Pharmacy Technician Program FAQs

Get answers to the most common and important questions about enrolling in the Pharmacy Technician program at Career Step. Our FAQs section provides answers to help you make an informed decision about your education.

What do pharmacy technicians do?

Pharmacy technicians work in retail or institutional facilities and assist pharmacists in formulating, labeling, and dispensing medications. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, about 73% of pharmacy technicians work in a retail setting and about 18% work in hospitals.

What is the job market for a pharmacy technician?

The pharmacy technician field is a part of the growing healthcare industry as well as one of the 20 fastest growing occupations in the nation. The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics projects:

• A rapidly expanding job market as the field is predicted to grow by 32%, or over 100,000 new jobs, before 2020.
• High demand and good job prospects for pharmacy technicians with formal training or certification.
• A growing number of professionals needed in the field to meet the high demand for prescriptions fueled by an aging population and continued scientific advances.

How much can I earn as a pharmacy technician?

The U.S. Department of Labor report states that the middle 50% of pharmacy technicians nationwide earn between $23,940 and $35,420 annually. You may also qualify for benefits as a pharmacy technician. The Career Step Pharmacy Technician program prepares students for the national certification exam after graduation, which increases earning potential, marketability, and flexibility.

Do I need to be certified?

Career Step graduates are prepared for national certification offered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) or the ExCPT exam offered by the Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians. Although certification is not required in all states, certified pharmacy technicians enjoy increased pay, greater marketability, and more flexibility to choose from a wider variety of positions or geographies.

To determine whether your state of residency requires national certification, please refer to your state board of pharmacy's website or our State Requirements pdf.

What are the advantages of training with Career Step?

Career Step has been training quality healthcare professionals for over 20 years and offers a comprehensive training program that thoroughly prepares students to work as pharmacy technicians. You will study online, on your own schedule and at your own pace, and with Career Step you know you're getting the right education; personal, ongoing support; and the resources and guidance you need to turn your education into a job. You'll simultaneously train to work in both retail and institutional settings and will be prepared to sit for national certification exams immediately after graduation. Career Step also has externship partnerships with Walgreens and CVS, which provide the opportunity for student to participate in an externship in their local areas.

What kind of skills or experience do I need to enter the Career Step program?

In order to be admitted, you must either a) have a high school diploma or a General Education Development Certificate (GED), or b) pass the Career Step competency test. If you are under 18 years of age, consent and signature of a parent or guardian is required before admission. There are no specific skills or experience that are considered prerequisites for entry into the Career Step training program.

Is Career Step accredited?

Career Step is registered under the Utah Post-Secondary Proprietary School Act but is not nationally or regionally accredited. However, our training programs are approved by a number of industry specific organizations and are designed with employer feedback to ensure students are gaining exactly the skills needed to get a job and succeed in the workforce.

The Career Step training programs prepare students for career fields where employers are generally more concerned with an applicant’s skills rather than the credentials of the school they attended. Because of this, Career Step works closely with employers when developing a training program to ensure students graduate with the skills employers are looking for. We've also developed close ties to industry associations, aligning our programs with their recommendations. Career Step programs boast the following recognitions:

• Career Step’s Medical Transcription curriculum is approved by the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI), the leading medical transcription industry association.
• The Inpatient and Outpatient Medical Coding and Billing program is approved by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), one of the largest and most prestigious health information organizations in the country.
• The Career Step Pharmacy Technician program has been reviewed and approved by the State Boards of Pharmacy in Indiana, Utah, and Virginia. (Many states don't have any regulations on the education of pharmacy technicians, and very few require board approval. For more information on each state's pharmacy technician education regulations, view our State Requirements pdf.) Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy also offer Career Step Pharmacy Technician students the opportunity to participate in a hands-on externship in their stores nationwide.
• The Medical Administrative Assistant program is approved by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA), a leading organization focused on increasing the quality of health career education.

Career Step programs are also designed to prepare you for certifications that greatly improve your employment opportunities. Employers are often more familiar with various credentials than with the quality of education provided by different schools. To help your resume stand out from other applicants, various Career Step programs prepare students for the following credentials:

• Certified Coding Associate (CCA) and Certified Professional Coder (CPC)
• Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT)
• Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA)
• Microsoft Office Specialist – Master (MOS-Master; Administrative Assistant graduates are prepared for this credential)

This focus on helping you gain the skills needed to succeed in the workforce has made our students successful in the job market—over 85% of Career Step graduates are employed in their field of study, 92% of employed Medical Transcription graduates work from home in their first job, Medical Coding and Billing graduates report a certification exam pass rate that’s a full 15 percentage points higher than the national average, and Pharmacy Technician students can take advantage of externship opportunities with Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy.

How is the Career Step Pharmacy Technician program structured?

The Career Step program is offered entirely online, providing 24/7 access to all material and allowing you to progress through the curriculum on your own schedule and at your own pace. The program is broken into modules, or course subjects, all of which focus on helping you build the essential knowledge and skills of a pharmacy technician. The final exam of the course is designed to provide an experience similar to that of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) Exam, ensuring that you are as prepared as possible to sit for national certification immediately upon graduation.

What type of student support does Career Step offer?

Career Step student support includes access to:

• Student Support Advisors who have professional experience in the industry and are uniquely qualified to answer questions about both the curriculum and the industry. They provide timely answers to questions about the program material and offer a number of personal consultations throughout the training to help students master important concepts.
• Technical Support Advisors who are knowledgeable, experienced, and available six days a week to help you work through any technical or computer issues encountered within the training program.
• Graduate Support Advisors who help you transition to the workforce after graduation. Your Graduate Advisors will help prepare the best resume, develop solid interview skills, and teach you valuable job search techniques.

Though the course is entirely online, you'll never be on your own. Career Step's student support team will always be there to offer personal, ongoing support all the way through the training program.

How long does it take to finish the course?

The Career Step Pharmacy Technician training program is 285 completion hours. Since the program is completely self-paced and the online training format allows you the flexibility to study as much or as little as your schedule allows, the time it takes you to complete the course will vary from other students. Some students are able to complete their training program in as little as two or three months (working on the course full-time, 8 hours a day 5 days a week) and others, who are more limited in the time they can devote to the course, take longer (for example, students who can devote about 15 hours a week may finish in about 5 months).

Every student who enrolls in a Career Step training program receives an initial 3-month period of enrollment—and we currently offer an additional 3 months at no extra charge! You'll have a full 6 months to complete the program. If you need extra time to complete the course after your initial 6-month enrollment, 3-month extensions are available for purchase.

Is an externship included in the Career Step program?

Career Step has partnered with Walgreens and CVS pharmacies to offer externships to our students in their local areas. After students reach a certain point in the training program, they will be eligible for an externship, which are subject to local availability. Students can begin their externships prior to graduation, providing the opportunity for them to cement the skills they’re learning in the course and smoothing the transition from classroom to workplace.

How do I find work after graduation?

Career Step offers personalized, post-graduation resources for your job search, including:

• Personal consultation with a Graduate Advisor
• Personalized interview tutorials and training
• Individual resume and cover letter review, tips, and advice
• Access to Career Step's help hotline for six months after graduation

These resources offer the personalized help you need after graduation to quickly and easily transition to the workplace. With this individualized help and attention, the majority of our graduates are hired within a few months of graduation.

Before you graduate from the program, you will also complete a module that includes an extensive discussion on finding work after graduation and the requirements of each state. For more information on the requirements of each state, please view our State Requirements pdf

What materials and computer specifications are required to complete the course?

Your enrollment includes everything you will need to train for a successful pharmacy technician career. Your enrollment includes:

• Access to expert-created curriculum
• 6-volume text companion series of textbooks
• Unlimited student and technical support
• A Pocket Guide for Technicians brand name to generic name drug reference book
• Valuable graduate resources

Since the course is completely online, your computer will play an important role in your learning experience. We recommend the following minimum computer system specifications:

Hardware

• Active internet connection (High speed/Broadband connection recommended)
• 800 X 600 minimum resolution (1024 X 768 or higher recommended)
• Sound card and speakers (Earphones recommended)
• Available USB port

Software

• Adobe Flash Player (ver. 10 or higher)
• Windows Media Player (ver. 10 or higher) or Quicktime Player (ver. 7 or higher)
• PDF reader

Browser

• Internet Explorer 7.x, 8.x, and 9.x
• Firefox 3.x
• Safari 4.x or greater (Mac only)
• Javascript and cookies must be enabled

Operating System

• Microsoft Windows (XP®, Vista®, 7 with latest service pack)
• Mac OS X (10.4.11 or greater)

Note: Mobile browsing devices are not currently supported. However, Career Step is investigating the implementation of mobile device support, and these specifications will be updated once a decision has been reached.

What payment options does Career Step offer?

We realize that one of the most important questions tied to education is how it will be paid for. Because this is such a big part of the decision of whether or not to go back to school, Career Step has designed several tuition assistance and payment options. Please visit our Tuition Assistance page for more information.

How soon will I receive my materials?

It takes 2 to 3 business days to process the application, depending on method of payment. Once the payment is processed you will be emailed your course login and password and can start training immediately. Additional course materials are shipped UPS Ground after the payment is processed. The average wait is about 7-10 days.