Pharmacy Technician School Cost

Typical costs:

• Community colleges often offer degree or certificates for pharmacy technicians. Because funding for community colleges varies by state, the cost for the same program can run about $460-$4,260 for residents. Austin Community College District^[2] in Texas offers the program for $1,750 for residents or $3,930 for students from out of the district, while North Seattle Community College charges local students $2,880 for the nine-month course.
• Prices vary widely for pharmacist technician programs at vocational or technical schools. Tuition at the High Tech Institute in Memphis, Tennessee for the pharmacy technician program runs $11,650, while Bryman School^[3] in Phoenix costs about $21,900. At the other end of the spectrum Penn Foster Career School^[4] is under $600.

• An unpaid three-month externship at a pharmacy is a required portion of the certification program.

• There is no state exam, however pharmacy technicians apply for a state license through the individual state's Board of Pharmacy^[5] . While training on the job is also a possibility, employers tend to favor technicians who have completed a training program and have received certification, according to the US Department of Labor.
• The National Pharmacy Technician Certification exam is recommended, but not required, and costs $129. Recertification is required every two years, with 15-20 hours of mandatory continuing education.
• Books run $50-$100.
• IV certification is an option for pharmacy technicians planning to work in hospital settings. Cost for the additional program is $500-$600.
• Learning to make medication from scratch following a recipe created by a pharmacist leads to a Compounding Certification for about $500-$600.

• Many employers will reimburse the cost of the national exam for current employees.

• A training program directory^[6] is available through the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
• Employment development departments in most states maintain an online listing of pharmacy technician programs^[7] available.
• Ed-Reference, College Reference Database lists pharmacy technician schools by state.

1.  www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/pharmacy-technicians.htm
2.  www.austincc.edu/health/phra/faq.php
3.  college.stateuniversity.com/universities/AZ/The_Bryman_School_East.html
4.  www.pennfoster.edu/programs-and-degrees/medical-and-health-careers/pharmacy-technician-...
5.  www.nhanow.com/pharmacy-technician/requirements.aspx
6.  accred.ashp.org/aps/pages/directory/technicianProgramDirectory.aspx
7.  www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/cgi/databrowsing/traProgramSummary.asp?menuChoice=&CipCo...

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