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Richmond Community College is launching a pharmacy technician program this spring semester.

Orientation is Jan. 10 at 10 a.m. at the Honeycutt Center in Laurinburg. Classes begin Jan. 24.

Pharmacist Leslie Sanderson teaches the course which is 96 hours in length and is offered in a hybrid format.

Classes meet every other Thursday from 6 until 9 p.m. at the Honeycutt Center. Other material and assignments are offered online. Tuition is $176.

Classes run through July 11. Call 410-1831 to preregister.

“A good technician is quite valuable to a pharmacy. Students who complete this course will be prepared to take the national exam to become certified by the Pharmacy Technician Training Board. Some pharmacies are now requiring this certification for employees, and while it is not mandatory, it is certainly encouraged and makes you more marketable,” said Sanderson.

The average starting salary is about $36,000 a year.

Students will study drug regulations and controls, terminology, and how drugs are administered. Students need good math skills to be able to understand the metric system as it applied to formulating and administering medications. Inventory management and financial aspects of pharmacies will also be discussed.

“Pharmacy technicians work under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist and can input information into the computer, count and bottle medications according to the prescription, and pass the prescription to the pharmacist for final approval. It is a good career for many people,” said Sanderson.

A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, Sanderson has more than 30 years of experience as a pharmacist. He spent 18 years working with a major chain store and has worked with the Medicine Shoppe of Laurinburg for the past 13 years. He is a member of the N.C. Association of Pharmacists and is a founding member of the Southeaster Pharmaceutical Association in Lumberton.