Pharmacy Technician
Program Summary
As a Pharmacy Technician you will help the pharmacist package or mix a prescription, maintain client records, refer clients to the pharmacist for counseling, assist with inventory control and purchasing, as well as collect payment and coordinate billing. This course combines 182 hours of classroom instruction with 120-hour externship to provide you with a complete learning experience.More about externships. See Official Course Outline (rtf).
Financial Assistance
See our Financial Assistance pages.
Starting Pay
$12 - $18 per hour
Community Job Survey
Because of the increased pharmaceutical needs of a larger, older population, growth in this occupation will be almost as fast as the average for all others in the state. See the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook for Pharmacy Technicians.
Recognition
Upon completion graduates will receive our certificate of completion and become eligible to apply for registration as a Pharmacy Technician in the State of California.
Instructional Format
302 hours of classroom and clinic-based instruction.
Externships
We recommend that all students commit to two full business days (Monday - Friday) per week at minimum for externship. “Eligible” students can be placed in externships as early as the 20th week of the program and will be placed in externships no later than 90-180 days from the end of the classroom portion of any course. An eligible student is one who has all prerequisites on file with Boston Reed College. Full details will be given during the first class session. More about externships.
Continuing Education Units
None.
Schedule
Evening and Saturday classes available. Flexible externship schedules available.
Prerequisites
In order to enroll, you must be at least 18 years of age and have earned a high school diploma or its equivalent. Competency in, or completion of, a basic computer operations course is required. Prior to placement in an externship, each participant will be required to show proof of completion of CPR for the healthcare provider, proof of a current physical examination, tuberculosis screening, and submit a resume. Satisfying the prerequisites is the student's responsibility.
English and Math Prescreening
You will be required to pass an English language and math prescreening prior to final admittance into any course. This prescreening will be administered on the first day of class. The prescreening covers basic English language reading and comprehension as well as basic math (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals and percentages). See sample prescreening assessments. If the applicant does not pass the exam they can request a full refund of fees paid. This refund will be processed within 7 business days from the first day of the course.