The student will be able to:

1. Accurately calculate the charge for a prescription based on the cost of the drug and the professional fee.
2. Evaluate purchase invoices and assess them for error.
3. Demonstrate working knowledge of insurance billing to federal, state, and private medical insurance.
4. Demonstrate working knowledge of specific pharmacy software that may be used in ambulatory pharmacies or chains of pharmacies.
5. Identify the customer's method of payment for a prescription.
6. Demonstrate working knowledge of returns, policies, and procedures for various ambulatory pharmacy goods.
7. Demonstrate how to utilize different pharmacy manuals and best practices in maintenance of records in the ambulatory pharmacy setting.
8. Demonstrate working knowledge of investigational drugs and the drug development process.
9. Utilize electronic systems to confirm third party coverage for a prescription and complete third party claim forms.
10. Demonstrate professional interpersonal and analytical skills relevant to providing excellent assistance to pharmacists and patients.
11. Define non-sterile compounding, and demonstrate how to use and maintain basic equipment and how to prepare simple creams and ointments.

1. Prescription pricing in the retail setting
   1. Medication cost
   2. Professional/dispensing fee
   3. Mark-up
   4. Overhead
   5. Turnover
   6. Depreciation
   7. Cash discounts
2. Purchase orders and the invoices for pharmaceuticals and devices
   1. Procedures for purchasing
   2. Understanding the NDC (National Drug Code)
   3. Suppliers
   4. Receiving orders and verifying specifications
   5. Maintenance of inventory
3. Insurance billing
   1. Federal
   2. State
   3. Private medical insurance
4. Computerized dispensing software
   1. General computer functions
   2. Computer codes unique to pharmacy
   3. Entering and retrieving data
   4. Verifying third party coverage
   5. Create patient and doctor profiles
   6. Generating labels, identifying protected and non-protected patient information
   7. Identifying pricing and co-pay information
5. Payment methods
   1. Insurance
   2. Cash
   3. Prescription discount cards
6. Returns, policies, and procedures for outdates, recalls, damaged goods
   1. Adulterated drugs and devices
   2. Misbranded drugs and devices
   3. Near-expiration prescription drug stocks
7. Ambulatory pharmacy manuals, forms, and record keeping
   1. Safety data sheets
   2. Product inserts and patient product inserts
   3. Introduction to on-site reference materials and online reference materials
8. Investigational drugs and the drug development process
   1. Phase I, II, and III of new drug development
   2. FDA review process and new drug approval
   3. Phase IV
   4. Investigational new drugs and their handling and dispensing
9. Third party billing
   1. Definition
   2. Terminology
   3. Information required for digital billing
   4. Understanding types of insurance fraud related to pharmacy transactions
   5. Cost control methods
      1. Brand vs. generic
      2. DAW (dispense as written) codes
      3. Quantity limits
      4. Refill intervals
      5. Age restrictions
      6. Formulary vs. non-formulary
      7. Formulary tiers
      8. POS (point of sale)
      9. Co-pays and deductibles
   6. Types of third party payers
      1. Private insurers, e.g., Optum, Blue Cross-Blue Shield, etc.
      2. Co-pay procedures and record keeping
      3. Problem-solving methods to handle common types of rejections
      4. CHAMPUS (Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services) and CHAMPVA (Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs)
      5. Workers' compensation
      6. Medi-Cal
10. Development of key skills that offer significant impact to customers and pharmacists
    1. Define and deliver excellent customer service
    2. Define professional ethics and discuss situational problem-solving
    3. Develop clear oral and written communication skills
    4. Develop skills required to demonstrate
       1. Confidentiality (HIPAA [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act] and non-HIPAA-related situations)
       2. Dependability
       3. Problem-solving
       4. Empathy
11. Non-sterile compounding, basic laboratory equipment, and equipment maintenance
    1. Definition
    2. Scope
    3. Types of technician roles and responsibilities in non-sterile compounding
    4. Description of equipment, how and when to use, and how to maintain
    5. Difference between expiration dates and beyond-use dating for compounds
    6. Distinction between reconstitution and non-sterile compounding

1. Drug organization in pharmacies
2. Communication and customer service skills lab
3. Use of reference materials: online and hardcopy
4. Prescription translation, computer processing, and invoice preparation
5. Third party insurance - information extraction and DAW (dispense as written) processing
6. "The Drop-Off Window": patient and doctor profile generation, DAW (dispense as written) processing, and insurance processing
7. Introduction to reconstitution and basic non-sterile compounding

Objective exams
Lab practical exams
Quizzes
Laboratory reports

Lecture presentations and classroom discussion
Small group or team sessions to discuss concepts

American Pharmacists Association, Perspective Press. The Pharmacy Technician, 8th ed.. 2024.

Wilson, Billie A., Margaret Shannon, and Kelly Shields. Pearson Nurse's Drug Guide. 2024.

Weekly reading assignments from text, online curriculum, lab manual, and outside sources ranging from 10-15 pages per week.