Pharmacy Technician AAS and AAS-T
This information reflects requirements starting in summer 2022 and may be subject to change. Please contact your adviser for more information regarding the courses. To see which materials are needed for your courses, click this bookstore link (Links to an external site.) and enter the course information.
You also may be interested in the Pharmacy Assistant and Pharmacy Technician Certificate options.
General Overview
As of Spring 2025 we are no longer accepting new students into the Pharmacy Technician AAS and AAS-T program.
How long is the program?
- 6 quarters (22 months) with 95 total credits for the AAS degree
- 6 to 7 quarters (22 to 25 months) with 100 credits for the AAS-T degree
When do classes meet? Online and Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Are summer classes required? Yes
You will develop skills in all areas of pharmacy practice: order entry, pharmaceutical calculations, record keeping, mixing intravenous solutions, and compounding of products to be dispensed. Special emphasis is on product knowledge and learning detailed information regarding drugs. You will complete externships in retail and hospital pharmacies.
This program is recognized by the WA Department of Health and the Washington pharmacy board. You will need to pass the PTCB national certification exam Links to an external site. and apply for a state license Links to an external site. to work as a pharmacy assistant or pharmacy technician in Washington.
What do pharmacy assistants and technicians do?
What is the average salary?
$50,390 annually Links to an external site. for pharmacy technicians in the Seattle-Bellevue-Tacoma area. Most pharmacy technicians in King County earn at least $37,270.
Who can I contact with questions?
- New students, please visit our Zoom lobby (Links to an external site.) to talk with someone by video chat, or e-mail our advising department.
- For current students, please visit RTC's advising page (Links to an external site and look for the faculty counselor assigned to Pharmacy Technician.
Overall Materials Needed:
- Access to a functioning laptop or computer (you may use computers in the RTC Library or Learning Resource Center)
- USB drive (thumb drive)
- Webcam
- Headset with microphone
- Working internet connection
- CastleBranch account Links to an external site.($106)
- Personal health insurance
- General liability and malpractice insurance ($14.62)
- Physical evaluation by physician or nurse practitioner
- Textbooks and software: $400
Minimum GPA or grades to graduate
You need to earn a 2.0 in each class to complete your Pharmacy Technician degree.
Materials Warning
Some materials on this page are listed as TBD, which means that the materials have yet to be determined. Please consult your instructor on what textbooks or materials are required for the class. If you rent a textbook, make sure you return it by the deadline. If you purchase a textbook, you can sell it back to the RTC bookstore -- but make sure that you won't need the book again for classes in the future!
Quarter 1 Classes
Description: You will learn the uses and warnings for 200 commonly prescribed drugs, as well as calculate dosages and fill prescriptions. You also earn your first aid and CPR certification.
It's time to apply for your Pharmacy Assistant certificate! This quarter you will receive the Pharmacy Assistant Certificate.
| Course ID | Course Name | Materials | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| COL 101 | College Success | NO | 2 |
| PHAR 101 | Pharmacy Technician Fundamentals and Ethics | NO | 4 |
| PHAR 103 | Top 200 Drugs I | YES | 3 |
| PHAR 105 | Outpatient Pharmacy Preparations & Record-Keeping I | YES | 5 |
| PHAR 130 | Medical Term/Anatomy & Physiology for Pharm Techs I | NO | 3 |
| PHAR 189 | Pharmacy Pre-Externship | NO | 1 |
| Estimated Tuition and Fees: $2,200 |
|||
Quarter 2 Classes
Description: You will learn the uses, effects, and side effects of the major classes of drugs while improving your skills to compound, count, package, stock, and label medications using proper equipment and techniques. You also learn important laws related to pharmacies.
| Course ID | Course Name | Materials | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHAR 106 | Outpatient Pharmacy Preparations & Record-Keeping II | NO | 4 |
| PHAR 108 | Inpatient & Home Healthcare Phar Prep & Record | NO | 8 |
| PHAR 110 | Pharmacology I | YES | 5 |
| PHAR 131 | Pharmacy Law and References I | NO | 1 |
| Estimated Tuition and Fees: $2,180 | |||
Quarter 3 Classes
Description: You continue your study of pharmacology (effects and side effects of drugs) and learn the anatomy of the rest of the human body. You also practice professional teamwork and communication.
| Course ID | Course Name | Materials | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHAR 104 | Pharmacology II | NO | 5 |
| PHAR 136 | Medical Term/Anatomy & Physiology for Pharm Techs II | NO | 3 |
| PHAR 137 | Pharmacy Law and References II | NO | 2 |
| PHAR 180 | Leadership, Human Relations, and Customer Services | NO | 5 |
| Estimated Tuition and Fees: $1,931 |
|||
Quarter 4 Classes
Description: You learn advanced preparation techniques to mix chemotherapy products and continue your study of the top 200 most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States. You will practice accurate computer skills with the goal of typing 35 words per minute.
If you are earning your AAS-T degree, you may need a math prerequisite class before Quarter 5. AMATH 190 allows you to take MATH& 107 or MATH& 146 when you do not meet any other math placement options.
| Course ID | Course Name | Materials | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHAR 107 | IV Admixture Advanced Techniques | NO | 3 |
| PHAR 109 | Top 200 Drugs II | YES | 3 |
| PHAR 134 | Business Office Machines | NO | 6 |
| Estimated Tuition and Fees: $1,667 |
|||
Quarter 5 Classes
Description: Work for five weeks in a retail pharmacy and then five weeks in a hospital or other pharmacy that uses intravenous admixture training. You will learn job search skills and develop your resume for pharmacy technician jobs.
If you are completing your AAS degree, you will take 17 credits of PHAR classes. For the AAS-T degree, you will take the same 17 credits and also will take a 5-credit General Education class: AMATH 190 if you need a prerequisite for your transfer math class in Quarter 6, or any General Education elective if you have placement directly into MATH&107, 141, or 146.
It's time to apply for your Pharmacy Technician certificate! This quarter you will receive the Pharmacy Technician Certificate.
| Course ID | Course Name | Materials | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHAR 190 | Pharmacy Practice Internship I | TBD | 8 |
| PHAR 191 | Pharmacy Practice Internship II | TBD | 9 |
| for AAS-T students only AMATH 190 or |
Financial Algebra (if a prerequisite is needed) or any General Education class |
YES | (5) |
| Estimated Tuition and Fees: $2,287 for AAS and $2,671 for AAS-T | |||
The PTCB exam fee for Certified Pharmacy Technician is $129.
The fee for the state Pharmacy Technician license is $140.
Quarter 6 Classes for the AAS Degree
Description: All of your classes this quarter are General Education for your degree: 5 credits of communication or humanities, 5 credits of social science, and 5 credits of from any general education area.
It's time to apply for your AAS degree!
| Course ID | Course Name | Materials | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGL& 101 | English Composition or any communication or humanities |
varies by class | 5 |
| PSYC& 100 or ANTH& 235 |
General Psychology or Cross-Cultural Medicine or another social science class |
varies by class | 5 |
| CMST 280 | Intercultural Communication or any General Education class | varies by class | 5 |
| Estimated Tuition and Fees: $1,841 | |||
Pharmacy Assistant AAS Degree Total Estimated Cost: $12,933 plus immunizations and health insurance
Quarter 6 Classes for the AAS-T Degree
Description: Both of your classes this quarter are General Education for your degree: 5 credits of transfer-level math and 5 credits of social science. The classes below are suggestions, not requirements.
| Course ID | Course Name | Materials | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| MATH& 107 or MATH& 146 |
Math in Society or Introduction to Statistics or other transfer math |
YES | 5 |
| PSYC& 100 or ANTH& 235 |
General Psychology or Cross-Cultural Medicine or another social science class |
varies by class | 5 |
| Estimated Tuition and Fees: $1,436 |
|||
Quarter 7 Classes for the AAS-T Degree
Description: Both of your classes this quarter are General Education for your degree: 5 credits of ENGL& 101 (see English placement options), and 5 credits of transferable general education (anything except COMP 100 or AMATH classes). Some recommendations are provided below, but you get to choose!
It's time to apply for your AAS-T degree!
| Course ID | Course Name | Materials | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGL& 101 | English Composition (required) | varies by section | 5 |
| CMST 280 | Intercultural Communication (recommended) or any other General Education class | varies by class | 5 |
| Estimated Tuition and Fees: $1,436 |
|||
Pharmacy Assistant AAS-T Degree Total Estimated Cost: $14,293 plus immunizations and health insurance
Continue your education! You can choose from applied bachelor programs in healthcare.
Not quite the path you want to take? Let's go back to the Program Map!