Expand Your Knowledge at Your Own Pace
Complete Cal State East Bay’s Pharmacy Technician Program and launch your career as a pharmacy technician. In this online course, you’ll gain the skills required to excel in hospital and retail settings. Whether you’re interpreting physician orders or performing pharmaceutical calculations, CSUEB’s program ensures you have the fundamentals required to succeed. Upon completion, you will be well-prepared to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board's (PTCB) National Certification Exam.
Exam Prep
Preparation to sit for the PTCB National Certification Exam
Walgreens Externships
Pharmacy Technician externships established with Walgreens
CVS Externships
Pharmacy Technician externships established with CVS
As a participant in Cal State East Bay’s online program, you’ll receive the same high-quality education available to traditional students. Most importantly, you can set your own pace and incorporate your learning experience in a way that works best for you.
You can expect a challenging curriculum as well as one-on-one interaction with your instructor. In addition to your online coursework, you will also have the option to gain hands-on experience by completing an externship or clinical rotations at retail and hospital pharmacies.
After the program, I was hired directly from my externship. My goal has always been to work as a Certified Pharmacy Technician in a hospital pharmacy, and I am currently pursuing that goal.
A Curriculum with Real World Application
As a student in the Pharmacy Technician Program, you will gain the knowledge required to succeed in the healthcare field. You will leave the program with an understanding of:
Medical and pharmaceutical terminology.
The pharmacology of medications in relation to the anatomy they affect.
The differences between hospital and retail pharmacy environments and how they operate.
Critical Care When Patients Need it Most
Pharmacies, whether in hospital or retail settings, are indispensable. So are the pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who work in them. As a pharmacy technician, you play an important role in ensuring patients have the proper medications needed for long-term good health. You’ll assist pharmacists in ordering, stocking, packaging, and preparing medications. With the knowledge and hands-on experience gained in CSUEB’s Pharmacy Technician program, you can set yourself apart to employers and apply the skills you’ve learned with confidence.
As a pharmacy technician, you play an important role in ensuring patients have the proper medications needed for long-term good health.
Occupational Trends
Employment of pharmacy technicians is projected to grow 6 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.
—U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
In 2023, the top 10 percentile of pharmacy technicians earned more than $57,130.
—U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
In 2023, the top two industries that employed the most pharmacy technicians were hospitals and pharmacies and drug retailers.
—U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
An Education You Can Rely On
Healthcare continues to be a growing field. With an aging population and higher instances of chronic diseases, the demand for prescription medications will increase. Other factors, such as advances in pharmaceutical research to fight diseases and federal healthcare reform, suggest that more and more people will need medical prescriptions filled. As a pharmacy technician, you’ll play a critical role in this evolving field.
Play a critical role in this evolving field.
Graduates of CSUEB’s program put their knowledge to work in pharmacies as well as hospitals or clinics. They are entrusted with a variety of responsibilities to support pharmacy operations such as interpreting physician orders and prescriptions, preparing and distributing medications, and performing pharmaceutical calculations. They also process insurance billing for patients and assist with managing inventory.
Program Objectives
Completing Cal State East Bay’s Pharmacy Technician Program will provide you with:
An understanding of federal and state laws that govern pharmacy.
Insight into HIPAA requirements and their application to the pharmacy.
The ability to communicate effectively with patients and medical professionals.
Find out what you’ll learn in the program. »
A Curriculum with Emphasis on Real World Application
To earn your Pharmacy Technician certificate, you must complete one required course containing the learning units detailed below. You must also complete a comprehensive final exam.
- Orientation to Pharmacy
- Pharmacy Law and Ethics
- Medical and Pharmaceutical Terminology
- Pharmaceutical Calculations
- Pharmacology
- Communication Skills
- Insurance and Inventory Procedures
- Lab Module
- Clinical Rotations
- Final Comprehensive Exam
Program Format
For your convenience, the Pharmacy Technician Certificate Course is offered online.
Required Courses
| Course | Units | Fall | Spring | Summer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTX 156: Pharmacy Technician Certificate |
Pharmacy Externships
As a participant in the Pharmacy Technician program, you will have the opportunity to participate in externship programs with CVS and Walgreens. You will gain hands-on experience including assisting pharmacists with prescriptions, answering patient questions about medications, and managing a variety of administrative duties.
In order to qualify for an externship, you cannot have a criminal record. You must:
- Pass a drug screening test
- Complete a background check and employment verification
- Meet current immunization standards
- Obtain professional liability insurance
- Conform with and complete any state mandates such as registration, fingerprinting, and licensing.
- Additional forms may be necessary for externships with certain pharmacies.
NOTE: An externship is not guaranteed. You must apply to the program and complete the prerequisite criteria before being accepted. Positions in the externship program are contingent on availability at each pharmacy location. You may also arrange your own externship at any retail or hospital facility.
At this time, Walgreens is not able to place externship students in Arizona and Florida because a POWER project is being piloted in both states. An alternate externship may be available in these states.
Learn about your instructors. »
As a participant in Cal State East Bay’s Pharmacy Technician Program, you will learn from experienced pharmacists and pharmacy technicians as well as benefit from their knowledge and personal insights as seasoned professionals. The program’s faculty has one primary goal – to give you the foundation needed to effectively apply your knowledge and skills in any pharmacy setting.
Melissa Dunworth
Melissa Dunworth has been a pharmacy technician for over 13 years. She lives in Albuquerque, NM. She has worked in all pharmacy arenas (retail, closed pharmacy, and training/education) during her pharmacy career. Dunworth currently holds a Bachelors degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences and works as a Developmental Specialist in Early Intervention for children ages 0 to 3 years. She has been a certified pharmacy technician since 1997. Dunworth is also registered with the New Mexico Board of Pharmacy.
Betty Stahl
Betty Stahl has a doctorate in pharmacy from Shenandoah University. She has taught pharmacy technician programs at ASA College in New York City and ACT in Arlington, Virginia, over the past several years. Stahl has also worked as a pharmacist at CVS and in hospital settings.
Lorraine C. Zentz
Lorraine Zentz has been a pharmacy technician since 1981. She lives in the small mountain town of Mesa, Colorado, population 400, and currently works on-call at the regional hospital in the oncology pharmacy in Grand Junction, Colorado. She has worked in all pharmacy arenas (retail, home health, hospital, oncology, and training and education) during her pharmacy career.
Zentz received her bachelor's degree in biology with a minor in chemistry, and her master's degree in education with an emphasis in curriculum and instruction. She also completed her doctorate studies in adult education. She has held the position of Colorado state coordinator for NPTA and chairman of the Colorado Pharmacist Society Technician Academy, and she’s been certified since 1985. In 2004 she was the recipient of the Outstanding Leadership Award and was also named Technician of the Year for the state of Colorado. Zentz conducts continuing education programs for technicians throughout Colorado and nationally at the annual NPTA convention.
Ready to Enroll?
Admission to the Pharmacy Technician Certificate Program is open to any interested student with a high school diploma or equivalent. You must be proficient in keyboarding, have a basic understanding of a word processing computer program (Microsoft Word recommended), and have a command of English grammar and punctuation. It is also recommended that you have a basic understanding of high school math including percents and proportions at the algebra level. No healthcare or medical office work experience is required.
Enrollment Deadlines
CSUEB’s Pharmacy Technician Program is an open enrollment program. You can register and start the program at any time.
At Cal State East Bay, we pride ourselves on putting students first, from the moment you inquire until you graduate. We hope you've found answers to your questions in this support center, but if not, please get in touch.