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