Best Pharmacy Technician Schools in West Virginia

Carver Career and Technical Education Center in Charleston, WV offers an ASHP accredited 6-month pharmacy technician program composed of didactic course work, laboratory course work and experiential training in a number of training sites. Classes are held during the evening or on a full-time basis. There are two starting dates to choose from January and July. Class sizes are small (15) and graduates will have to take the PTCB exam as part of the program. The college offers financial aid and job placement services are also available. Upon completion students are ready to apply for entry-level positions with starting salaries of between $8-$13. For more information, contact the program director at (304) 348-1965.

The Ross Medical Education Center based in Charleston and Morgantown offers a 36 weeks pharmacy technician program (PhT) which will prepare graduates for entry-level jobs in community, retail, hospital and health systems pharmacies. For more information, contact the program director at (304) 598-3689.

Mountwest Community and Technical College in Huntington, West Virginia offers an pharmacy technology program containing a mix of classwork, labwork and a clinical internship in either a community pharmacy or hospital pharmacy. The course starts in Fall and is held during the day on a full-time basis. Upon graduation, students earn the designation of A.A.S (Associate of Applied Science) Pharmacy Technician, qualify for licensure with the West Virginia Board of Pharmacy, apply for entry-level employment as pharmacy technician and sit the national certification exam. For further information, contact the program director at (304) 710-3517.

West Virginia Pharmacy Technician certification requirements

Certification is mandatory. The state of West Virginia require pharmacy technicians to be certified through either PTCB (Pharmacy Technician Certification Board) or ExCPT from the NHA.

As of Dec. 2020, 1,958 was the number of actively certified technicians (PTCB CPhTs) currently residing in the state.

WV Pharmacy Technician Licensure requirements

The West Virginia Board of Pharmacy currently requires registration of all pharmacy technicians. Starting on July 1, 2015, newly hired pharmacy technicians in West Virginia must be nationally certified. If you are not certified, trainees can register and undertake to  complete either a PhT program or 960 hours on-the-job training in a pharmacy. Upon completion of the PhT program, graduates will be eligible to sit  the national board examination and become registered.

What does a pharmacy technician make in West Virginia?

The average *West Virginia pharmacy technician salary for 2019 according to the latest data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of is $14.61 per hour or $30,380 per annum.

An entry level pharmacy technician  earns an average of $11.60 per hour whilst an experienced and/or certified pharmacy technician can earn upwards of $23.62 per hour depending on years of experience and work setting.

Job Opportunities and Career Advancement

There are many job opportunities for pharmacy technicians in West Virginia. Employers that regularly post advertised positions include: Walgreens, Walmart, Fruth Pharmacy, A+ Pharmacy, Griffith & Feil and CVS.

How you can progress in this career is through promotion to supervisory roles or seeking specialization. Having a number of years experience under your belt and with relevant amount of training pharmacy technicians can specialize in oncology or nuclear pharmacy or yet still can continue their education whilst working to become a pharmacist.

Other school guides and locations in West Virginia:

• Charleston, WV

*Figures courtesy of the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Employment & Wages database.