Pharmacy Technician Certificate

This 60-hour course with an 80-hour clinical externship prepares you to work as a pharmacy technician in retail, hospital or other pharmacy settings. You’ll also be ready to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) exam.

Topics include:

• Role of the pharmacy technician and the certification process
• History of pharmacy and practice settings, including retail, hospital, long-term care, mail order and home care
• Pharmacy measurements, abbreviations and roman numerals
• Generic and brand-name drugs, dosage forms and patient profiles
• Prescription requirements, order transcription, inventory control, pricing and reimbursement
• Formularies, unit dose systems, crash carts and dose calculations
• Aseptic technique and handling sterile products, including chemotherapy drugs
• IV solutions, electrolytes, children’s doses and pharmaceutical math
• Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) and hands-on IV admixture practice

Hybrid Course
Cost: $1,499. Includes 80-hour clinical externship, all textbooks and materials and the PTCB CPhT exam fee.
Length: 2.5 to 3 Months
Registration Opens: Fall: Mid-July | Spring: Early January | Summer: Mid-April

Online Course
Cost: $1,499
Length: 2 to 4 Months (6 months access plus possible 3-month extension)
Registration: Anytime

CalJOBS
SFSU is an eligible training provider.

CalJOBS

Payment Plan
For online courses, Health Ed Today offer 3-, 6- and 10-month payment plans.

Payment Plan

You may choose to take part in an optional volunteer externship with a local organization in your field to gain hands-on experience. Externship sites may require additional documentation such as health records, immunizations, drug screening or background checks. After completing your program, you can contact the Health Ed Today Externship Coordinator at mentor@healthedtoday.com to arrange placement.

Prepare for PTCB Certification
Our online or hybrid course prepares you to work as a pharmacy technician in retail, hospital or other pharmacy settings and to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) exam.

National and State Certification
This course meets the requirements for national certification exams. If you live or plan to work outside California, check your state’s requirements to be sure this program qualifies.

The Pharmacy Technician Profession
Pharmacy technicians work under the direction of a pharmacist. Their main role is filling prescriptions based on doctors’ orders. This includes retrieving the correct drug, measuring the right amount and preparing a prescription label. You may also prepare medications for oral, topical or other uses, and in some settings, mix drugs for intravenous use.

Typical duties include:

• Checking inventory and ordering supplies
• Receiving and verifying shipments
• Assisting customers
• Keeping work areas clean
• Completing insurance forms
• Preparing “bingo cards” for nursing home patients

Employment
Pharmacy technicians work in retail, mail order, home infusion and long-term care pharmacies, as well as hospitals, clinics, pharmacy benefit managers and large industrial settings. Demand for qualified technicians is growing due to new medications, a shortage of pharmacists, national certification standards and an aging population.

There are no prerequisites for this course, and you can register without a high school diploma. However, the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) requires a high school diploma or GED to take the national certification exam. Externship placements are only available to students who are at least 18 years old.