Earn Your Way to a Career as a Pharmacy Technician
Cincinnati Children's offers an entry-level American Society of Health-System Pharmacists/Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ASHP/ACPE) accredited technician training program. The education and training is designed to provide individuals with little-to-no pharmacy experience with the knowledge and skills to be a successful pharmacy technician. The training takes about three to four months to complete and begins with online coursework that progresses to simulated activities, followed by hands-on experiential training in one of our pharmacies.
Why Choose a Career as a Pharmacy Technician?
- Pharmacy technicians are in high demand throughout the country - They are the backbone of the pharmacy and serve vital roles in providing meaningful and safe care for our patients. Here at Cincinnati Children's, you have the opportunity to work alongside a variety of healthcare professionals to ensure our pediatric patients' medications are prepared accurately and delivered in a timely manner.
- Continuous career progression - Pharmacy services continue to evolve, leading to role expansion in both technical and clinical aspects for pharmacy technicians. There are multiple career paths available for pharmacy technicians, including retail, hospital, nursing homes, home infusion pharmacies, specialty pharmacies, automation, compounding pharmacies, manufacturing, and more.
- Daily variety - Pharmacy technicians complete a wide array of tasks making each day new and exciting.
- Lifelong skills - Pharmacy technicians learn useful skills that extend beyond the realm of pharmacy and set you up for success in other aspects of your life.
Training Program Outline and Scheduling Requirements
- Weeks 1-8 = Didactic Coursework and Simulations
- Monday – Friday 7:30 am - 4 pm
- Weeks 9-12 = Experiential Training in Pharmacy
- Shift times vary between days and evenings
- One year full-time work commitment following completion of the program
- Shifts vary between days and evenings, every other weekend, rotating holidays, and on-call coverage
- Range of shift times that are required by all participants
- 6 am - 2:30 pm
- 7 am - 3:30 pm
- 7:30 am - 4 pm
- 8 am - 4:30 pm
- 9 am - 5:30 pm
- 10:30 am - 7 pm
- 11 am - 7:30 pm
- 1 pm - 9:30 pm
- 2 pm - 10:30 pm
Minimum Qualifications to Apply
- 18 years of age
- Possess a high school diploma or equivalent
- Full-time commitment of rotating shifts for approximately 1.5 years (40 hours per week)
Additional Expectations (for those accepted into the program)
- Successful Completion of a Pre-Employment Screen
- BCI and FBI Background Checks
- Drug Screen
- Vaccination Requirements - At a minimum, Cincinnati Children's requires MMR, Varicella, Hepatitis B, Pertussis, Influenza, and COVID vaccinations. Also strongly recommended are tetanus, polio, and hepatitis A vaccinations
- Register with the Ohio Board of Pharmacy prior to starting the program
- Requires proof of high school diploma or equivalent
- BCI and FBI background checks
- Government issued photo ID
- $25 Registration Fee
- Physical Capacity
- Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds
- Ability to stand for long periods of time
- Ability to complete 5,000 - 15,000 steps (2 - 8 miles) in a single shift
How Much Does the Program Cost?
The program cost ($1200) is covered by Cincinnati Children's, provided a work commitment of one year is agreed upon by the applicant. The work commitment is full-time and begins after the successful completion of the training program. An open position must be available, as well as offered to the student.
Obtaining certification via the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) is also required to work as a technician at Cincinnati Children’s following the training program. The exam via PTCB costs $130 and one attempt is included in the cost of the program. Subsequent attempts are the responsibility of the technician.
Students are required to enroll as a "Trainee" with the Ohio Board of Pharmacy prior to starting the program and must pay a $25 application fee. In order to apply, students will need their high school diploma or equivalent as well as FBI and BCI background checks, which can be completed at Cincinnati Children's.
Students will be paid $16 per hour throughout the training program.
What to Expect as a Pharmacy Technician?
After successful completion of the training program the trainee is eligible for an open Pharmacy Technician I position at Cincinnati Children's. If a position is available and offered, the trainee would be promoted to a Technician I and required to fulfill a one year, fulltime work commitment which consists of days and evenings, every other weekend, rotating holidays, and on-call coverage. This promotion includes a raise and continued employment is contingent upon obtaining certification through the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB).
As the backbone of our high-functioning pharmacy, our technicians are crucial to our operations and perform a wide range of tasks which include sterile compounding, non-sterile compounding, dosage preparation and repackaging, inventory management, hazardous medication handling, maintenance of pharmacy automation systems, and much more.
How Do I Apply?
Applications are not currently being accepted. The next application for the spring class will open in late February.
We are conducting two-three training programs per year. The start date and the application period for each program is dependent upon the completion of the active training program. We estimate the Spring class to start in May 2025 with the application being open Feb-March.
Who do I contact for more information?
Laura Belles, PharmD | Pharmacy Education Consultant | laura.belles@cchmc.org
Faith Kuschel, CPhT | Pharmacy Education Specialist | faith.kuschel@cchmc.org