California Pharmacy Technician Training Programs

If you are interested in a career as a pharmacy technician, you can begin by enrolling in a pharmacy technician or a pharmacy technology training program. In addition, licensure is required in the state of California. According to the California State Board of Pharmacy:

To be licensed as a pharmacy technician in California, you must qualify under A, B, or C as listed below and be a high school graduate or possess a general educational development (GED) certificate:

A. If you are qualifying by one of the following methods, the Affidavit of Completed Coursework or Graduation for Pharmacy Technician (page 4 of the application) must be submitted with your application.

An Associate Degree in Pharmacy Technology;

Any other course that provides a minimum of 240 hours of instruction as specified in Title 16 California Code of Regulation section 1793.6(c);

A training course accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP); or

Graduation from a school of pharmacy accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).

B. If you are certified by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), you must submit a certified true copy of your PTCB certificate or the original certificate with your application. (A certified true copy is a copy that has been certified or notarized as a true copy.)

C. If you are qualifying by training provided by a branch of the federal armed services, you must submit a copy of your DD214 with your application.

Fortunately, hundreds of California schools offer excellent training programs that can help you satisfy the state’s requirements. The following lists represent only a fraction of what California has to offer. 

Pharmacy Technician Programs - Major California Colleges and Universities 

• California State University, East Bay - Hayward (Certificate, Online)
• Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science - Los Angeles
• University of Southern California - Los Angeles
• West Los Angeles College - Culver City
• Western University of Health Sciences – Pomona

Pharmacy Technician Programs – Other California Colleges 

• Allan Hancock College – Santa Maria
• BioHealth College – San Jose
• Cerritos College – Norwalk
• City College of San Francisco – San Francisco
• College of the Sequoias – Visalia
• Consumnes River College - Sacramento
• Foothill College – Los Altos Hills
• Imperial Valley College – Imperial
• Mission College – Santa Clara
• Modesto Junior College – Modesto
• Newbridge College – Long Beach, San Diego, Santa Ana
• North Valley Occupational Center – Mission Hills
• Pima Medical Institute – Chula Vista
• San Bernardino Valley College – San Bernardino
• San Joaquin Valley College – Bakersfield, Fresno, Rancho Cordova
• Santa Ana College - Santa Ana
• Santa Barbara Business College - Bakersfield, Santa Maria, Ventura
• University of Antelope Valley - Lancaster