Northern Lights College offers new pharmacy technician program

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A new healthcare specialty program is coming to Northern Lights College this summer.

Starting August 2026, Northern Lights College will be offering a pharmacy technician program to students in partnership with Selkirk College. 

According to Nicole Dahlen, dean of health sciences and human services at Northern Lights College, the program has been in the works for a while.

“We went through an initiative called NLC Cares, where we did an environmental scan and community consultation to determine programming needs and interests for our region,” Dahlen said. “Pharmacy technician was on the top of the list of diploma-level programs that was needed in the north.

“Pharmacy technicians are a highly valuable profession in the healthcare industry. Many people don’t know, but there are a variety of skills that only pharmacy technicians hold, things like mixing chemotherapy to help run cancer clinics.

“Without pharmacy technicians, we would really be in a rough place to not be able to offer a lot of services in our hospitals.” 

The program will begin as a hybrid course, meaning both in-person and online, according to Dahlen. 

The online program will begin in August 2026 and run until June 2027. Students will then attend in-person labs on the Northern Lights College Dawson Creek campus.

Students will finish their diplomas by completing practicums in their home communities. 

Dahlen said the college hopes to eventually offer a pharmacy technician program each year. 

“Our goal is to be able to get base funding to be able to offer it on a regular basis.”

In a conversation with Energeticcity.ca, Dahlen said the program will accept 12 students for the first year of the program, calling it a “pilot” year. 

Dahlen said programs like this are essential for supporting healthcare in northern B.C.

“It’s very important for not just high school graduates but midlife career-changers to have a variety of options in which they can obtain credentials to be able to work in different fields in healthcare and to fill the gaps and vacancies in our healthcare system in the north.”

The deadline for applications for the program is June 30th. More information on the program, including how to apply, can be found on the Northern Lights College website.