In the future, please only post your thread in one forum. It makes the board neater.
Yes you will have to take a lab. I don't know how it is everywhere, but it isn't very intense at my school. We take two semesters in the first year. Basically we are learning how to mix different drugs (like put drug A into a liquid) and some compounding. Very simple and no lab reports. We are also learning the top 200 drugs, so generic and brand names, what it's used for, side effects, and patient counseling. It seems to be more practical info, like how to read a Rx, do the math, and then fill it. We also look at special considerations, like pediatric doses and where you would go to make sure the doctor wrote the dosage correctly. We also did a bit of IV prep work.