Programme highlights
Be among the growing group of Pharmacy Technicians in New Zealand to achieve a Level 6 specialist pharmacy technician certificate.
Flexible study option
MIT is the first institution to offer the Level 6 pharmacy qualification. This recognised qualification has the potential to expand your role as a pharmacy technician's and enable you to work at the top of your scope of practice. On completion you will able to further support the pharmacist and pharmacy industry in an ever developing healthcare environment. Within this course you will learn the specialist skills to provide the platform to step into this specialist technician role.
This qualification is for technicians already qualified and working in community or hospital pharmacies. MIT's flexible learning options mean you can study from anywhere in New Zealand and keep working while you learn.
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Key facts
| Start Month(s) |
January
|
| Study Location(s) |
Blended
Online
|
| Level |
6
|
| Domestic fees |
$4,900 (approx.) per year
|
| Youth Guarantee |
Not available
|
| Programme Code |
NZ2261
|
| Duration |
Two years (part-time)
|
| Study Method |
part-time
|
| Credits |
120
|
| International Fees |
NZD$21,400 (approx.) per year
|
| Māori and Pasifika Trades Training Scholarship |
Not available
|
| Qualification |
New Zealand Certificate
|
Need help applying?
We're here to support you to succeed.
If you need help with applying or advice on choosing a programme, our Information and Application Centre is here to give you guidance.
Send us a message, call us on 0800 62 62 52 or come in and see us.
Information is correct as at August 2017. Programme fees may vary depending on your final selection of courses that make up your programme. To provide you with an indication of costs, the approximate fees quoted on this website are based on the indicative 2018 fee structure. [Programmes stated as eligible for free study in 2018 are based on the 2017 fee structure and subject to funding confirmation for 2018.] All fees are in New Zealand Dollars. If your fees are paid by credit card, a credit card fee will be payable in addition to programme fees. You will be advised of the current fees at the time of enrolment. All courses and programmes will proceed subject to numbers and academic approval. Manukau Institute of Technology is accredited under the provisions of the Education Act 1989.
Programme structure
Students need to complete 7 mandatory core courses and 3 specialist courses, making a total of 10 courses in order to obtain the New Zealand Certificate in Pharmacy (Specialist Technician) (Level 6).
Mandatory courses
Effective Communication 727.601 (9 credits)
This core course is delivered over three modules in which you will develop a solid foundation of what effective communication is, and how it impacts on our daily lives. This leads into more specific concepts such as looking at the barriers that cause miscommunication, and techniques to mitigate these barriers. You will also learn about how to take your developing skill set and apply it to the health care environment; you will become proficient in maintaining communication to help achieve the best healthcare outcome on complex matters and issues and in varying situations.
Workshop - This course contains a two day workshop.
Length of time for completion of course - This course is run over a 9 week period not including holiday breaks. Students should expect to commit approximately 90 hours to meet course requirements.
Note: Overall, the Level 6 course is structured around early exposure to the Effective Communication paper. Mainly because the course material and workshop will set you up for future papers through developing your communication skills, including your ability to transfer your thoughts and research correctly when writing to academic guideline requirements. Additionally, we cover overall course requirements including how to use Canvas (the LMS - Learning Management System at MIT), the MIT library and student services.
Learning and Development 727.602 (8 credits)
This core course is delivered over three modules in which you will learn about the concept of andragogy, learning models and how it they can be applied to a pharmacy environment in staff education. You will learn about the importance of continual professional development, and the various tools used in the identification of a ‘professional learning need’; furthermore you will become knowledgeable and proficient in the steps to successfully achieve the need.
Workshop - There is no workshop attached to this course.
Length of time for completion of course - This course is run over an 8 week period not including breaks. Students should expect to commit approximately 80 hours to meet course requirements.
Leadership and Management for Effective Teamwork 341.652 (8 credits)
This core course is delivered over 3 modules in which you will learn the many facets related to leadership and management, with specific relevance to pharmacy. You will learn the importance of:
- Identifying various models and styles of leadership, and how they impact on others in the team.
- The role individuals play within the team, and the boundaries required to create team harmony.
- Mentoring and coaching, and how this supports professional development and team cohesion.
- The role of supervision and delegation, especially how and when to delegate.
- The challenges within leadership and management, and the various techniques and tools used in the resolution of them.
- The role that assessment plays within a team for the purpose of professional development, and whether an individual is suitable for the role they are in.
Length of time for completion of course - This course is run over an 8 week period not including breaks. Students should expect to commit approximately 80 hours to meet course requirements.
Pharmacy Operational Management 727.603 (15 credits)
This core course is delivered over 4 modules. Upon completion you will be able to develop and maintain some of the necessary management skills required in the day to day running of pharmacies. You will be able to understand the principles of human resources, implement plans and organise your workplace through effective management of inventory and supply of pharmaceuticals. Additionally you will study finances and monetary issues, whilst becoming proficient in business planning and change management, all necessary skills to successfully manage a pharmacy.
Workshop - This course contains a two day workshop.
Length of time for completion of course - This course is run over a 15 week period, not including breaks. Students should expect to commit approximately 150 hours to meet course requirements.
Pharmacy Law and Ethics 727.604 (15 credits)
This core course is delivered over four modules. It builds on the knowledge gained in your Introduction to Pharmacy Practice, in which you learnt about compliance within pharmacy legislation and the restrictions placed on the goods and services provided by pharmacy. In the level 6 certificate you will learn how to apply legislation related to dispensing, compounding and manufacturing in pharmacy. You will also draw on your practical experience working in a pharmacy environment (community and clinical). You will learn about the ethical considerations and requirements in relation to healthcare and pharmacy, via various means such as developing your knowledge of:
- New Zealand Pharmacy Council Code of Ethics: You will explore the philosophical foundation of pharmacy practice, including the responsibilities and professional value fundamentals inherent to the pharmacy profession.
- The Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights Regulation 1996. This establishes the rights of consumers, and the obligations and duties of providers to comply with the Code.
Workshop - This course contains a two day workshop
Length of time for completion of course - This course is run over a 15 week period not including breaks. Students should expect to commit approximately 150 hours to meet course requirements.
Quality Assurance in Pharmacy Practice 727.605 (10 credits)
This core course is delivered over 3 modules. Within the modules, you will learn how the pharmacy industry implements quality assurance to ensure compliance within the various documentation that governs New Zealand pharmacy. You will learn about the common tools utilised within the healthcare industry for quality improvement. You will learn not only the basic requirements for writing a standard operating procedure (SOP), but also how a SOP can be further developed to give more depth and clarity to a user. You will learn about the process of pharmacy audits, and be able to identify potential issues that may arise in an audit to ensure that standards are achieved. You will be introduced to the Health and Safety at Work 2015 Act, and how it applies to pharmacy.
Workshop - This course contains a one day workshop
Length of time for completion of course - This course is run over a 10 week period not including breaks. Students should expect to commit approximately 100 hours to meet course requirements.
New Zealand Health Care System 727.606 (Credits 10)
This core course is delivered over 3 modules. You will learn about how the New Zealand healthcare system was developed and how it works from it’s inception to the present day. Additionally, you will learn how the various government and non-government agencies provide support via the services they supply or by governance they give. You will learn about the Treaty of Waitangi and the role it plays within New Zealand healthcare in the support and promotion of ensuring Pae Ora (Healthy futures for Maori). You will learn about how services are funded and the role that the Ministry of Health, District Health Boards and Pharmac have in this. You will be introduced to the community pharmacy services agreement, and become proficient in understanding how this contract impacts on services within the community pharmacy.
Workshop - This course contains a one day workshop
Length of time for completion of course - This course is run over a 10 week period not including breaks. Students should expect to commit approximately 100 hours to meet course requirements.
Specialist courses
Students have to complete 3 specialist courses but are able to choose which courses are more applicable to them in their place of employment. Please note that all specialist courses are project-based and student-driven, so with this in mind, careful course selection is required. For example, if the technician does not have any contact with patients, then taking the patient counselling course would not be appropriate. Courses are chosen in consultation with your pharmacist and lecturers.
Because the specialist courses are student-driven, completion of the core subjects first is beneficial, but not essential, assuming the student is diligent in their research and commitment.
All specialist courses contain a learning contract prior to commencing the course, and a Gibbs reflective essay of learning at the completion of the project.
Workshops - Specialist courses do not contain any workshops.
Please note specialist courses are still under development. Should you not find the course you want to complete available, please check back periodically, or contact us for more information of when various courses will become available.
Medicines Information 727.610(15 credits)
This specialist course further builds on multiple core papers and fully utilises your developed research skills in finding justified information. It is divided into 4 parts of which you will learn:
- The purpose of medicine information.
- The lines of responsibility (structure) that govern medicine information guidelines, including who to consult in the absence of the MI Pharmacist.
- How to source justified information for a medicines information enquiry.
- The appropriate questions to ask in order to gain a greater depth of understanding to an enquiry.
You will then demonstrate your learning through the completion of several scenario based medicine information enquiries, before conducting a real life scenario.
Length of time for completion of course - This course is run over a 15 week period not, including breaks. Students should expect to commit approximately 150 hours to meet requirements.
Patient counselling 727.XXX (15 Credits)
The fundamental principles and practical application of patient counselling will be covered in this specialist paper. You will be required to observe counselling sessions and reflect on practices, which will in turn strengthen your own skills in patient counselling. Research of specific medicines (of your choice) will be required in this paper. You will learn to interpret complex medical information and then relay this message suitably to the target audience.
Medicines Reconciliation course 727.617 (15 Credits)
Medicines Reconciliation involves the process of taking an accurate medical history from the primary source (i.e. the patient), and secondary sources (pharmacy records, doctors etc); Then reviewing the medication and the patient's medical conditions to see if the prescribed medication is the most appropriate for the patient's current condition (i.e. reconciling medicines). Where appropriate, recommendations are made to the prescriber for review of prescribing. The emphasis will be on developing your skills in taking an accurate medication history, as is particularly appropriate to the technician role. The process of reconciliation will also be reviewed. The structure of the paper is a Learning Contract, including short answer questions aimed at getting you to think about what Med Recon is, including the structure and process of it. There will be 'mock' scenarios, followed by real-life cases that you will need to undertake in your place of work. At the end, there will be reflection essay.
Length of time for completion of course - This course is run over a 15 week period not including breaks. Students should expect to commit approximately 150 hours to meet requirements.
Health Screening and Testing 727.616 (15 Credits)
Community pharmacies are able to offer a wide range of screening and testing for health and wellness, depending on the scope of staff and the resources available. This is an area predicted to expand in the future, to make healthcare more accessible to the consumer. The structure of the course is a Learning Contract, including the use of short answer questions to test your understanding; Topics such as definitions, background information, and current health screening and testing in NZ will be covered. Students will research and become informed about the types of screening available; Focus will be on the consumer of health care, and the role of the pharmacy (technicians) in meeting their health promotion and disease prevention needs. The practical component will be around setting up a service in your pharmacy, or perhaps critiquing and improving an existing one. At the end, there will be reflection essay.
Length of time for completion of course - This course is run over a 15 week period not including breaks. Students should expect to commit approximately 150 hours to meet requirements.
Dispensary Management 727.611 (15 Credits)
This specialist course looks at developing your dispensary management skills. You will research your own resources enabling you to answer several management scenarios:
- Write a SWOT analysis in order to decide whether to move forward with a project or service development, including completing a written report on the service development.
- Undertake a work based improvement project of your choosing. Other staff members and your pharmacist(s) will also be involved. At the end, there will be reflection essay.
Length of time for completion of course - This course is run over a 15 week period not including breaks. Students should expect to commit approximately 150 hours to meet requirements.
Quality Assurance and Risk Management 727.619 (15 credits)
This specialist course further builds on concepts learnt in the core paper ‘Quality Assurance in Pharmacy Practice’. The first part further develops your understanding of quality assurance within the overarching umbrella of quality management systems (QMS). You will be researching various QMS and associated tools to understand and analyse where improvements are needed, or why a system works so well. By the completion of the course you will be able to write and implement a QMS policy and utilise various quality tools such as PDSA, standard operating procedures and other supporting documentation; including policies to ensure your pharmacy meets the requirements set out by New Zealand standards. The second part of this specialist paper looks at risk management, in which you will further develop your understanding of the Health and Safety at Work 2015 Act, and the various roles that individuals contribute. You will be able to ensure your pharmacy complies with all parts of the Act including the ability to assess risks, and successfully mitigate any risks identified.
Length of time for completion of course - This course is run over a 15 week period not including breaks. Students should expect to commit approximately 150 hours to meet course requirements.
Advanced Dispensary Administration (15 credits)
This specialist course further builds on multiple core papers. You will research the concept of advanced administration from the perspective of the ever-changing pharmacy environment and the impact this has on administration. You be able to explain the concepts within administration that are needed to fulfill contractual, ethical and quality-control requirements. You will be able to further develop or help in the development of administration materials needed for the successful implementation of a pharmacy service.
Length of time for completion of course - This course is run over a 15 week period not including breaks. Students should expect to commit approximately 150 hours to meet requirements.
Education and Training Support 727.612 (15 credits)
This specialist course further builds on concepts learnt in the core course ‘Learning and Development’. In this course you will develop your skills in identifying where a ‘learning need’ is required in your workplace. You will be able to develop and write learning outcomes and objectives using bloom's taxonomy; this includes creating a lesson plan using material and resources to educate staff on the ‘learning need’ you have identified. You will be able to recognise that individuals learn differently, and thereafter adapt your teaching and material in a manner that supports various learning models/theories. You will learn the importance of assessing competency and various methodologies in assessing competency, to ensure your education and training session is successful.
Length of time for completion of course - This course is run over a 15 week period not including breaks. Students should expect to commit approximately 150 hours to meet requirements.
Graduate and Employers Feedback
See what our graduates have to say about studying as a Specialist Pharmacy Technician at MIT:
Donna Skeen
Auckland
"I cautiously weighed up the benefits of completing this course before registering due to the impact studying has on an already busy schedule as a working mum. Study consumes me due to my desire to get the most out of the opportunity. Many times during the course I doubted my ability to meet the assessment requirements.
The course is structured so that the learning is staged to complement both the work environment and the specialised topics in the second year of study. The choice to complete the course over a two to four year period allows each learner the ability to learn at their own pace.
The tutors know our work commitments and give support, direction and positive feedback to keep motivation and vision in seeing this course to its completion.
The result for me has deepened my knowledge on many aspects of pharmacy, especially communication, and recognising individuality in our team. Prior to this course I was already the Pharmacy Manager and felt I did a good job; reflecting on my performance since learning from the Level 6 material I now do a better job in managing the team's strengths and weaknesses, culture, and recognising learning needs. Personally I have learnt the value of the “why” question.
I am unsure how long it will take for the course to be recognised within the profession, but I am confident the pharmacies who have a Level 6 technician will appreciate the knowledge we have, and the ability to apply this knowledge in our workplace.
I would recommend this course to technicians who want to extend themselves professionally to work at the top of their scope, and personally applying the management, interpersonal and communication skills to all facets of life."
Stephanie McGaffin
Ngongotaha Pharmacy, Rotorua
"I’m Stephanie Mcgaffin, I work at Ngongotaha Pharmacy in Rotorua and have been a Level 5 Technician since 2005. I saw an advertisement for the Level 6 Specialist Technician course one day in my lunch break as I was flicking through a contact magazine. I was feeling at a dead end within my position at the time, feeling like there was nowhere to go to from here. My employer was very supportive, so I decided to enrol in the course because I was eager to advance my qualification, not really knowing where it may lead or what doors may open.
MIT has been fantastic throughout my journey. I have met so many people, the lecturers have been amazing and very supportive and it has been great meeting the other girls in my class. We have become good friends and enjoyed staying together when we attended block courses.
I have learnt so much throughout this course, not only in direct relation to my career but also general life skills for example time management, problem solving and computer skills. It has opened up a whole new world for me and I feel so much more competent and confident with the knowledge I have gained.
Roles are expanding within pharmacy and there are now roles within the dispensary that don’t necessarily need to be filled by a pharmacist, opening up a lot more opportunity for technicians. I have recently taken on a management role in my pharmacy and hope to achieve pharmacy ownership in the near future.
I have found the whole experience very enjoyable, and manageable. I work fulltime and have three children, so it was essential that I could work around these commitments. I would absolutely recommend this course to anyone wanting to further their career. You never know what doors may open for you"
Kirsty Croucher
Pharmacist at Ngongotaha Pharmacy, Rotorua
"As a pharmacy owner who works in their own business there are some important jobs in the dispensary that are hard to allocate to other staff as they lack training in these areas. Examples are development and maintenance of SOPs, staff management and workflow. Pharmacists tend to learn these skills on an ad-hoc basis, however they are roles that do not require a pharmacist to fill, and are perfect for a technician to step into.
This course has been amazing at training Stephanie in these areas, and because her course covered all the legal and non-legal requirements and their implementation and also required my input, we (MIT, Stephanie and myself) developed her current knowledge to be ideal for our pharmacy, and therefore she easily fulfilled my expectations of her new role. She has moved from being a technician to stepping into a management role, and I look forward to where this leads us in the future.
I would highly recommend this course to technicians who are wanting to step into dispensary or pharmacy management, it is well structured and covers relevant information, and also allows the technician to have choices about which areas they would like to further their knowledge in."
Need help applying?
We're here to support you to succeed.
If you need help with applying or advice on choosing a programme, our Information and Application Centre is here to give you guidance.
Send us a message, call us on 0800 62 62 52 or come in and see us.
Information is correct as at August 2017. Programme fees may vary depending on your final selection of courses that make up your programme. To provide you with an indication of costs, the approximate fees quoted on this website are based on the indicative 2018 fee structure. [Programmes stated as eligible for free study in 2018 are based on the 2017 fee structure and subject to funding confirmation for 2018.] All fees are in New Zealand Dollars. If your fees are paid by credit card, a credit card fee will be payable in addition to programme fees. You will be advised of the current fees at the time of enrolment. All courses and programmes will proceed subject to numbers and academic approval. Manukau Institute of Technology is accredited under the provisions of the Education Act 1989.
