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 a 120-hour externship to provide you with a complete learning experience.
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. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment of pharmacy technicians is expected to increase by 32 percent from 2006 to 2016.
$10-$20 per hour (varies regionally). Students are encouraged to do their own research as to what the prevailing wage is for employers in the region.
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. The course curriculum also prepares the student to sit for the national Pharmacy Technician Certification Board Exam. (PTCE)
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.
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. Obtaining each of these items is the responsibility of the student.
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 for English and Math. An applicant who does not pass the exam may be entitled to a refund of fees paid.