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As more medications are becoming available to treat a greater number of patients, demand for pharmaceuticals is increasing. Our pharmacy technician continuing education program teaches students to operate under the highest standards of professionalism, confidentiality, and ethics. The Pharmacy Technician Certificate is designed to help you develop a broad understanding of medical and pharmaceutical terminology and the effects of medications on the human body so that you can be a trusted liaison between medical professionals, doctors, pharmacists, and patients.


Pharmacy technicians play a pivotal role in pharmacies, retail, hospital, and mail-order settings. The pharmacy technician training program is designed to prepare graduates to pursue career opportunities in the growing health care field.*

 Imagine What You Can Do  

  • Oversee Operations

  • Monitor the daily operations of a pharmacy so the pharmacist can perform more critical tasks.
  • Prepare Prescriptions for Patient Use

  • Prepare, transcribe, and price physicians’ prescriptions.
  • Process Key Paperwork

  • Handle and process insurance claim forms while maintaining patient profiles.
  • Quality Assurance

  • Assist with quality management and security measures.

 Imagine Where You Can Apply  

An entry-level step into the fast-growing health care field, pharmacy technicians may find careers in retail, hospital, or mail-order pharmacies or in home health care facilities.* Our pharmacy technician continuing education program could help prepare you with the training you need to succeed in this field.

Median hourly earnings of pharmacy technicians in May 2006 were $12.32. The middle 50 percent earned between $10.10 and $14.92.†

 Is This Program Right For Me? 

This program is designed for individuals who possess a high school diploma or GED and wish to pursue training in order to enter the allied health field in a pharmaceutical setting. Click here to view the program comparison guide.


Courses Include

  • Introduction to Pharmacy
  • Fundamental Pharmacy Concepts
  • Pharmacology
  • Top 200 Drugs
  • Pharmaceutical Calculation
  • Community Pharmacy Practice
  • Community Pharmacy Externship (optional)
  • Health-System Pharmacy Practice
  • Health-System Pharmacy Externship (optional)

  

For complete descriptions of courses in the pharmacy technician continuing education program, click here.

  

  

 Take the First Step  

In 12 months or less, you could be on your way to a more rewarding career as a pharmacy technician. Take the first step by calling 866.542.4042 (Toll Free) or click here for more information.
*Kaplan Continuing Education’s programs are designed to prepare graduates to pursue employment in their field of study, or in related fields. However, KCE does not guarantee that graduates will be placed in any particular job or employed at all.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008–2009 Edition, Pharmacy Technicians, http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos252.htm (accessed February 2008).

Externships are 160 hours long and are nonpaid positions. You will participate in daily pharmacy operations and develop the hands-on, real-world experience preferred by most employers. Students will be responsible for securing appropriate pharmacy sites to complete both components of the optional externships. If students experience difficulty in securing externship sites, they may seek guidance from their Kaplan University Academic Advisor. Pharmacy Technician Certificate externship sites may require students to comply with background checks, employment verification, immunization, and drug screen requirements before they may begin their externship. Students may also be required by a pharmacy site to secure professional liability insurance, which students must obtain at their own expense.

Note: KCE’s program is designed, among other things, to prepare eligible students for the national Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination (PTCE) administered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board; however, KCE cannot guarantee students will pass the exam.
Understanding the requirements of certification, state board, or national board licensing exams is the individual student’s responsibility. No student is automatically certified in any way upon program completion, and even if a student obtains certification, the school does not guarantee job placement. In addition, a GED or high school diploma may be required for graduates to take their state, national, or certification exams. Furthermore, the state, employers, and various other agencies may require a criminal background check and/or drug screen before a student can be placed in an externship or take professional licensing, certification, or registration exams. Students who have prior felony convictions or serious misdemeanors may be denied the opportunity to take professional licensing, certification, or registration exams. These students may also be denied a license or certification to practice in some states, even if the certification or licensing exam is taken and successfully completed.