A group of Porter Ridge High School students in a Pharmacy Tech Class , part of the Career and Technical Education ’ s Health Science Program , are a prime example of UCPS graduates being better prepared for college and careers .
The pharmacy technician class is normally offered on the collegiate level , but at Porter Ridge , students have an added bonus . Those who take the class , which is reserved for seniors , are eligible to take the test for national certification .
“ If they pass that national certification , they can get a job working in a pharmacy anywhere in the United States as a pharmacy technician ,” said class teacher Edwina Baucom .
“ This class is kind of like a preinternship ,” said Daisy Quach , a PRHS senior . “ You get to experience what it ’ s like to be a pharmacist . We learn how to work with prescription bottles and how to separate types of medicines . We also get to do the retail part of the job .”
All faux medicines used in the class are designed to look and act like those used in actual pharmacies . “ They ’ re all fake , but students can get the idea and the feel that they are really mixing the formulas and know how to measure things out ,” said Tyna Gautreaux , PRHS ’ Career Development Coordinator . “ This class is going to help them get a step above someone who doesn ’ t have the experience already . The more opportunities we can give students to get ahead , the better .”
Anyone walking into the Pharmacy Tech Class might mistake it for an actual pharmacy lab . Students wear protective clothing , masks , head covering , gloves , eye protection .
Formulas are measured precisely using scales and placed into various sized medicine bottles , complete with labels . Most “ medicine ” made in class , such as the cherryflavored cough medicine , are for educational purposes only and unusable .
There is one exception : Happy Hinny , a topical antibiotic used for diaper rash . Students use the actual ingredients pharmacists use .
Happy Hinny , the actual name of the product , starts with 90 grams of petroleum jelly ( Vaseline ) and eight calcium carbonate
2 • May / June 2017 • Parent Teacher Magazine
UCPS students get college-ready through high-level courses
tablets ( Tums ). The tablets are crushed using a pestle and mortar and then mixed with the Vaseline , which is divided into fifths . These are placed in small jars , layering them with Betadine antiseptic solution . “ It actually works ,” said Porter Ridge senior Samantha Gerull . “ What we make you can actually use on a baby . “ It ’ s a simple solution , but they still prescribe it because it works .”
“ I gave it to my niece ,” said
Porter Ridge senior Vinh Dao . “ She uses it . It ’ s better than spending $ 35 for some brand name that is the exact same thing .”
“ This class teaches us everything we need to know ,” Samantha said . “ This class , and all the classes that Ms . Baucom teaches , helps us get a step further . We go into college already having the information ; we have all the knowledge we need to pass a collegelevel class , and to do well .”
The Pharmacy Tech Class is just one of hundreds of classes offered within UCPS that help students get a jumpstart into their career choices .
All these courses , as well as a complete explanation of what UCPS has to offer , is available in the 2017-18 High School Program of Studies ( POS ).
UCPS Director of Secondary Education Brad Breedlove said the handbook has been completely redesigned this year to make it
Left : Porter Ridge seniors , from left , Vinh Dao , Daisy Quach and Samantha Gerull work on various faux medicines in the school ’ s Pharmacy Tech Class .
Top : Porter Ridge senior Vinh Dao , a student in a Porter Ridge High School Pharmacy Tech Class , shows off his finished topical antibiotic used for diaper rash , called Happy Hinny . more student- and parent-friendly . “ This year ’ s POS was not written for counselors or school staff ,” Breedlove said . “ This program of study was written for the student and the individual family , to give them an understanding of the big picture – what ’ s offered in Union County Public Schools , procedures , processes and the different schools that we have – all the way down to the individual class and courses that we teach .”
The 130-page POS starts with the most important things parents should know about the school system . “ You have to look at what a newcomer would need to know about our school system in order to make a wise choice as to what is best for their children .”
Even though the booklet has been redesigned with the end-user in mind , Breedlove said there is still a lot of information for a parent to comprehend . “ I can see where there is so much continued on page 3