Pursue a career as a Pharmacy Technician and play an important part in the healthcare industry. Start your training through an online pharmacy technician school. As a Pharmacy Technician, you’ll be a well-respected professional playing a crucial role in the world of healthcare. You will meet fascinating people and find great satisfaction in working side-by-side with pharmacists and other healthcare professionals. Your skills will be essential in many settings.
Pharmacy technicians form the backbone of any pharmacy. Pharmacy technicians work in a variety of pharmacies, including retail, hospital, mail order, and long term care facilities. Job duties will vary across the different pharmacy settings. The pharmacy technician job outlook is growing faster than average, with an anticipated 12% increase in the coming years.
Aspiring pharmacy techs can now earn their degree online, giving them the flexibility they need to advance their careers and earn a competitive salary while not sacrificing other areas of their lives. Graduates of these online pharmacy technician programs ensure patients receive the care and attention they need and the correct medication to take care of their health. There are several types of online pharmacy technician schools from which to choose, and its important to do research to find the right school. To help you get started, we have already found the 10 Best Online Pharmacy Technician Schools in the United States. We’ve provided our research here to get you started. Since the team at PharmacyTrainingRx has been in the field, we know what it takes to succeed as a Pharmacy Technician and have determined the best schools to help you succeed at becoming a Pharmacy Technician.
One of the benefits of an online pharmacy technician training program is having the flexibility to continue meeting work and personal responsibilities while learning an important vocation at the same time. Most online pharmacy technician schools offer similar courses as traditional campus programs, so students can be confident that they are learning all of the necessary skills to thrive in the pharmaceutical industry. Students enrolled in online pharmacy technician training programs often work at their own pace. Online tutors are available when needed to help students digest the material covered in their classes and virtual labs.
In addition to completing coursework, an externship is an important part of many online pharmacy technician programs. Online pharmacy technician schools will often partner with retail pharmacies, such as Walgreens and CVS/Pharmacy to provide externship opportunities.
Methodology: In order to find the best online pharmacy technician schools, our team of researchers at PharmacyTrainingRx compiled and analyzed data from schools throughout the United States that offered online pharmacy technician training programs. Our researchers determined which schools offered the most affordable prices, student support, and most remarkable academically.
#1 Ashworth College
Since 1987, Ashworth College has grown from a family-owned school to a leading online institution. Ashworth College is among the most affordable online schools anywhere. More than 300,000 people have graduated from the accredited online programs of Ashworth College. Ashworth College is built for the real world. The benefits of online learning can be life-changing. The program includes books, lessons, study guides and academic guidance and is 100% self-paced study.
The Pharmacy Technician training curriculum is developed by professionals who know exactly what it takes to thrive in this growing field and it only costs $899. Students will complete a 160 hour externship in a retail pharmacy setting. The cost includes study materials, personal mentoring, local pharmacy externship at either Walgreens or CVS/Pharmacy, and even your fee for the PTCE or ExCPT. It’s one of the many things that sets Ashworth College apart from other online pharmacy technician schools.
Ashworth College also helps you develop the confidence you need to reach for your career goals because they integrate job search prep into your studies. With the online tools, you’ll get step-by-step guidance as you create polished, professional resumes and letters.
#2 Penn Foster Career School
At Penn Foster, they are dedicated to helping their students achieve their goals through affordable, accessible, career-focused learning. Their mission has remained the same for over 125 years- to provide knowledge that builds career growth and confidence on any budget, around any schedule. Enrolling over 13 million students since their establishment, they are proven, respected, and reputable. Today, they offer over 100 accredited degree, diploma, and certificate programs, representing a family of brands across three schools.
Their affordable, online Pharmacy Technician Professional program is modeled against ASHP/ACPE standards and includes virtual exercises, simulations, hands-on practical labs, and a practice lab kit that will help you prepare for the PTCE and the ExCPT with confidence and it only costs $999. Additionally, they will sponsor you to take the PTCE.
The Pharmacy Technician classes include interactive and engaging exercises with hands-on practical labs and real-world simulations that will help you master your coursework. You can also choose how you receive your textbooks — ebooks or printed textbooks.
At the end of your online pharmacy technician program, you’ll have the opportunity to gain valuable, real-world experience at a Walgreens or CVS/pharmacy near you as part of their required hands-on training externship.
#3 Ultimate Medical Academy
Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) is a nonprofit healthcare school based out of Tampa, Florida with a campus in Clearwater, Florida where the school was founded in 1994. UMA has more than 50,000 alumni. The school offers online courses to more than 14,000 students as well as campus-based training to hundreds of students.
Ultimate Medical Academy gives you personalized attention as you train for a career as a pharmacy technician. Their online Health Sciences – Pharmacy Technician associate degree can help you get on the right career path. The program typically lasts 18 months, which is faster than a standard two-year associate degree program.
UMA prepares its graduates for the PTCE and the ExCPT by providing exam-ready material and tutoring by their faculty. UMA has an on-going partnership with Walgreens and CVS/Pharmacy that helps its graduates land a coveted pharmacy technician job on completion of the program.
#4 San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University was founded in 1899. At San Francisco State University you can study to become a certified Pharmacy Technician at your own pace and within your schedule for only $1,399 through their extended learning program. The Pharmacy Technician Certification online course includes interactive learning modules, 24/7 mentoring, learning exercises, labs, and a student portal with career resources.
The self-paced eLearning course includes six months access, all textbooks, workbooks, and related course material. The course also includes an optional 80-hour clinical externship at a local healthcare provider. This course will prepare students to enter the pharmacy field and to pursue certification including the PTCE. Additionally, the online pharmacy technician program includes career guidance, resume writing, and other career resources.
#5 Barton Community College
Barton Community College was formed in 1965 to provide students an opportunity to obtain an education at a low cost. Barton Community College provides quality educational opportunities that are accessible, affordable, continuously improving and student focused. Barton is driven to provide an educational system that is learning-centered, innovative, meets workforce needs, strengthens communities, and meets the needs of a diverse population.
The online Pharmacy Technician program is designed to be completed in two semesters, consisting of 29 credit hours, for quick transition to the workforce. This program is offered in a 100% online format and includes an internship within a pharmacy. Additionally, the program prepares the students for the PTCE and the ExCPT.
#6 Allen Community College
Allen Community College was established in 1923 and enrolls approximately 2,500 students each semester in the programs offered on their two campuses. Allen Community College strives to provide quality educational and support services in an atmosphere that is caring, safe, and conducive to learning. The college is committed to a wide range of accessible, affordable educational programs that enable students to reach their academic, occupational, and personal potential.
Allen Community College offers both an Associate Degree and Certificate program to prepare students for exciting careers in the pharmacy business or the pharmaceutical industry. With a pharmacy technician associate degree (60 credit hours) or certificate (31 credit hours), students’ career skills will include assisting with orders for prescription medication, assisting with inquiries about over-the-counter drugs, keeping medical records, and working in a medical office environment.
Allen’s online courses for pharmacy technicians include, Introduction to Pharmacy Technician, Pharmacology for Pharmacy Technicians, and Pharmacy Calculations to name a few.
#7 University of Alaska Anchorage
The University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) traces its origins back to 1954. Today, 20,000 students attend UAA, a growing and expanding university of first choice with more than 200 programs.
This online pharmacy technician program prepares students to work as pharmacy technicians. The program meets the outcomes of the Model Curriculum for Pharmacy Technician Training developed by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), which consists of 16 credit hours. Upon successful completion of the certificate, students will be well-prepared to work in various settings as a pharmacy technician and to successfully sit for the national PTCE. All coursework associated with the program is offered exclusively in a distance-delivered, online learning format.
#8 Hutchinson Community College
Hutchinson Community College is a fully accredited, public comprehensive college founded in 1928. The HutchCC enrolls approximately 5,500 students each semester in one of their 75 areas of study offered.
This online pharmacy technician program prepares students to work as staff members in pharmacies under the direction of licensed pharmacists where they perform many pharmacy related tasks. Students learn about pharmacology through an overview of drug classifications, common drug side effects and drug use/abuse. The program is designed as an online program. It includes practical learning experience in community and hospital settings. The program consists of 32 credit hours and is accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).
#9 Rasmussen College
Rasmussen College was founded in 1900 and consists of 23 campuses across 6 states, and online learning that began in 2002. Be on your way to becoming a crucial player in a growing healthcare field in as few as nine months with their Pharmacy Technician Certificate. Experienced instructors deliver a skills-based curriculum, and their virtual or workplace practicum allows you to rehearse real-life scenarios that give you career confidence on day one. Through career-focused curriculum and convenient, online Pharmacy Technician classes, you’ll be learning a variety of essential skills, from the composition of commonly prescribed medications and typical drugs used for many common diseases to how to receive, interpret and fill prescriptions.
The curriculum is designed to prepare you for the PTCE in each aspect of your coursework, giving you the expertise and confidence to succeed. The exam fee is included in the total program costs.
#10 North Dakota State College of Science
North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS) was founded in 1903 with the main campus located in Wahpeton, N.D. At the NDSCS, students gain real-world skills working with new technologies and equipment, and learning from experts who have gained their experience in the real world. Most importantly, graduates are prepared to jump right into it with a challenging, high-paying and rewarding career.
NDSCS offers two online pharmacy technician training program options, including a one-year (40 academic credits) Certificate and a two-year (64 credits) Associate in Applied Science degree. Both of the programs are offered online and on-campus in Wahpeton, ND. The programs include eight weeks of internship in community and institutional practice settings, which occur after all classroom requirements have been completed. The program is accredited by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).