Study online to take your pharmacy technician career to the next level
New Zealand Certificate in Pharmacy (Specialist Technician) (Level 6)
This programme is only open to continuing students.
The good news is – a new level 6 diploma in pharmacy is currently in development. Want to know more?
Programme highlights
Are you a pharmacy technician looking to make the next move in your career?
This qualification will help you get ahead.
You'll learn the skills to step into a specialist technician role and make a difference within your pharmacy.
In order to undertake this course, you must be a qualified pharmacy technician with a Level 5 qualification working in a community or hospital pharmacy.
Our flexible learning options means you can study part-time online, anywhere in New Zealand while you remain in employment.
IT requirements
To complete this qualification you will need to have access to a computer and the internet to retrieve course materials, undertake assessments and to participate in the courses online activities.
Key facts
| Start month(s) |
January, February, March, July, August, September |
|---|---|
| Study location(s) | Online plus workshops at MIT Manukau |
| Level | 6 |
| Domestic fees | |
| Youth Guarantee (fees-free*) | Not available |
| Programme code | NZ2261 |
| Duration |
Part-time for 2 years (40 teaching weeks per year). |
|---|---|
| Study method | Part-time Online study with an initial two-day workshop and an additional five subsequent workshops throughout your study. |
| Credits | 120 |
| International fees | Not available to international students |
| Māori and Pasifika Trades Training Scholarship (fees-free*) | Not available |
| Qualification |
New Zealand Certificate |
"I cautiously weighed up the benefits of completing this course [Pharmacy] 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."
Donna Skeen
MIT graduate, Auckland
"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 full-time 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."
Stephanie McGaffin
MIT graduate
"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 the 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."
Kirsty Croucher
Pharmacy owner
Key information for students
New Zealand Certificate in Pharmacy (Specialist Technician) (Level 6)
| Entry requirements | ||
| Minimum requirements [?] Any minimum or preferred criteria for entry to this qualification. | Applicants must meet the following entry requirements: Applicants must have successfully completed the New Zealand Certificate in Pharmacy (Pharmacy Technician) (Level 5) [Ref: 1889] or demonstrate equivalent knowledge and skills. AND Applicants must be employed in a pharmacy environment and have a minimum of 1 years' experience in a pharmacy technician role following the award of a Pharmacy Technician level 5 qualification. AND Have English language competence to undertake this programme which is taught and assessed in English. Any applicants whose first language is not English will be required to provide evidence of an-overall lELTS (Academic) band score of 6.5 (with no score below 6.5) or equivalent achieved within the preceding 2 years AND Provide an attestation from their employer that they will be supported and released to attend scheduled lecture, block and/or workshop course delivery. | |
| Detailed requirements [?] Click here for more information on any additional entry criteria for this qualification. | More information about entry to this qualification | |
| Duration [?] The minimum amount of time it takes to complete this qualification. | 2 Years | |
| Tuition fees | Annual | Total qualification |
| Student fees
[?]
Annual: The annual tuition fees payable by a student to study this qualification, additional to what the government contributes. (This is an average based on recent course enrolments. Your fees may differ depending on your course selection.) Total qualification: The total tuition fees payable by a student to study this qualification, additional to what the government contributes. (This is an average based on recent course enrolments. Your fees may differ depending on your course selection.) |
$2,599 | $5,198 |
| Government tuition subsidy
[?]
Annual: The average annual amount paid by government towards the tuition fees for this qualification, additional to what the student pays. (This is an estimate based on the fees subsidy paid by government to tertiary providers last year.) Total qualification: The average total amount paid by government towards the tuition fees for this qualification, additional to what the student pays. (This is an estimate based on the fees subsidy paid by government to tertiary providers last year.) |
$3,204 | $6,408 |
| Total
[?]
Annual: The combined total of the annual amount paid by both the student and government towards the tuition fees for this qualification. (This is an estimate based on recent course enrolments and the fees subsidy paid by government to tertiary providers last year.) Total qualification: The combined total of the amount paid by both the student and government towards the total tuition fees for this qualification. (This is an estimate based on recent course enrolments and the fees subsidy paid by government to tertiary providers last year.) |
$5,803 | $11,606 |
| Compulsory student services fee | ||
| Student loan information [?] Click here for more information on loans and allowances. | StudyLink | |
| Student success | ||
| Successful course completions [?] The percentage of students who successfully completed courses towards this qualification last year. | 100% | |
| National graduate outcomes (3 years after completion) | ||
| Median earnings [?] The median represents the middle value for all earnings of young graduates who completed a qualification in this subject area at this level nationally. Earnings do not relate specifically to graduates who completed qualifications at this TEO. | $43,751 | |
| Earnings range [?] The range shows the upper and lower quartile values representing the one quarter point and three quarters point for all earnings of young graduates who completed qualifications in this subject area. Half of all graduates had earnings within this range. | $33,334 - $47,470 | |
| In employment [?] This percentage relates to young graduates who completed a qualification in this subject area at this level nationally and does not relate specifically to graduates who completed qualifications at this TEO. | 73% | |
| In further study [?] This percentage relates to young graduates who completed a qualification in this subject area at this level nationally and does not relate specifically to graduates who completed qualifications at this TEO. | 18% | |
| On a benefit [?] This percentage relates to young graduates who completed a qualification in this subject area at this level nationally and does not relate specifically to graduates who completed qualifications at this TEO. | N/A | |
| Note: all KIS information is the most recent available relating to domestic students only. Click here for more information about the Key Information for Students |
||
Ready to secure your future?
Information is correct as at February 2021. Programme fees are based on a full-time student and 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 in this publication are based on the indicative 2021 fee structure. The indicative programme fees for 2021 do not include the Compulsory Student Services Fee (CSSF). The CSSF is an additional levy to your 2021 programme or course fees. Further information about the CSSF can be found here www.manukau.ac.nz/cssf. Programmes stated as eligible for free study in 2021 are based on the 2020 fee structure and subject to funding confirmation for 2021. All fees are in New Zealand Dollars. 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 Limited is accredited under the provisions of the Education Act 1989. International students must study in class and will not be able to enrol for online study options.