UPDATE
Introducing: Penn Foster’s Pharmacy Technician Career Diploma Program
While Ashworth College is no longer Accepting enrollments in our Pharmacy Technician Program, we’re excited to introduce you to our partner school, Penn Foster.
Open the door to a career in the medical field with Penn Foster. In our online Pharmacy Technician Career Diploma Program, you’ll gain the need-to-know skills to work as a pharmacy technician in a variety of healthcare settings. At the end of the program, you’ll be ready to sit for the for the PTCE and ExCPT certification exams.
LEARN MORETake the Next Steps Towards a Career You Want
Penn Foster’s online Pharmacy Technician Career Diploma Program can help you prepare to take the first steps toward the job you want. With flexible, online courses, you can learn skills and knowledge on your schedule, from home.
Why Penn Foster?
Penn Foster has been on a mission to help people like you launch, accelerate, and thrive in their careers for more than 125 years. We provide students with a quality education that fits your busy lifestyle and budget, offering over 100 self-paced, career-relevant programs across our College, Career School, and High School. The program you choose is structured to fit your learning needs so you can achieve your goals, and is designed to work with your schedule, anytime, anywhere you want to study. With a focus on relevant skills and career preparation for the job you’re after, Penn Foster can help you graduate with confidence and help provide a pathway towards your career goals.
Learn aseptic operations, transcriptions, apothecary conversions, drug dispensation, recordkeeping and more.
Professional certification may help you obtain work, improve pay, and advance professionally.
Fit your studies around your life as you progress at your own pace and make your education work for you.
What You'll Learn in Penn Foster’s Pharmacy Technician Program
- How to demonstrate knowledge and skills in areas of science relevant to the pharmacy technician’s role, including anatomy/physiology and pharmacology.
- How to compare and contrast the roles of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in ensuring pharmacy department compliance with professional standards and relevant legal, regulatory,formulary, contractual, and safety requirements.
- How to describe the steps, skills, and knowledge needed to prepare medications requiring compounding of sterile products, chemotherapy/hazardous products, and nonsterile products.
- How to study and prepare for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE).
Penn Foster’s Online Pharmacy Technician School Curriculum
In our online Pharmacy Technician Training Program, you'll learn the skills required to pursue a career in this field. Your courses include:
- Pharmacy Technician Orientation
- Career Readiness
- Pharmacology, Drug Class, and Body Systems, Part 1
- Pharmacology, Drug Class, and Body Systems, Part 2
- Pharmacy Practice Law and Regulations
Professional certification
Penn Foster's program prepares you for Pharmacy Technician certification through the National Healthcareer Association's (NHA's) ExCPT Pharmacy Technician certification exam and the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board's (PTCB's) Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE)†.
Pharmacy Technician Training FAQs
Whether you’re pursuing higher education for the first time or you’re a professional looking for a career change, you may have questions about how online programs work. Here’s what you need to know about enrolling in Penn Foster's Pharmacy Technician Program.
With training and experience, some pharmacy technicians can earn as much as $40,300 per year†† and job growth is projected to increase by 7% over the next 10 years.
Pharmacy technician jobs can be found in a variety of environments such as local, national and private hospitals, drug stores, grocery stores, nursing homes as well as other medical facilities.
We keep our program costs low and have special offers to keep your goals within reach. For as little as $899, our program also includes a PTCE practice test voucher (a $29 value) and the PTCE exam (a $129 value) included in your tuition. Visit our tuition page for the most current tuition information.
Yes! Penn Foster has been accredited for over 50 years. Penn Foster Career School is both accredited by MSA-CESS and by the DEAC..
Skills covered in the Pharmacy Technician Training Program include fundamentals of pharmacy and pharmacology, medical laws, ethics, regulations, and confidentiality, management and operations, math for pharmacists, body systems, and soft skills like customer service, critical thinking, problem-solving and communication.
How long it takes to become a pharmacy technician depends on how long you need to complete the program and sit for your PTCE exam.
Penn Foster offers two qualifications: a pharmacy technician career diploma and pharmacy technician professional career diploma. The main difference between the two is that the professional track includes an externship. While it takes longer to complete, the externship can provide you with valuable experience as well as a jump start on getting hired. However, the career diploma can help you get started in your career faster while still providing similar coursework to help you sit for certification exams.
The length of time it takes to complete your course will depend on how quickly or slowly you can complete your studies. If you fast track, it can take as little as 3 months, however, on average, the pharmacy technician career diploma takes about 8 months.
While credentials will vary from state to state, most pharmacy technicians will need a minimum of a high school diploma and certification. Check with your state licensing agency for a full list of requirements.
State requirements
A career in this field may require you to meet certain licensing, training, and other requirements that can vary by vocation and state. You should check with your state, local government, and/or licensing board to find out which requirements may be applicable in your state. Click here for contact information on state licensing/regulatory boards and certain professional licensing information.