Pharmacy technicians are important to a well-functioning pharmacy. Retail pharmacies and hospitals want pharmacy technicians to assist preserve drugs organized, assist sufferers fill prescription drugs, and deal with billing and insurance coverage.
Earlier than you begin working as a pharmacy technician, it would be best to get your certification. Most states require pharmacy technicians to earn their certification. Even if you happen to stay in a state that does not strictly require certification, your possibilities of discovering a job are a lot increased in case you are licensed.
To get your pharmacy technician certification, you’ll be able to full a certificates program or earn an affiliate diploma. The price of pharmacy technician coaching packages varies significantly relying on the kind of program you select, its location, size, and whether or not it’s in individual or on-line.
This information goes over the most cost effective pharmacy technician packages presently obtainable, together with each on-line and in-person choices.
Most cost-effective Pharmacy Technician Applications
Pharmacy technician coaching packages can be found on-line, by means of neighborhood schools, and in giant universities. Most on-line packages supply a certificates solely and lots of universities supply pharmacy technician affiliate diploma packages.
Affiliate diploma packages are for much longer and way more costly than certificates packages, and most employers don’t anticipate pharmacy technicians to get their levels.
Listed here are some inexpensive choices that may provide help to get your pharmacy technician certification:
Stepful
Right here at Stepful, we provide a 4-month on-line pharmacy technician certification program that solely prices $1,999. We even have a cost plan that means that you can pay $249 each 2 weeks for a complete of 8 funds.
Our program comes with an in-person externship at a location handy to you, a 100% a reimbursement assure, and profession teaching.
We put together you for the Licensed Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) examination from the Pharmacy Technician Licensed Board (PTCB). The PTCB is the business’s most trusted credentialing group and acknowledges Stepful as an accepted coaching program for it.
- Value: Free or paid internship
- Location: On-line
- Sort of program: Certificates
- Time to finish: 4 months
- Ensuing certificates: CPhT from the PTCB
- Study extra: Stepful’s Pharmacy Technician Program
- Notes: Our graduates have a 85% certification price and 80% placement price. We’ll provide help to discover a job after finishing our program and getting your certification.
Walgreens College
Walgreens College is a program designed to assist individuals advance their careers in healthcare. They’ve faculties for operations, magnificence, management, and pharmacy.
Their pharmacy tech program consists of courses, check prep supplies, and persevering with schooling programs.
Walgreens additionally provides an “earn whilst you study” place for pharmacy technicians. This permits future pharmacy technicians to be paid for his or her work whereas they full their pharmacy technician coaching.
- Value: Free or paid internship
- Location: On-line
- Sort of program: Certificates
- Time to finish: 4 months
- Ensuing certificates: PTCB or ExCPT
- Study extra: Walgreens College
- Notes: You should have externship alternatives at Walgreens throughout your coaching interval. Once you full your coursework, Walgreens College will cowl the price of your examination. You possibly can earn as much as 10 faculty credit whenever you full this system.
CVS LearnRX
If you happen to assume you would possibly wish to work for CVS, you’ll be able to register to entry their accredited LearnRX program. It is a self-guided program that provides you research supplies to organize for the PTCB examination.
- Value: Free
- Location: On-line
- Sort of program: Certificates
- Time to finish: 4 months
- Ensuing certificates: PTCB Certificates
- Study extra: CVS LearnRX
- Notes: CVS LearnRX is free for pharmacy technicians planning to work at CVS. CVS may even pay your first examination price. You should have the chance to shadow pharmacy technicians all through this system.
Phlebotomy Profession Coaching
Phlebotomy Profession Coaching provides coaching packages for phlebotomists, affected person care technicians, ECG technicians, and pharmacy technicians. Whereas they do have some in-person programs obtainable, their pharmacy technician course is simply obtainable on-line.
This program is totally self-paced and might be accomplished in as little as 5 weeks. It’s essential to full all coursework inside 6 months of beginning this system.
- Value: $585
- Location: On-line
- Sort of program: Certificates
- Time to finish: 5 weeks – 6 months (self-paced)
- Ensuing certificates: PTCB or ExCPT
- Study extra: Phlebotomy Profession Coaching
- Notes: You’ll obtain one voucher to cowl the price of both the PTCB or ExCPT examination whenever you full your coursework.
Ashworth Faculty
Ashworth Faculty provides every part from certificates packages to bachelor’s levels. They’re accredited by the Distance Training Accrediting Fee, the Council for Larger Training Accreditation, and the Nationwide Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements.
- Value: $1,299 when paid prematurely, $1,699 when cut up into month-to-month funds
- Location: On-line
- Sort of program: Diploma and Certificates
- Time to finish: 5 weeks to 1 yr (self-paced)
- Ensuing certificates: PTCB or ExCPT
- Study extra: Ashworth Faculty
- Notes: Ashworth Faculty supplies externship alternatives in Walgreens and CVS shops.
Penn Foster ($1,199 to $1,399)
The pharmacy technician coaching program at Penn Foster consists of interactive classes and on-line simulations that can assist you really feel snug whenever you begin working as a real-world pharmacy technician.
Penn Foster pharmacy technician programs embody pharmacology, pharmacy legislation and laws, and calculations for pharmacy expertise.
- Value: $1,199
- Location: On-line
- Sort of program: Diploma and Certificates
- Time to finish: 11-17 months
- Ensuing Certificates: PTCB or ExCPT
- Study extra: Penn Foster
- Notes: Penn Foster features a 130-hour externship as a part of their program. College students should move a drug display and background test and have no less than a C grade to be eligible for his or her externship.
U.S. Profession Institute
The U.S. Profession Institute designs its packages for busy adults who wish to get an schooling and advance their careers. Along with their certificates packages, they provide a profession coach program that can provide help to construct a resume, enhance your interview abilities, and discover a job that could be a good match for you.
- Value: $979 when paid in full, $1,279 if damaged into month-to-month funds
- Location: On-line
- Sort of program: Certificates
- Time to finish: 4 months
- Ensuing certificates: PTCB or ExCPT
- Study extra: U.S. Profession Institute
- Notes: U.S. Profession Institute will reimburse you on your examination charges. Additionally they supply a reduction for lively army members and their spouses.
College of Tennessee
The College of Tennessee has the highest-ranked pharmacy program within the state. They provide a pharmacy technician coaching program that features 160 hours of coursework and might be accomplished at your personal tempo.
- Value: $1,800
- Location: On-line
- Sort of program: Certificates
- Time to finish: 4 – 6 months
- Ensuing certificates: PTCE, ExCPT, or CSPT
- Study extra: College of Tennessee
- Notes: The pharmacy tech coaching program on the College of Tennessee is 100% on-line and doesn’t embody an externship.
Group Faculty of Philadelphia ($1,299 to $1,525)
The Group Faculty of Philadelphia provides an in-person pharmacy technician coaching program with many alternative scheduling choices together with evening and weekend programs to accommodate busy schedules.
You possibly can select to attend the once-a-week course for 12 weeks or the accelerated 2-per week course for 8 weeks.
- Value: $1,525
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
- Sort of program: Certificates
- Time to finish: 2 – 4 months
- Ensuing certificates: PTCB or ExCPT
- Study extra: Group Faculty of Philadelphia
- Notes: The Group Faculty of Philadelphia has partnered with Walgreens to supply externship alternatives for its college students. It’s essential to move a prison background test earlier than beginning your externship.
San Francisco College
San Fransisco College provides both a web based or a hybrid pharmacy technician coaching program The hybrid program consists of 54 hours of in-class studying, requiring you to return to class 2 days per week.
- Value: $1,399
- Location: On-line or on campus in San Fransisco, Ca
- Sort of program: Certificates
- Time to finish: 2 months
- Ensuing certificates: PTCB
- Study extra: San Fransisco College
- Notes: San Fransisco College consists of 80 hours of externship work for his or her pharmacy technician college students.
Salt Lake Group Faculty
Salt Lake Group Faculty is accredited by the American Society of Well being-System Pharmacists and the American Council of Pharmaceutical Training. They provide a 600-hour, in-person course that may be accomplished in both 9 or 12 weeks, relying on if you happen to select part-time or full-time research.
- Value: $1,740
- Location: Salt Lake Metropolis, Ut
- Sort of program: Certificates and License
- Time to finish: 9 to 12 weeks
- Ensuing certificates: PBCT and Utah Pharmacy Technician License
- Study extra: Salt Lake Group Faculty
- Notes: Salt Lake Group Faculty features a 200-hour externship in its program. College students should move a background test, have present immunizations, and get their CPR certification earlier than beginning their externship.
Learn how to Select a Pharmacy Technician Program
With so many alternative pharmacy technician coaching packages to select from, it could actually really feel overwhelming to decide about which program to attend. There are some things it is best to think about when choosing a coaching program.
Value
All the time think about value when selecting a coaching program. Costlier packages are usually not essentially higher. So long as this system is accredited and has a very good certification passing price, you’ll be able to be ok with selecting a less expensive coaching program.
Time to Full
Some pharmacy technician packages might be accomplished in only a few weeks, whereas affiliate diploma packages can last as long as two years. Selecting a shorter program will provide help to get into the workforce extra rapidly so you can begin incomes an earnings.
Needless to say accelerated packages would require lots of work and research packed into a couple of quick weeks. If you happen to select an especially quick program, you will have to quickly cease working and ask for assist with household tasks with the intention to focus extra of your consideration in your coaching program.
Certification Cross Price
The explanation most individuals attend a pharmacy technician coaching program is to earn their certification. You can not earn your certification with out passing a certification examination. Earlier than you register for a program, learn the way lots of their college students move their exams.
If certification move charges are low, you’ll wish to look into a unique program.
Ensuing Certificates
There are a number of various kinds of certificates you’ll be able to earn as a phlebotomy technician. In case your state or job has a selected requirement, ensure that your coaching program will put together you for the proper certificates.
Most certifications are accepted nationwide and by all healthcare amenities.
If It’s Accredited
Ensure you select an accredited pharmacy technician coaching program. Many certifying businesses is not going to mean you can take their examination until you might have attended an accredited program.
As well as, accredited packages usually tend to provide you with a high-quality schooling and offer you the entire instruments and data it is advisable be a profitable pharmacy technician.
On-line vs In-Individual
Think about your studying model and schedule wants when selecting between a web based or an in-person program.
On-line packages supply flexibility and might be accomplished from the consolation of your personal residence. Nonetheless, they require lots of self-discipline and lots of impartial studying.
In-person courses are greatest for individuals who study higher in a classroom atmosphere, or who’ve hassle with procrastination.
Location (if In-Individual)
If you happen to select an in-person program, think about commute time and journey prices when choosing a selected faculty. Paying a couple of hundred {dollars} much less for a program won’t be value an extended commute.
If an Externship is Included
Externships are alternatives to follow the talents you study in a real-life setting. It’s particularly vital for on-line packages to incorporate an externship. Good on-line packages will provide help to discover a pharmacy close to you and provide help to get in contact with a working pharmacy technician to work with.
If There’s a Job Placement Assure
Incomes your certification is a superb first step in your strategy to changing into a pharmacy technician. Nonetheless, some individuals have difficulties discovering a job after they end coaching. Applications that provide a job placement assure will provide help to discover employment after you graduate, or provide you with your a reimbursement.
Pharmacy Technician Program FAQs
Are low-cost pharmacy technician packages a good suggestion? Low-cost pharmacy technician packages are an incredible concept. So long as they’re accredited, you’ll be able to rely on a inexpensive pharmacy technician coaching program that can assist you put together on your certification examination and future pharmacy technician job.
What’s the common value of a pharmacy technician certificates program? Most pharmacy technician certificates packages value between $1,000 and $1,500.
What’s the common value of a pharmacy technician diploma program? The price of pharmacy technician affiliate diploma packages varies significantly. Most pharmacy technician diploma packages value between $7,000 and $10,000.
Is a pharmacy technician diploma or certificates program higher? Certificates packages are much less time-consuming and cheaper than diploma packages. Whereas an affiliate diploma could sound spectacular, most employers solely care about certification.
What’s the shortest pharmacy technician program? The packages at each Ashworth Faculty and Phlebotomy Profession Coaching might be accomplished in as little as 5 weeks.
Are pharmacy technician packages exhausting? Whereas you’ll have to commit a while to check, pharmacy technician packages are usually not very exhausting. So long as you present as much as class and listen, it is best to be capable of full a coaching program and move your examination.
What’s the shortest doable time to turn out to be a pharmacy technician? Some states haven’t any certification necessities for pharmacy technicians, that means you could possibly begin making use of for jobs instantly. Most states, nonetheless, do require pharmacy technicians to finish a coaching course and move a certification examination. In these states, you’ll be able to full a web based program and move your certification examination in as little as 5 weeks. Study extra in our information to pharmacy technician necessities.
Are on-line or in-person pharmacy technician packages higher? Neither on-line nor in-person pharmacy technician packages are essentially higher than the opposite. On-line packages are higher for individuals who want flexibility, whereas in-person packages are higher for individuals who respect strict construction and face-to-face studying.
How a lot do pharmacy technicians make? Pharmacy technicians earn round $37,700 per yr. This varies based mostly on expertise, location, and certification.
