Pharmacy Technician Programs in Cleveland, OH
A career in pharmacy technician looks promising due to the recent and projected future growth of that sector. The number of pharmacy technician jobs is growing at 4% each year and will create over 15,000 new jobs by 2029.
Pharmacy technicians are the bridge between patients and pharmacists. They perform functions that help satisfy patients while also making the job of pharmacists a lot easier. But to become a pharmacy technician in Ohio you need to meet certain requirements.
How do I become a pharmacy technician in Ohio?
The requirements to be a pharmacy technician in Ohio is a bit more stringent than in other states.
Having a certificate from a board-approved training school isn't enough.
Instead of registration, Ohio state requires you to have a certification from either PTCB or ICPT, which are both certifications approved by the State Board of Pharmacy in Ohio.
Below are the requirements to practice as a pharmacy technician in Ohio.
- Candidate must be 18 years or older
- Must have a High School Diploma, a GED, or an equivalent
- Absent a GED or HSD equivalent, candidate must've been a pharmacy technician employee prior to April 8, 2009
- Be willing to have a criminal background check
This sums up everything you need to be a pharmacy technician in Ohio. There is a 12-months exception to the requirements for those who are still studying and intend to take the certification exams later.
Pharmacy Tech Salary and Job Outlook in Cleveland
With an industry-wide projection growth rate of 4% until 2029, pharmacy technicians have some of the best job outlooks in the USA. As demand for prescription medication soars, so will the need for pharmaceutical services.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2019, as many as 16,470 pharmacy technicians were employed in Ohio, 3190 of which were in Cleveland.
Pharmacy technician jobs in Ohio pay a mean hourly wage of $15.08 and a yearly average of $30,200. In comparison, the 3,190 pharmacy technicians in Cleveland make on average $15.35 hourly and $32,930 annually – a difference of over $2,000 compared to the state average.
Some 10% of pharmacy technician in Cleveland earn $23,920 annually or less, and another 10% make up to $46,960 or more. Again, 10% of pharmacy technicians in Ohio earn $21,650 or less, with another 10% making as much as $43,020 or more annually. Despite the attractive income figures for pharmacy technicians in Cleveland, they fall short of the national average.
Across the nation, pharmacy technicians earn on average $33,950 yearly. 10% make of them earn a maximum of $24,120, and another 10% of pharmacy technicians in the US earn a minimum of $49,130.
That makes both Cleveland and Ohio short of the national average by $1,020 and $3,750 accordingly.
Pharmacy Technician Schools in Cleveland, OH
If you are interested in a career as a pharmacy technician in Cleveland we’ll look at a number of schools that provide the necessary pharmacy technician training graduates require.
These schools vary in the amount of tuition and service fees, study medium, and even curriculum. Study the options thoroughly to find the best match for you.
Metropolitan Campus, 2900 Community College Avenue Cleveland, OH 44115-3196| 
216-987-2381
For those who are already active students of Tri-C, there’s no need to apply through the college, unlike new students. Students can run up to three health programs at once, provided they follow the right procedure.
This Pharmacy Technician Certificate program is comprehensively designed to transform you into a professional pharmacy technician. Through well-structured courses, you'll learn about medications and how they affect our body. You'll also master tasks like pharmacy compounding, packaging and labeling, and many other skills.
There's a program-dedicated lab where you'll spend time throughout the program to learn how pharmacy technicians use certain machines. Afterwards, you'll be working rotations at actual pharmacies in both hospital and community settings. These are the skills and experiences that pharmacy employers are looking for in a pharmacy technician.
You can decide between "day" and "evening" classes. You'll have go through a drug screening and also meet immunization and health requirements to proceed with the program. The prerequisite is just a High School Diploma or its equivalent, with good scores in ENG, BIO, and a GPA of 2.0. There is also a 7-year cap on math and sciences.
The program takes some 42 weeks to complete, costs $5,165 for in-state tuition and fees, $10,273 for out-of-state tuition and fees, and another $2,550 for books and supplies. This makes the college among the priciest on our list.
Polaris Career Center [Online]
7285 Old Oak Blvd Middleburg Hts, OH 44130 | 855.520.6806
The skills and knowledge you acquire through this Pharmacy Technician Online Certification Training Program qualifies you to work in any pharmacy without a certification, provided the legal requirements in your place of work doesn’t include a certification.
The course will cost $2,495.00 and includes a voucher that covers the PTCB exams. Students are awarded a certificate upon completion. This pharmacy technician course is self-paced and can be completed in 12 months or less. You will then complete a 100-hour externship, if you qualify
The course runs online and equips students with an in-depth understanding of pharmaceutical terminology, basic pharmacology of medication, and pharmaceutical calculations. A lab module online also gives you hands-on experience on retail practices and procedures. You’ll get to understand all information necessary to process prescriptions, fill mock prescription forms, and complete physical orders. It also enlightens you on the ethics of pharmacy practices in relation to prescription medications, charges and reimbursements, patient care and interactions, etc.
Every knowledge you need to pass the PTCB in provided in this training program. The mandatory virtual externship and a 100+ hour clinical but optional externship further help you perfect the skills. There are requirements to meet in terms of hardware and software. You need a PC or Mac that runs a windows 8 or newer, an OS X Snow Leopard 10.6 or later. Other software you should have includes the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Edge or Safari, among others.
9500 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, OH 44195 | 216.444.5678 option 4
The Pharmacy Technology Evening/Online Program is offered by an accredited hospital-based technician school in Ohio. The school is equipped with state of the art facilities to provide the best training possible in pharmacy technology. You'll get both didactic training with real, hands-on trading from the onset. The school has been accredited by both ASHP and ACPE. It is also accredited by Ohio State Board of Career Colleges and Schools.
Students are instructed by some of the best industry professionals in the country. The course prepares a student to work successfully as a pharmacy technician and also be ready to take any certification exams, such as the PTCB. The school has so much confidence in its program that it considers pharmacy technology graduates for employment within the Cleveland Clinic Health System. Students with disabilities are welcome to apply, as are pregnant women.
The program lasts one year, where students complete 10 modules online in 20 weeks. There is also 100 hours of simulated hands-on rotations at the at the Cleveland Clinic Main Campus. It costs a total of $2525 including tuition and registration and federal financial assistance is not available.
13421 Coit Rd Cleveland, OH 44110-22695 | 800 733-5627
Another highly effective pharmacy technician training that gets you ready to work in any pharmacy nationwide. It takes between 8-12 months for the program to conclude. During this time, students receive training in the following areas:
- Prepare medication
- Label, record, measure, mix, and count dosages of medication
- Manage patient profile
- Deal with refill requests, receive written prescriptions, and check the correctness of information.
- Keep drugs in proper storage and security condition.
To participate in this program, you need to meet certain requirements. See below:
- Have a clean criminal record within the past five years, especially for drug or pharmacy-related crimes.
- Complete the entire curriculum and pass all written tests
- Have good math and reading skills
- Have a High School Certificate, GED or an equivalent
There'll be a certificate awarded at the end of your study recognized by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) and a state-issued credential/license.
Also Related
Sources
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Pharmacy Technicians, on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/pharmacy-technicians.htm