Pharmacy Technician Program

Program Overview

The West Los Angeles College Pharmacy Technician Program can prepare you for an exciting career in this field. When you complete the required course work and meet the state requirements, you are able to obtain a State of California Pharmacy Technician license and can work in retail pharmacies, hospitals and other healthcare settings.

Pharmacy Technician is among the fastest growing occupations in California.

This exciting program can be completed in less than one year for the basic Pharmacy Technician Certificate of Achievement program and *financial aid is available to those who qualify.

West LA Colleges highly regarded Pharmacy Technician Program offers options for a Basic and/or Advanced Certificate of Achievement Program and an Associate of Science Degree Program. The Certificate of Achievement one-year program that includes 80 hours of advanced clinical training to better prepare you to work in clinical environments like hospitals and Skilled Nursing Homes.

Pharmacy Technicians primarily assist the pharmacist, review prescriptions for completeness and authenticity, help prepare and distribute medications, control inventory and place orders and assist in payment and billing. Clinical Pharmacy Technicians work as part of a healthcare team in a fast-paced environment. The work is very rewarding. Full-time Pharmacy Technicians earn between $31,000 and $44,000 per year (part-time positions also exist) and often receive benefits. Pharmacy Techs working in a clinical environment like a hospital typically earn 30-40% more per hour, up to $76,000 per year.

Our comprehensive, basic Pharmacy Technician Certificate program is comprised of 10 courses for the basic Pharmacy Technician program and totals over 490 hours of instruction, including an externship at a community pharmacy training site and 3 additional classes to complete the Pharmacy Technician Advanced Certificate of Achievement. Our program curriculum meets the requirements of the Association of Health Systems Pharmacists (ASHP).

Upon successfully completion of the Pharmacy Technician Program at West Los Angeles College, to become licensed, students are required to satisfactorily pass examination under the California State Board of Pharmacy (CSPB), becoming Licensed/Registered Pharmacy Technician. Our students have consistently obtained a high approval rate on the examination.