This course provides students with the training and education required to pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board’s national exam to become a Certified Pharmacy Technician. 
This is a hybrid class which will meet on Monday - Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Robinette Building, 331 S. Lee St., Rockingham. Other classwork will be online. Students in this program must abide by the RichmondCC Student Handbook regarding code of conduct.
Class Start Date: TBA
To Register
Call Richmond Community College at (910) 410-1700
Please see our policy for refunds on continuing education classes here: Refund Policy
Enrollment Requirements
- Have a high school diploma or high school equivalency; or is attending high school with expectation of graduating
- Be a U.S. resident
- Demonstrate proficiency in speaking, writing and reading the English language
- Have a valid driver's license (or state issued ID)
- Provide full disclosure of all criminal or licensure actions*
- Have an earned grade, within the past 3 years, of C or better on college English course ENG-111 or higher; or a Accuplacer Next Generation Reading test score of 250; or an SAT English score above 530, or completion of the Pre-pharmacy Career Readiness class (provide transcript).
- Score of 250 or higher on Accuplacer Next Generation Quantitive Reasoning test.
- Have an earned grade, within the past 3 years, of C or better on college Math course MAT-143 or higher; or a TABE test score of 596; or an SAT math score above 530, or completion of the Pre-pharmacy Math class (provide transcript).
*Employers may reject pharmacy technician applicants with criminal records, positive drug tests, or negative immunization status.
Pre-pharmacy Study Skills
The Pre-pharmacy Study Skills class focuses on the math and study skills needed by a pharmacy technician. Students will be required to take TABE tests prior to registration. Students will need to score a 496 on the TABE Math test in order to take the free Pre-pharmacy Tech Math class. If they score 596 or higher, they WILL NOT BE required to take the Pre-pharmacy Tech math class. Students will need to score a 496 on the TABE Reading test in order to take the free Pre-pharmacy Career Readiness class. If they score 576 or higher, they WILL NOT BE required to take the Pre-pharmacy Tech Career Readiness class. There is no cost for these classes, so those with acceptable test scores are welcome to take the classes to brush up on their career skills. Those not scoring high enough for entry into the Pharmacy Technician I program can retake the Pre-pharmacy Technician classes at no charge. To register for classes or schedule TABE testing, call Student Services at (910) 410-1700.
*Students must earn a final grade of 80% or higher in both classes to be accepted into the Pharmacy Technician I program.
Pharmacy Technician Certifications
- To acquire the national certification Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT), pharmacy technicians must successfully pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam.
- The NC Board of Pharmacy requires pharmacy technicians to be registered as working in a pharmacy in N.C. to be state certified.
- Pharmacy technicians must complete continuing education units to maintain their CPhT certification status.
The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board recognizes RichmondCC as a Certified Pharmacy Technician Training program.
Pharmacy Management Software
Our Pharmacy Technician program partners with PioneerRx Pharmacy Software. Because of that, students learn prescription data entry and supply management in a real-world environment using the most installed software for independent pharmacies. Students graduate with superior clinical and functional skills from training on a pharmacy system that is innovative, robust, and feature-rich. Read what current pharmacy leaders are saying about PioneerRx at Pharmacy Software Reviews.
Pharmacy Technician Career Prospects
According to Career Coach, within a 50-mile radius of Hamlet since September 2018, 234 companies have posted 3,972 jobs for pharmacy technicians. Companies posting jobs include:
- CVS Health Corporation - 474 openings
- Walgreens Company - 400 openings
- Wal-Mart, Inc. - 147 openings
- Kansas Hospital Association - 62 openings
- University of North Carolina Hospitals - 52 openings
- Harris Teeter Supermarkets, Inc .- 39 openings
- McLeod Health - 31 openings
- Novant Health, Inc. - 28 openings
- Atrium Health - 23 openings
- Pillpack Inc. - 16 openings
Salary ranges: According to Career Coach, within a 50-mile radius of Hamlet, beginner pharamacy technician can expect to make around $23,000 per year, while highly experienced pharmacy technicians can earn over $44,000 per year.