Program Information
Have you always been fascinated by medicine and technology? Do you excel in science and math? If so, you can become a vital member of the health care team by pursuing a career as a pharmacy technician.
Pharmacy technicians are vital members of the health care team. Working under the supervision of the pharmacist, the pharmacy technician performs those tasks associated with the preparation and distribution of medication. Exciting career opportunities include, but are not limited to, positions in hospitals, retail pharmacies, nursing homes, compounding pharmacies, home health care, nuclear pharmacies, insurance companies, and public and government health agencies. San Jacinto College’s Pharmacy Technician program is a 12-month advanced certificate program designed to provide applicants with the skills and knowledge to pass the National Certification Exam to be credentialed as a certified pharmacy technician as well as to qualify for entry-level and advanced-level positions in a variety of pharmacy settings.
Program Accreditation
The Pharmacy Technician program at San Jacinto College is an Advanced Level Training Program that is accredited by The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). The program is also a Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) recognized program. Students may learn more about the accreditation here:
American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP)
4500 East-West Highway, Suite 900
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-657-3000
www.ashp.org
Career Opportunities
Employment of pharmacy technicians is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations. This demand will be due to the expansion of retail pharmacies, the increased number of middle-aged and elderly people, and the increasing roles and responsibilities of pharmacy technicians.
Graduates of our program are able to work as pharmacy technicians in:
- Hospitals,
- Nursing homes,
- Retail,
- Home health care, and
- Public and government health agencies.
Earning Potential
Pharmacy Technician: $40,624 per year1
- 1
Source: texaswages.com, median salary Gulf Coast region, 2022
For more information, students may contact the following:
North campus
281-998-6350, x7348
North.PharmTech@sjcd.edu
South campus
281-998-6350, x3597
South-PharmTech@sjcd.edu
Campuses
North Campus
South Campus
Information
The program curriculum requires students to complete 32 credit hours that total 864 contact hours that consist of a combination of lecture, on-campus laboratory, and clinical training. The emphasis of the program is on training students to work in retail and hospital pharmacies. Upon completion of the program, students are awarded an advanced-level Certificate of Technology. After graduation, students register to take the National Certification Exam. A pharmacy technician must pass the certification examination and register with the Texas State Board of Pharmacy (TSBP) to practice as a certified pharmacy technician (CPhT) in the state of Texas. The program includes two clinical courses. Clinicals are unpaid positions in which students are supervised by the employees at the clinical site. Clinicals are scheduled according to the hours of the site and may vary among day, evening, and night shifts. We cannot guarantee any specific site, but every effort will be made to accommodate the student. Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from clinical sites.
Students enrolling into San Jacinto College programs with external learning experiences (i.e., clinical, practicum, externship, cooperative, etc.) will be required to comply with the immunization requirements and policies of the clinical/external learning sites to engage in all clinical/external learning experiences. Vaccination requirements at clinical/external learning sites are implemented pursuant to the independent authority of such facilities and are not mandated by San Jacinto College. Failure to meet the immunization requirements mandated by clinical/external learning sites may limit a student’s ability to complete the program and/or may delay the student’s graduation date. San Jacinto College does not process exemptions, and students should address potential vaccination exemptions directly with the clinical/external learning site.
Admission Requirements
Applicants for the program must meet the requirements for general admission to the College and must also meet program-specific requirements. Students may view admission procedures and program requirements on the Pharmacy Technician webpage.
In accordance with Texas House Bill 1508, the College informs all students in this program who may have a criminal background that a criminal history could keep graduates from being licensed by the state of Texas. Students with any questions about their background and licensure may speak with the Program Director.
Plan of Study
4PHAR
| First Term | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| HPRS 1206 | Essentials of Medical Terminology | 2 |
| PHRA 1202 | Pharmacy Law | 2 |
| PHRA 1305 | Drug Classification | 3 |
| PHRA 1309 | Pharmaceutical Mathematics I | 3 |
| PHRA 1313 | Community Pharmacy Practice I | 3 |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Second Term | ||
| PHRA 1441 | Pharmacy Drug Therapy and Treatment | 4 |
| PHRA 1347 | Pharmaceutical Mathematics II | 3 |
| PHRA 1345 | Compounding Sterile Preparations and Aseptic Technique | 3 |
| PHRA 1349 | Institutional Pharmacy Practice | 3 |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Third Term | ||
| PHRA 1243 | Pharmacy Technician Certification Review | 2 |
| PHRA 1261 | Clinical-Pharmacy Technician I | 2 |
| PHRA 2261 | Clinical-Pharmacy Technician II | 2 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 32 | |
Capstone Experience: PHRA 2261 Clinical-Pharmacy Technician II
Note: Students must pass each course listed in the certificate for Pharmacy Technician with a grade of C or higher to be eligible to receive a certificate of technology.