Self-Paced Online Pharmacy Technician

Certificate Program

Prerequisite: High school diploma or GED equivalent.

This comprehensive 50-hour, self-paced online program will prepare you to work as a pharmacy technician in retail or other pharmacy settings. Through an asynchronous online curriculum, you will learn dosage calculations, drug classifications, top 200 drugs, IV flow rates, sterile compounding, dose conversions, aseptic technique, the handling of sterile products, total parenteral nutrition (TPN), dispensing of prescriptions, inventory control, and billing and reimbursement.

Once you’ve earned our certificate of completion, this certificate qualifies you to take the national exams, which are separate from our program, and can be taken at additional costs. Upon successful completion of this program, students will be eligible to sit for the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) Pharmacy Technician Certification (CPhT) national examination, or the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) exam.

This program is presented in partnership with a third-party provider and is not taught by California State University, Long Beach faculty. The course is not offered for academic credit and is not degree-eligible. 

Please Note

This course offering is 100% online in a self-paced format. It has asynchronous online curriculum that is complimented by a program coordinator to assist you with any questions you may have throughout the course.

(Click here to learn more about our hybrid version that combines online curriculum with live instructor-led lectures and in-person lab sessions on campus.)   

  • Independent and disciplined students that are self-motivated to start and finish the curriculum on their own and at their own pace.
  • Individuals interested in working in the healthcare system
  • Medical assistants
  • Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA)
  • Medical terminology specific to the pharmacy
  • Reading and interpreting prescriptions and defining drugs by generic and brand names
  • Dosage calculations
  • IV flow rates
  • Drug compounding
  • Dose conversions
  • Dispensing of prescriptions
  • Inventory control
  • Billing and reimbursement
  • Successfully complete all online sections and assignments

Schedule

This program offers open enrollment—enroll and start when you are ready. Once you begin, you will have four months to complete the program.