Pharmacy Technician

The Certificate of Competency (CCT) in Pharmacy Technician program prepares students for entry-level pharmacy practice in retail, hospital, and institutional settings. Students will process and prepare medications, dispense medications, and learn inventory and quality control practices. The program includes instruction in medical and pharmaceutical terminology, legal and regulatory standard, customer service, prescription analysis and interpretation, mathematical calculations for dosing and solution preparation, safety procedures, and billing practices. The curriculum for this program includes a 200-hour practicum and meets the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) requirement for students to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) or the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ExCPT).

This program is designed to meet education requirements for licensure or certification in the State of Arizona. Granting licensure and certification is the sole responsibility of the state board or approval agency. This program is only offered and available to students located in the State of Arizona. The Maricopa County Community College District and colleges define student location within Administrative Regulation 2.2.3(7).

Details

Field of Interest

Health Sciences

Academic Plan Code

1405

Total Clock Hours Required

602

Catalog Year

2026 - 2027

Students are required to apply and receive their temporary pharmacy technician trainee registration through the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy. This program has a 200-hour clinical practicum requirement with a scheduled meeting pattern that varies from the class schedule. Clinical practicum is off campus at an industry partner (hospital or retail pharmacy). Students are responsible for their own travel. Clinical practicum is unpaid. Students must complete all 200 hours of clinical practicum and pass each course with a grade of 75% or greater to pass the program.

What You'll Learn

Describe the role of the pharmacy technician in retail, hospital, and institutional settings.
Apply all legal, regulatory, professional, and ethical standards applicable to the role of pharmacy technicians.
Employ proper customer service procedures related to professional communication, appearance, and knowledge of allowed duties when working under a licensed pharmacist in a variety of settings.
Demonstrate familiarity with brand and generic drug names, appearance, manufacturer, dosage forms
Analyze a prescription for accuracy.
Perform mathematical calculations for dosage determinations and solution preparations.
Demonstrate safe medication preparation.
Practice safe and appropriate dispensing principles.
Prepare for the national pharmacy technician certification and licensure as required by State of Arizona Regulations.

Admission criteria

1. Background Check Requirements:

Admission to an Allied Health program requires that students be in compliance with the Maricopa County Community College District Supplemental Background Check policy. Program applications will not be accepted without a copy of an Arizona Department of Public Safety Level One Fingerprint Clearance Card. Students must maintain current fingerprint clearance throughout the practicums(s). Upon conditional program admission, the student must comply with all requirements of the current MCCCD background check policy.

2. Submit current CPR/BLS Provider card (American Heart Association approved) and maintain current status throughout the practicum(s).

3. Complete and submit the Allied Health Student Health and Safety Documentation Checklist, with included documentation, signed by a licensed healthcare provider.

4. Inability to comply with background check requirements and/or clinical health and safety requirements at the start of classes may result in cancellation of enrollment.

5. 18 years of age at time of practicum. Must be 17 years and 9 months to enroll in the program.

Career Statistics

Successful completion of this certificate may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this certificate. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Pharmacy Technicians

$39,240

* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by block. Please keep in mind:

Students should meet with a navigator to discuss their academic and career goals.
The course sequence is laid out by block and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
This is a cohort program in which students progress through their course of study together in the required course sequence.

Courses

Courses Sequence

Block 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Block 1
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Clock Hours
PHC150	Introduction to Pharmacy Practice	Prerequisites: 1. Successful completion of RDG100 or higher or appropriate reading placement into CRE101. 2. Successful completion of MAT090, MAT091, MAT092 or higher, or appropriate math placement into MAT103.	90
PHC153	Basic Pharmacy Practice	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in PHC150.	132
PHC155	Advanced Pharmacy Practice	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in PHC153.	150

Block 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Block 2
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Clock Hours
PHC122	Pharmacy Tech Certification Review			30
PHC253DC	Pharmacy Technician Practicum			200

Official Curriculum Documentation

View catalog page

Catalog page: https://gatewaycc.catalog.maricopa.edu/programs/1405-GWC03

Disclaimer

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.

Previous catalog years for Certificate of Competency (CCT) in Pharmacy Technician