This comprehensive 270-hour program will prepare students for entry-level pharmacy technician positions in the community pharmacy. Pharmacy technicians are trained healthcare professionals who work in both retail and institutional pharmacies under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist. Pharmacy technicians may perform many of the same duties as a pharmacist but they are accountable to the supervising pharmacist who is legally responsible through state licensure for the care and safety of patients served by the pharmacy. Course content includes the origins and history of pharmacy, pharmacy and medical terminology, pharmacy practice in multiple environments, pharmacy calculations and measurements, reading and interpreting prescriptions, defining drugs by generic and brand names, dispensing prescriptions, inventory control, preparing medications using sterile and nonsterile techniques to count, measure and compound drugs and preparing IV medications.

Upon successful completion of the program and internship, students are eligible to apply to become a licensed Pharmacy Technician with the California State Board of Pharmacy.  Students will also be prepared to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam. This exam is voluntary in many states; however, successful completion of the exam demonstrates a standard competency level of the individual to function in the role of a pharmacy technician throughout the United States. This program provides education and training necessary to prepare students to work in various pharmacy settings or further their academic goals with a variety of opportunities or careers in the pharmaceutical or healthcare industries.