on syringes and other medical/pharmacy instruments.
Recognize and interpret facial expressions and body language. Observe and recognize objects at close range, up to 20 inches away (e.g., information on a computer screen).
Assess the environment at a distance, 3-6 feet away (e.g., identify chemical spills).
Maintain awareness of peripheral space (e.g., while stocking shelves with medications, acknowledging approach of new customers).
Perception

Recognize and respond to voices dampened by protective garb (e.g., face mask).
Recognize and respond to voices over a telephone, speaker, or microphone.
Interpretation Recognize and comprehend relevant information in prescriptions and medication orders, textbooks, references, medical records, and professional literature.

Social-Behavioral Skills
Communication

Correspond via telephone using proper technique and etiquette with patients/clients and members of the health care team.
Transmit information with clarity to other students, faculty, and members of the health care team.
Assess non-verbal communication from patients/clients and health care team members.
Interpret and compose printed and typed communication using English in both the academic and clinical settings.
Adaptability

Adapt effectively to changing environments and increasing tension levels in a variety of situations.
Demonstrate flexibility and learn to function in the face of uncertainties and ambiguities that are inherent in the pharmacy profession.
Emotional Stability

Consistently demonstrate the emotional health required for full utilization of intellectual abilities.
Promptly complete all responsibilities.
Accurately perform in fast paced laboratory and clinical situations. Tolerate taxing workloads and function effectively under stress.
Manage heavy academic and personal schedules.
Sustain professional activities for prolonged periods under conditions of physical and emotional stress.
Focus sustained attention on tasks.
Monitor and appropriately regulate own emotions to maintain composure, without prompting from others (e.g., control anger and avoid aggressive behavior, even in very stressful or demanding situations).
Recognize constructive criticism and performance feedback as avenues for improvement.
Interpersonal Skills

Demonstrate integrity, concern for others, positive interpersonal skills, interest and motivation.
Develop mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with health care team members and patients/clients.
Ethics & Professionalism

Adhere to deadlines.
Accept responsibility and accountability for one’s own actions. Comply with professional standards and behaviors of the pharmacy profession.
Demonstrate a strong work ethic and good judgement.
Exercise professional judgment and complete tasks within required time limits.
Protect patients’/clients’ privacy and confidential information (e.g., adhere to HIPAA restrictions).

 

Degree Plan
Retail Pharmacy (OSA) Degree Plan

 

Get in touch

Janet Pena

Pharmacy Technician


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