Pharmacy Technician Degree

If you’re interested in starting a pharmacy tech career or if you get an education in pharmacy tech, you might have explored different training options.

Like any other career, the first option students consider is a full-time degree program. Now you might think, what is a Pharmacy Technician degree? Do you require this to become a Pharmacy Technician?

Well, the short answer is no. To have a pharmacy tech career, you technically don’t need a degree. Having said that, a ‘university certificate’ holds a lot of value, even for Pharmacy Technicians.

In this article, we’ll talk all about the pros and cons of a pharmacy degree, plus we’ll also explore different training options.

What Degree Do You Need To Be a Pharmacy Technician?

For pharmacy technicians, there’s no bachelor’s degree. However, you can get an associate degree in Pharmacy Tech from a university.

It takes 2 years to obtain an associate degree, and there are select universities offering an associate degree for Pharmacy Techs.

Also, as we said earlier, to have a career as a Pharmacy Technician, a degree is not required. Some kind of formal education or training in pharmacy tech is generally considered to be enough.

Know more: Pharmacy Technician Online Schools

Pharmacy Technician Associate Degree

You can get a Pharmacy Technician Associate Degree if you wish to obtain one.

An associate degree can be obtained in 2 years, which makes it faster than any bachelor’s degree, which can take up to 3 to 4 years. The best thing about enrolling in a university program is that you get a certificate from a university. And in healthcare, that’s always considered valuable.

However, a degree program comes with some major disadvantages:

Big Price Tag

The tuition for an associate degree program for pharmacy techs can cost upwards of $15,000. That’s a high enrollment fee, and to afford this, you might have to take student loans.

Student debt is something everyone wants to avoid, and unfortunately, with a degree program, you’re left in a position where you’re in debt, even before starting your career.

Scheduled Classes

Another disadvantage that an associate’s degree offers, in addition to high enrollment costs, is that you have to attend regular classes every day.

That means you have to drive to school multiple times a week for 2 years. In the long run, this can prove to be problematic, and because of such a long course duration, we have seen students drop out of their training program.

Other expenses

Additionally, you will also need to bear other expenses like travel expenses, accommodation, etc. This further increases the cost of a degree program.

Recommended Training Program For Pharmacy Technicians – Online Programs

If you want to complete your education faster and without a big price tag, we recommend going for an online training program.  It’s important to understand why you should choose an Online Training Program over a university Associate Degree Program or a Diploma Program.

An online program has numerous advantages. These types of Programs offer freedom and flexibility to learn at your own pace and comfort.
Read more: Pharmacy Technician Training

Opting for an online pharmacy technician program is strongly recommended over other ways to complete the program since you gain the knowledge and skills required to enter the pharmacy technician field.

The major advantages of an Online Pharmacy Technician Degree Program are:

Affordable

When it comes to affordability, choosing an online program is the best. You don’t have to bear the higher costs as an online program is significantly less than a full-time program.

Miscellaneous expenses such as accommodation and travel costs are also not involved in an Online Program.

Faster

An Associate degree program takes 2 years, while a Diploma is done in 1 year. An online course is faster, and it can be done as early as 2 months, depending on your pace of learning.

Self-paced 

Self-paced means you can learn and access the course according to your requirements and comfort. You don’t have any deadline or any scheduled class that you have to attend at a particular time.

Ultimately, going for an online self-paced program is recommended for Pharmacy Techs.

If you’re looking for the best training program for pharmacy techs, we recommend Preppy. It checks all the boxes, and you also get a University Certificate.

Learn More About Preppy’s Pharmacy Technician Certification Program

Additional sources:

  What is a Pharmacy Technician
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How Long Does It Take To Become a Pharmacy Technician
What Does a Pharmacy Technician Do
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