Education

Scottsdale Community College Announces New Pharmacy Technician Training Program

The 2020s have made clear how vital careers in healthcare are to our society, and pharmacy technicians are an integral part of that industry. Starting in the Fall 2022 semester, Scottsdale Community College (SCC) will begin offering classes for its new Pharmacy Technician Certificate of Completion (CCL) program** to efficiently prepare anyone interested in working in healthcare for the abundance of new positions set to open over the next decade.

The Pharmacy Technician CCL from SCC is a 16-credit program that prepares students for a role working in pharmacy practices in retail, hospital, and institutional settings. According to O*Net, the starting annual salary for pharmacy technicians in Arizona is estimated at $37,240, which is higher than the national average, and positions in this field are expected to increase by 25% over the next 10 years across the state. This area of study can be an attractive entry point for anyone interested in a career in healthcare or for existing healthcare professionals looking to upskill within their industry.

“We recognize how important it is to Scottsdale and Arizona as a whole to have a dedicated pipeline of welltrained healthcare professionals,” says SCC’s Interim President Veronica Hipolito. “From our established popular programs like nursing to emerging fields like community health worker and now pharmacy technician training, we’re proud to be a part of supporting the health of our community through our educational programming and workforce development.”

The program, approved by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board, prepares individuals to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam or the National Healthcareer Association Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ExCPT), which is required for employment. Topics covered include medication preparation; handling of a variety of substances (hazardous and non-hazardous); reporting guidelines (federal and state); OSHA guidelines and best practices; patient safety and quality assurance; order entry and processing; inventory control and management; administrative duties; health and wellness guidelines; billing and reimbursement principles and practices.

Coupled with the included internship or practicum at leading industry employers’ facilities, students will be prepared to take their certification exam and begin their careers in this rapidly growing field.

Students will also have the opportunity to network with professionals already working in the field to help them find positions in traditional pharmacy settings in drug or grocery stores, hospitals, clinics, nuclear medicine settings, compounding pharmacies, long term care facilities, insurance companies, pharmacy benefits companies, and other retail outlets.

Classes begin in August 2022. For more information, visit scottsdalecc.edu

**Pending approval by the U.S. Department of Education. Classes are open for enrollment in the fall 2022 semester and will be eligible for financial aid once approved.

Lunch Program

Cave Creek Unified School District Participates in Meal Program

Cave Creek Unified School District is participating in the School Breakfast Program and/or National School Lunch Program.

As part of this program, CCUSD93 will offer healthy meals every school day. Breakfast costs $1 at the elementary schools, $1.25 at STMS, and $1.50 at CSHS, lunch costs $2.50 at the elementary schools, $2.75 at STMS, and $3 at CSHS. Children may qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Reduced-price meals cost .30 for breakfast and .40 for lunch

Qualifications for children to receive free or reducedprice meals include belonging to a household whose income is at or below the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines, belonging to a household that received public assistance, or if the child is homeless, migrant, runaway, foster, or participates in a Head Start or Even Start pre-kindergarten program.

Household size and income criteria are used to determine eligibility for free and reduced-price benefits if the household does not receive assistance or the children are not in the other categories mentioned above. Children can get free or reduced-price meals if the household’s gross income falls at or below the limits on the Federal Income Eligibility Guideline chart. To apply for free or reduced-price meals, households can fill out the application and return it to the school unless the household has already received notification that their children are approved for free meals this year. Application forms are being distributed to all households with a letter informing households of the availability of free and reduced-price meals for their children and what is required to complete on the application. Applications are also available in the front office at each district school.

Families can apply for benefits at any time. If a household member becomes unemployed or if the household size increases, the household should contact the school. Such changes may make the children of the household eligible for benefits if the household’s income falls at or below the Federal Guidelines.

For more information, call 480-575-2436 or email maltenbern@ccusd93.net.