Pharmacy Technician Programs in San Jose, CA
A career in pharmacy technician holds great prospects in the United State. Demand for pharmaceutical services continue to soar across industries, and pharmacy technicians play a critical role in facilitating prescription medications. They are the bridge between the patient and the pharmacist.
A pharmacy technician does all of the less technical jobs of a pharmacist, like packaging and labelling prescriptions. If you intend to be a pharmacy technician in California, there are requirements to meet
California Pharmacy Technician Requirements
Although you don’t need a certification to work as a pharmacy technician in California, obtaining one will benefit you greatly when it’s time to look for job. Many employers prefer candidates with a certification like the PTCB. However, a license is compulsory if you must work as a pharmacy technician in California.
And these are the requirements:
- Have a high school diploma, GED or similar qualifications
- Have at least one of the following educational qualifications:
- An associate's degree in pharmacy technology
- A higher education program accredited by the American Council on Pharmacy Education
- Have PTCB certification - Verifiably trained in the Federal Armed Forces
- Must apply in writing to the California State Board of Pharmacy requesting for the license
- Pass both state and federal criminal background check
- Include a maximum of six months old passport type photo
- $80 registration fee
All the above requirements go together with your application form.
San Jose Pharmacy Technician Salary and Job Outlook
Pharmacy technician jobs have been on the rise for the past few years, and reached 422,300 by May 2019. The figures are projected to grow by 4% over the next decade, attracting some 15,200 more jobs. This growth is attributed to the increase in popularity of prescription medication, which demands more pharmaceutical services.
Of the 422,300 pharmacy technicians in the United States in 2019, 36,560 were in California, which has the second largest number of pharmacy technician jobs in the US after Texas. San Jose had 2,050 pharmacy technicians. California is the most lucrative city for pharmacy technician jobs in the US as the pay is higher than in all other states. On average, pharmacy technicians in California make $45,200 annually and $21.73 per hour. The earnings in San Jose is even higher at $48,550 annual mean wage.
10% of workers in San Jose earn at most $27,920, but another 10% earn at least $76,260 annually. Also, 10% in California make no more than $29,970 and a further 10% make $65,150 or more annually. Then in the US, 10% of workers earn $24,120 or less, and 10% earns at least $49,130 annually. The figures for both California and San Jose are significantly higher than that of the United States.
Pharmacy Technician Schools in San Jose
Attending a formal pharmacy technician program is the easiest, fastest and most popular mean of becoming a licensed practitioner in the field. There are seven schools offering programs in California from which you can acquire first-class training.
Carrington College [San Jose & San Leandro Campuses]
6201 San Ignacio Ave. San Jose, CA 95119 | 
(408) 337-3829
Carrington College offers a comprehensive pharmacy technician training program. The tuition costs $27,296, which covers all study materials and fees, such as lab fees, books, uniform and so on. You can choose between daytime class or evening class.
The program groom’s students to work efficiently as entry-level pharmacy technicians, and also prepares them for any certification exams. Students will have a solid grasp of the basics and be able to practice in pharmacy calculations, drug distribution systems, and also prepare sterile dosage forms for a pharmacist. The program covers pharmacology, pharmaceutical and medical terminology, and blends these courses with the computer skills necessary to practice them.
Foothill College [Los Altos Hills]
12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022 | 650-949-6121
This pharmacy technician program spans a 9-month sequential period and is accredited by the Pharmacy Technician Accreditation Commission. Graduates of the program will qualify to work in a variety of pharmaceutical settings and presumably be successful in any certification exams. At the end of this program, students will have all the knowledge and clinical skills in accordance with ASHP/ACPE requirements for accreditation. There are a total of 52 units in the program with additional elective courses.
The major requirements are that students must be at least 18 years old and possess a High School Diploma/GED or equivalent to participate in externship. They must also have an acceptable grade in English, High School Biology, and Algebra 1. The school awards a certificate at the end of the program.
Bay Area Medical Academy [San Francisco]
530 Bush St. Suite 201 San Francisco, CA 94108 | 415-217-0077
The BAMA pharmacy technician training program prepares students for entry-level positions in business and hospital pharmacies, while also impacting the knowledge and experience a candidate needs to pass any certification exam. The program entails 600 hours of lecture and hands-on experience, and another 240 hours of clinical externship to help students master every skill learnt in the classroom.
The estimated total cost of this program is $11,049.00, with tuition being $10,500.00. The net amount includes the following:
- Non-refundable registration fee
- Textbooks
- Uniforms and ID cards
- Lab/Materials fee
- Graduation and administration fee
Mission College
3000 Mission College Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95054-1897 | (408) 855-5131
Mission College provides and accelerated pharmacy technician training taken between evening and daytime classes. It is PTCB approved and designed to prepare students to work in any pharmaceutical setting and also meet licensing requirements by the California State Board of Pharmacy.
Tuition is $5500 and covers the cost of all class materials. There is a $400 administrative fee and a payment plan of $1,080 per month. The school does not offer financial aid options.
Admission Requirements:
- Attend information meeting
- Participate in formal interview
- Attain minimum required scores on Assessment Tests
- HS diploma/GED or equivalent
- Criminal background check
- Typing 20 WPM for typing test if required
- Health clearance & TB test
- Strong English, math and communications skills
- Proficient Computer skills & printing access
Contra Costa Medical Career College [Antioch]
4041 Lone Tree Way Suite 101 Antioch, Ca 94531 | 925 757 2900
The pharmacy technician program at Contra Costa Medical Career College prepares students to work in different pharmaceutical settings, including in retail, home healthcare, hospitals, etc. It's also designed to help students pass certification exams like the PTCB. Students will learn to maintain client profile, work on insurance forms and effectively serve as a bridge between clients and a pharmacist.
There is a non-refundable registration fee of $200 and a refundable tuition of $3800. You'll also pay a refundable $277 for textbooks. Other mandatory fees are not paid directly to the school and are all non-refundable. These are:
- $60 uniform fee
- BLS fee of $85
- $74 for live scan
- $195 for California State Licensing
- $16 self-query fee.
You may also pay the optional fee of $135 for certification exam.
San Jose State University
300 Trinity Campus Circle Fort Worth, TX 76102 | 855-520-6806
The university offers a 12-month training program that will get students ready to work across different pharmaceutical settings and also pass any exams related to pharmacy technician. The tuition is $2,495, and includes certification fee. So this is a plus for those who want to receive both a certificate and a certification.
It is an online program backed by 100+ hour externship. Students will learn to do pharmaceutical calculations, understand retail pharmacy procedure, get the basics of pharmacology of medication, and be able to process prescriptions, physical orders, do mock prescription filling, and much more. There is also an optional clinical externship of 100 hours for states that require it.
City College of San Francisco
50 Frida Kahlo Way, San Francisco, CA 94112 | 415-561-1819
The pharmacy technical program at the City of College of San Francisco trains you to assume responsibilities in administrative and clinical position for entry-level pharmacy technicians. The program lasts two semesters and teaches the roles of pharmacy technicians. You'll receive a hands-on experience under the direction of a licensed pharmacist. Upon completing the 30-unit course, you'll be issued a certificate and also qualify to take the PTCB certification exams.
To be accepted, you must be at least 18, have a GED or HS Diploma, a 2.0 grade point or higher, and be willing to take an individual orientation.
Salary figures courtesy of US Department of Labor.