Pharmacy Technician Programs in Sacramento, CA
Capital of the State of California, and home to its most powerful legislators, the river city of Sacramento is also home to more than 465,000 people, and a cultural and business mecca, as well as a legislative one. It’s the ninth largest city in the state and one of the fastest growing in terms of population.
In such a busy place it's hardly a surprise to learn that there are lots of pharmacies. CVS alone boasts dozens of retail pharmacies in the city center, and Sacramento is one of the few places where independent pharmacies still thrive. In addition, the many hospitals and long-term care facilities located in the Sacramento area operate clinical pharmacies as well.
All this means that for those considering pharmacy technology as a career path, the outlook for steady employment close to home is very good.
In California however, there is a slight complication, versus some other states. While some US states do not mandate that a pharmacy technician be certified, California does.
The state also requires all certified pharmacy technicians to become licensed and only accepts the PTCE certification, as offered by the PTCB - Pharmacy Technician Certification Board - as valid. They do not yet recognize the newer ExCPT.
Unlike was the case in the past, when anyone who felt they could pass it could take the PTCE as of 2019 to do so a candidate must have completed a PTCB approved training course. Which is where pharmacy technician programs in Sacramento come in.
Featured Pharmacy Technician Programs in Sacramento, CA
Employment and Pay Statistics
According to figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2019 there were 36,560 licensed pharmacy technicians working in California. Of those, 2,300 identified as living in the Greater Sacramento area.
In terms of the salary a new pharmacy tech can expect to earn, the average hourly wage paid in the 10th percentile in 2019 was $15.43. On average, pharmacy technicians go on to earn $22.64 or more per hour, with the most qualified and senior pharmacy technicians commanding $34.76 in the 90th percentile.
These high rates of pay are usually earned by those clinical pharmacy settings.
Upon completing an accredited pharmacy technology program, graduates can expect to find work as:
- Pharmacy technician
- Pharmacy assistant
- Compounding technician
- Pharmacy clerk
- Insurance representative
- IV-Certified pharmacy tech
- Medication technician
Pharmacy Technician Schools in Sacramento
The first step on the road to becoming a pharmacy technician in Sacramento, CA is finding, and being accepted by, the best pharmacy technician program for you.
There are a number to choose from, with each offering something different.
To help you make a better choice we are going to take a closer look at them here.
Carrington College
7301 Greenback Ln Ste A, Citrus Heights, CA 95621 |
(916) 585-7769
Carrington College, maintains a number of physical campuses across the Southern and Western US, including two in the Sacramento area. The school was founded to focus on providing vocational healthcare education, offering a range of diploma and Associate Degree programs across a wide range of technical and administrative medical fields, including Pharmacy Technician.
Carrington offers two educational tracks to students on their Pharmacy Technology track. The first, a diploma program, takes 9-12 months to complete. Should they choose to, students can then advance to the Associate of Science program to complete a Pharmacy Technology focused degree.
The cost of either course is determined by a student's unique personal circumstances and current income. The school does offer a course cost estimator here that you can make use of to help determine what the cost of the course might be for you.
For those who qualify traditional Federal and State financial aid is available, as are a limited number of local state employment grants.
To be admitted into the diploma program, which is where all students must begin, even if they later choose to pursue a degree, students must be over the age of 18, hold a high school diploma or GED and be able to pass both a drug test and a criminal background check. They must also be able to prove they are up to date on mandatory vaccinations.
The Carrington College Pharmacy Technician Diploma course provides all the foundational knowledge needed to pass the PTCE. it also encompasses a school arranged externship that provides valuable hands- on real world experience.
Classes are primarily classroom based and held on a full-time M-F basis.
Advancing to the Associates Degree program offers students a more in-depth view of clinical pharmacies as well as the legal issues that pharmacy technicians face on a daily basis. Both programs are approved by the PTCB and the California Board of Medicine.
Asher College
1215 Howe Ave Suite 101 Sacramento, CA 95825 | 916-900-2850
Another national career school, Asher College offers a central Sacramento campus that students can attend to complete a 'fast track' Pharmacy Technician Diploma that many graduate from in as little as nine months.
Classes are offered on both a day and evening basis - evening students take a little longer to graduate, around 12 months - and is therefore suitable for those who have other work or family commitments that might make attending school on a 9-5 basis hard.
The cost of the diploma course is accessed on a case by case basis, varying according to a student's residency status, income, age and more. The school provides a net price estimator tool here to help you determine what your costs might be. For those who qualify, traditional Federal and State financial aid is available, and that is how more than 90% of students pay for the course.
To be admitted to the program students must be over the age of 18, a high school graduate or holder of a GED and able to pass drug and criminal background checks. In addition students must pass a basic physical and prove they are up to date on state mandated vaccinations.
The diploma's coursework addresses the basics needed to pass the PTCE certification exam and a school arranged externship offers valuable real-world experience. Some written portions of the program can be completed online, speeding up time to graduation for some.
The course is an approved PTCB training program and, as such, is acceptable to the California Board of Medicine as well.
Cosumnes College
8401 Center Parkway, Sacramento, CA 95823 | (916) 691-7344
Cosumnes College is a member school of the Los Rios Community College District and as such offers diploma and Associates Degree programs to local students of all ages at an affordable cost.
Their Pharmacy Technology Program is a two-year Associate's Degree Program in Pharmacy Technology. There are fairly strict academic requirements for acceptance, including holding a high school diploma or GED and having maintained a 3.0 GPA.
Prerequisite courses must also be completed prior to entrance either at Cosumnes or at another acceptable secondary education institution. In addition, students entering the Pharmacy Technology program must be able to pass drug and criminal background checks and pass a basic physical.
The cost of the program varies according to a student's residential status, age and income level. Federal and state financial aid is available to those who qualify. The lowest rates of tuition are offered to those living in the area covered by the Los Rios Community College District, regardless of age or income.
As a full-time, two-year offering that is primarily lab and classroom based, this educational option is best suited to those who want to start their career in a clinical pharmacy setting. Internships with local clinical pharmacies are available.
The program is approved and accredited by not only the PTCB but also the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP), an honor bestowed on a limited number of pharmacy technician programs in California.
Charles A Jones Career and Education Center
5451 Lemon Hill Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95824 | (916) 395-5800
Located in the heart of Sacramento, Charles A Jones Career and Education Center offers short term, in person vocational training across a wide range of disciplines. These include a 36-week Pharmacy Technician Diploma Course.
The total cost to complete the program, including books, lab fees and the PTCE exam entrance fee is, in 2020, is $10,646.00. The program is eligible for Federal financial aid, so those eligible can make use of those programs to pay for school. In addition, students may be able to obtain a private student loan via an institution like Sallie Mae.
The course is a classroom-based offering that takes up 30 hours a week with classes scheduled during the day Monday to Friday. Students are also required to complete a school arranged externship prior to graduation. PTCE prep courses are also included near the end of the course and by graduation students should have all the knowledge needed to pass.
To be admitted to the Charles A Jones Career and Education Center Pharmacy Technician Diploma Course students must be over the age of 18, hold a high school diploma or GED and pass a school set skills test covering reading, math and computer technology. They must also be able to pass drug and criminal background checks, as well as a school administered physical.
The program is approved by the PTCB and the California Board of Medicine.
Intercoast College
9738 Lincoln Village Drive 95827 Sacramento, CA | 1-877-227-3377
Intercoast College is a vocational education center with two locations available for students to choose from, one in the heart of Sacramento at Rancho Cordova.
Their Pharmacy Technician Diploma Program is designed to offer a 'fast tracked' path to becoming a CA certified pharmacy technician.
The 800-clock hour program - which includes a school arranged 80-hour externship with a local retail pharmacy - can be completed in approximately 12 months. Classes are offered on a day, evening and even weekend basis, and students are encouraged to choose the schedule that suits their lifestyle best. Those who attend in the evening or weekend will take a little longer to graduate, however.
To be admitted to the program, students must be over the age of 18 and hold a high school diploma or equivalent GED. They must also pass a school set basic skills test and obtain and present a negative drug test and a background check clear of felonies and most misdemeanors. A basic physical and compliance with state vaccination guidelines is required as well.
Traditional Federal and State financial aid is available to help students who qualify pay for school. Tuition costs are based on a student's age, residence and income level, but the school do provide a net cost estimator here to help you determine what your costs might be.
The Intercoast College Pharmacy Technician Diploma Program is a PTCB approved offering.