What if a future pharmacy technician employer paid for your pharm tech education, job training, certificate courses, and had a guaranteed job waiting for you after graduation?
With a Pharmacy Technician Certificate from the University of Providence, you can choose which education path is right for you. Our program allows eligible students to earn their certificate as a traditional or Earn-While-You-Learn student. Earn-While-You-Learn is a unique opportunity for eligible students at select pharmacy or hospital location. The program is made possible through UP’s partnership with Providence Health & Services in Montana and Washington.
Becoming a pharmacy technician can be a great starting point for a healthcare career. Not only can it kickstart your career in healthcare faster and for less money, but it can also help you gain real medical experience – preparing you for more advanced careers in healthcare and beyond.
Before Diving Into How You Can Earn Your Degree, You Should Know What You’ll Be Doing As A Technician.
As a pharmacy technician, you’ll serve as a vital member of the healthcare system and play and important role in facilitating the preparation and distribution of prescription medication for healthcare purposes. While pharmacy technicians can end up working in multiple different locations, many are found in hospitals, local pharmacies, or for pharmaceutical companies. Although their employment sphere is large, the job of a pharmacy technician remains consistent, with pharmacy tech responsibilities include:
- Filling prescriptions
- Measuring prescriptions
- Packaging medications
- Medication and inventory management
- Maintaining prescription and patient information
Becoming A Technician Doesn’t Require A Long Or Expensive Commitment To A University.
While the length of pharmacy technician programs can vary, many can be obtained in between six to 12 months. Depending on the courses you take and the level of education you earn, some could be up to 18 to 24 months or longer – including some where students graduate with a two-year associate’s degree. For most technicians, however, an accredited certificate in combination with national or state licensure (both in some cases) is more than enough to begin working as a pharmacy technician.
With UP’s pharmacy tech program, you can earn your certificate as quickly as six months. Our didactic course offerings provide online learning with in-person weekend skill labs designed to put online curriculum and coursework into practice. Students also take an internship for students to work alongside currently practicing technicians and licensed pharmacists. In addition, our program will prepare you to sit for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board’s (PTCB) Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam – an important step in becoming a certified technician and a requirement in both Washington and Montana.
The University of Providence Offers Two Ways For Students To Earn Their Certification.
If you choose the University of Providence to get your pharmacy technician certification, you can enroll as a traditional student or an Earn-While-You-Learn student. Both paths take the same courses, receive the same skill training, and receive Pharmacy Technician Certification Board Exam Prep course and internship. However, as an Earn-While-You-Learn student, you will first apply for and get hired as a pharmacy technician under a special work application through a participating partner pharmacy.
If you are considering Earn-While-You-Learn, it’s important to remember that positions are made available at select partner pharmacies, with hiring for positions done at the discretion of the hiring pharmacies. Therefore, you should first check for and apply to job openings through the Providence Health Service’s website before applying to UP’s pharmacy tech program. Since positions are limited, not all eligible students will be hired for Earn-While-You-Learn positions. However, students are encouraged to apply as traditional students to UP’s program or roll their admission to the traditional program.
Find Out More About Becoming A Pharmacy Technician
If you’re looking for a great way to kickstart your career in the medical field, becoming a pharmacy technician is a great place to start. With hundreds of job openings across multiple sectors of the healthcare continuum, you could be educated, certified, and situated in your career in less than one year.
To learn more about UP’s pharmacy technician program, our Earn-While-You-Learn program, and available pharmacy locations for upcoming semesters, visit our Pharmacy Technician Certificate page.
