Pharmacy Technician Schools

“I think a lot of people think we’re just counting tablets and putting them in a bottle, but there’s so much more to it. I wish the public knew that. Our job is very high stress. There’s a lot of technical information that we need to know about to ensure patient safety and to make sure that medication errors don’t happen.”

– Ben Montoya, CPhT, Lead Pharmacy Technician Instructor, Pima Medical Institute’s Chula Vista Campus

As advances in pharmaceutical technology lead us down the path towards more and more magic pills that can treat and cure myriad diseases and ailments, we will need more people who can understand the intricacies of the drugs we take and help to dispense them safely and effectively. These people will be pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who work alongside them.

As pharmacists are called away from the pill-sorting machines to interact directly with patients, administer flu shots and vaccinations, and counsel on drug interactions, pharmacy technicians step in to take on much of the day-to-day pharmacy operations.

And pharmacy organizations are not blind to this increased need. National pharmacy education organizations have begun to work together to ensure that pharmacy technician students receive the quality of education they need to be valuable members of their teams once they gain employment. This includes the creation of the Pharmacy Technician Accreditation Commission (PTAC), which will “work collaboratively to develop an accreditation system for pharmacy technician education and training programs that reflects all pharmacy practice settings and, if feasible, to consolidate the activities into one accrediting body” (ASHP).

Pharmacy Technician fast facts
Projected Jobs Created	25,900
Projected Job Growth	6%
Average Salary	$40,260
Low Salary	$29,640
High Salary	$50,640
Entry-Level EDU	HS Diploma

 

MedicalTechnologySchools.com: What is something you wish the public understood about pharmacy technicians?

Montoya: I think there’s a big misconception out there about what pharmacy technicians do. I think a lot of people think we’re just counting tablets and putting them in a bottle, but there’s so much more to it. I wish the public knew that. Our job is very high stress. There’s a lot of technical information that we need to know about to ensure patient safety and to make sure that medication errors don’t happen.

MedicalTechnologySchools.com: What advice would you give to aspiring pharmacy technician students?

Montoya: The first thing I would say is to be open to learning and always ask questions because there’s so much to learn in this field. No matter how long you’ve been in it, there’s always something new. Another thing I would say is you really need to commit and focus on your studies because things professionals in this field are expected to have right, such as medical terminology, medication names, pharmacology, law, and math. Students also need to pay close attention to detail. Our job is so detail-oriented, so you need to be able to focus on the task at hand to minimize and prevent mistakes.

Aspiring technicians should target becoming nationally certified. Not all states require national certification, but what I would tell my incoming students is even if it is not required, set a goal to take the national certification exam because it will set you apart from those who aren’t.

Lastly, you need to start networking right away to create a support network. Network with your classmates, go out to a pharmacy, talk to the people who work there, and seek mentorship outside of the classroom so they can see what the job is all about. That way they have the potential for guidance and advice, so they’re not in it alone in this field.

Pharmacy Technician Degree & Certification Programs

As is the case with so many healthcare careers, degree requirements for pharmacy technicians vary from state to state. In some states, entry-level technicians may begin trainee programs with a high school diploma. No experience is required.

However, in other states, students must complete a fully accredited pharmacy technician training program and/or obtain an associate of science (AS) degree in pharmacy technology from a pharmacy tech school before they can begin work. Before enrolling in any program, students should be sure to familiarize themselves with the requirements in their state. The following is just a sampling of the types of pharmacy technician programs available around the country:

Pima Medical Institute

With accredited locations across the western portion of the US, PMI offers a comprehensive pharmacy technician program to students in Arizona, California, Washington, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado. In 840 clock hours, plus a clinical externship, students will be prepared to take the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination (CPhT) from the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB).

This hybrid program, consisting of 35.5 credits, includes courses such as pharmacy law and ethics, pharmacy math, inventory maintenance, pharmacology, principles of customer service, pharmacy computer applications, and chemistry fundamentals. All courses within this program are acceptable for credit toward Pima Medical Institute’s health care administration associate of applied science degree program.

• Location: Mesa and Tucson, AZ; Chula Vista and San Marcos, CA; Colorado Springs and Denver, CO; Las Vegas, NV; Albuquerque, NM; El Paso, Houston, and, San Antonio, TX; Renton, WA
• Accreditation: Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES)
• Expected Time to Completion: Nine months

Clover Park Technical College

At Clover Park Technical College, pharmacy technician students will work towards an associate of applied technology (AAT) degree in five quarters, with courses starting every spring and fall quarter. The program combines classroom, laboratory, and clinical experience for a well-rounded pharmacy technician background. The program offers hands-on classroom and laboratory training and three months of on-the-job training.

Classes take place at either the Lakewood or Puyallup, Washington campus. Students can alternatively pursue a certificate, which takes three to four quarters to complete. Both pharmacy technician programs at CPTC are ASHP/ACPE accredited.

The AAT degree comprises 92 credits, while the certificate comprises 44 credits. The curriculum includes courses such as pharmaceutical calculations; pharmacology; generic drug names; medication research; introduction to pharmacy & pharmacy law; and hospital practice.

• Location: Lakewood, WA; Puyallup, WA
• Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU); ASHP/ACPE
• Expected Time to Completion: AAT (five quarters); certificate (three quarters)

Cleveland Clinic

The pharmacy technician program at Cleveland Clinic is unique in that students begin with hands-on experience from day one. Additionally, the Cleveland Clinic program is one of the few hospital-based pharmacy technician programs in the US, making the learning environment quite unique. Applicants to the program must have a high school diploma or GED and pass math and reading evaluations (or show a minimum GPA from college courses in those subjects).

Due to the high demand for this program, students must also have at least two semesters of college-level coursework, five years of professional work experience, or ACT or SAT scores. The program consists of 20 weeks of didactic instruction, which students can complete online, simultaneous hands-on observation and training, and a 200-hour externship.

• Location: Cleveland, OH
• Accreditation: ASHP/ACPE
• Expected Time to Completion: 12 months

Cerritos College

For Southern California residents, the pharmacy technician program at Cerritos College is convenient. The program offers both a certificate and associate’s degree track for incoming students. The Cerritos College program has been accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) since 1999.

Completing either program qualifies students to register with the California State Board of Pharmacy, a prerequisite for obtaining employment as a pharmacy technician in California. The certificate requires students to complete 31 units, while the associate’s degree comprises 60 semester units.

The curriculum includes courses such as medication calculations; pharmaceutical calculations; pharmacy operations; over-the-counter products; pharmacy technician pharmacology; medical terminology; and an introduction to anatomy and physiology.

• Location: Norwalk, CA
• Accreditation: Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC); ASHP/ACPE
• Expected Time to Completion: Less than 12 months

Hybrid & Online Programs for Pharmacy Technicians

Completing pharmacy technician courses online is a great way for busy people to further their education without traveling to campus. Many schools offer a selection of courses online, while others offer completely online pharmacy tech programs. It is important to note that clinical experience, while not a requirement for licensing in every state, can be a major factor in finding employment. For this reason, in most cases, it is best to choose an online program offering externship placement.

San Francisco State University

As part of its extended learning program, San Francisco State University offers an online pharmacy technician program that students can complete at their own pace.

Upon successfully completing the program, students will earn a professional development certificate and be eligible to take the PTCB certification exam. This program includes an 80-hour externship where students gain hands-on work experience. Tuition is a low $1,399 flat rate for the entire program.

• Location: San Francisco, CA
• Accreditation: Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
• Expected Time to Completion: Up to 9 months

Coastal Carolina Community College

At Coastal Carolina Community College, students can choose from a classroom track, a hybrid program, or an entirely online pharmacy tech course of study. Students who choose to complete their coursework on campus can take daytime and weekend classes for greater flexibility. Although the school does offer job placement assistance, this particular program does not include a clinical externship component, which may make it less attractive to some students.

Students in this 200-hour course are prepared to take national pharmacy technician certification exams and will be trained to work under the supervision of pharmacists in institutional or retail settings. Topics covered include patient safety and quality assurance, federal requirements, medications, regulations and technician duties, order entry processing, the dispensing process, drug and drug products, and math calculations necessary for daily pharmacy operations in various pharmacy settings.

• Location: Jacksonville, NC
• Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
• Expected Time to Completion: 200 hours

Ashworth College

Ashworth College offers a hybrid program with online components and a 160-hour clinical externship placement through a partnership with Walgreens and CVS. This allows students to truly learn at their own pace while also getting the experience that many employers want. Although there is no age requirement for enrolling in the program, students must be at least 18 years of age and have a high school diploma or its equivalent to complete the externship portion.

Graduates of this program are prepared to take either the National Healthcareer Association’s (NHA) ExCPT Pharmacy Technician certification exam or the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board’s (PTCB’s) Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE).

As part of the program, students will explore topics such as an introduction to pharmacy, drug classification and pharmaceutical calculations, pharmacology, community and hospital pharmacy practice, and laboratory simulation and certification preparation.

• Location: Norcross, GA
• Accreditation: Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC)
• Expected Time to Completion: Four to 12 months

Core & Elective Courses for Pharmacy Techs

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) has made its Pharmacy Technician and Training Program Model Curriculum available online. The curriculum can be accessed on the ASHP website.

According to this model, pharmacy technician students should spend their educational efforts cultivating interpersonal and foundational professional knowledge and skills. Some of the career-specific skills of the curriculum include:

• The process and handling of medications
• Sterile and nonsterile compounding
• Procurement billing, reimbursement, and inventory management
• Patient and medication safety
• Technology and informatics
• Regulatory issues
• Quality assurance

Each course in a typical pharmacy technician curriculum should further at least one of the above goals. Because these programs typically last two years or less, there is little time for elective courses while striving to meet these model curriculum goals. Curricula may be organized to combine didactic, laboratory, and experiential training techniques for each course.

Accreditation of Pharmacy Tech Programs

Institutions of higher learning seek accreditation to guarantee to their incoming students that their education will be held to the high standards of accrediting bodies. Schools usually have institutional accreditation in addition to program-specific accreditations. Institutions may be accredited by regional groups, such as the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCC) or the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). Any individual school’s accreditation information should be readily available on its website.

Pharmacy Technician programs are accredited by the Pharmacy Technician Accreditation Commission (PTAC), which is a collaboration between the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).

To become accredited, schools must complete an application, including a professional record and CV for the pharmacy technician training program director, and submit an application fee. Upon receipt of these materials, an onsite accreditation survey will be scheduled to determine the school’s eligibility.

Career Outlook

The outlook for pharmacy technician jobs is quite good. Between 2022 and 2032, the demand for pharmacy technicians is expected to grow 6 percent. Although people of all ages can and do use prescription medications, older adults tend to use more and take medication more often.

Therefore, as the U.S. population ages, there will be a higher demand for prescription medication and, consequently, for those professionals who can assist with dispensing it, such as pharmacy technicians. Higher rates of chronic diseases have also been reported in the U.S., such as diabetes, which requires long-term prescriptions, also fostering demand for pharmacy technicians.

Further, as the Affordable Care Act has found more Americans with health insurance than ever before, those patients may begin to take medications they could not afford. Most pharmacy technicians (50 percent as of 2022) work in pharmacies and drugstores, but a certain percentage also work in hospitals, grocery stores, general merchandise stores, and ambulatory healthcare services. As more pharmacies and pharmaceuticals are necessary, more diverse employers may also start to emerge.

Finally, pharmacists are expected to take on more patient care activities at many pharmacies, including administering flu shots. This means an increased need for pharmacy technicians to sort, dose, and prepare prescriptions.

Career Facts	Pharmacy Technician
Related Careers	Dental Assistant, Medical Assistant, Medical Records, and Health Information Technician
Common Job Titles	Accredited Pharmacy Technician, Billing and Quality Technician, Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT), Compounding Technician, Pharmacy Technician
Technology & Equipment	Automatic Dose Strip Packaging Machines, Tube Filling and Crimping Machines, Billing and Reimbursement Software, Database Software, Drug Compatibility Software, Inventory Management Software, Label-Making Software, Medical Software

How Much Do Pharmacy Technicians Make?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS May 2023)—the latest data available as of July 2024—there were 460,280 pharmacy technicians working in the United States with an average annual salary of $43,330. They earned the following percentiles:

• 10th percentile: $32,720
• 25th percentile: $36,290
• 50th percentile (median): $40,300
• 75th percentile: $47,680
• 90th percentile: $57,130

Licensing & Certification for Pharmacy Technicians

Pharmacy technicians are licensed on a state-by-state basis, so anyone pursuing this career must become familiar with the licensing requirements in their own state. Prospective applicants should also be advised that state regulations can and do change, so it is wise to seek confirmation on state requirements before enrolling in a pharmacy technician training program. More information on state requirements is available from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP).

Some states either accept or require certification from a nationally recognized body as part of their registration or licensing process. The National Healthcareer Association (NHA) offers the Pharmacy Technician Certification (CPhT), which is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies.

The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) offers its own Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) certification exam, which includes a criminal background check followed by an exam. Both the PTCB and the NHA require that certified pharmacy technicians maintain their certification with approved continuing education courses throughout their careers.