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Pharmacy Technician Schools Currently Accepting Applicants in South Carolina
Pharmacy Technician Schools and Programs in South Carolina
Job prospects for Pharmacy Technicians in the state of South Carolina are brilliant. The average annual salary of a Pharmacy Technician in South Carolina is $35,890 per year. The state has 17 schools which provide training programs to would-be pharmacy technicians. From these schools to give you the best educational choices we have ranked the Top 7 Pharmacy Technician Schools in South Carolina. All the schools that made it to our list of ranking are ASHP accredited.
7 Best Pharmacy Technician Schools in South Carolina for 2024
(Following is a list of schools offering the best pharmacy technician programs in South Carolina)
#1. Spartanburg Community College - Spartanburg, South Carolina
Spartanburg Community College is a public, comprehensive higher education institution which has an open admission policy. The college keeps evolving its educational policies to keep pace with the rapidly changing economic environment, therefore giving students the most industry relevant education. The college offers a Pharmacy Technician certificate program of 42 weeks where you will learn all the day to day pharmacy operations with a well-planned theoretical as well as practical curriculum in place. The program also prepares you for the PTCB Certification exam.
Accreditation: ASHP
Program Length: 42 weeks for a Certificate program
#2. Central Carolina Technical College - Sumter, South Carolina
Central Carolina Technical College located in Sumter, South Carolina. Its Health Science Center is located at its main campus in Sumter and it boasts of state of art simulation labs, meeting and study rooms and an experienced faculty to give you the best educational experience. The college offers a Certificate program of 33 semester hours for Pharmacy Technician aspirants. With this course you will gain all the relevant knowledge and skills, getting you ready for entry level pharmacy technician jobs.
Accreditation: ASHP
Program Length: 33 semester hours for the Certificate
#3. Greenville Technical College - Greenville, South Carolina
Founded in 1962, Greenville Technical College has six campuses located in Greenville, the Barton Campus being it's main. Affordable quality education, industry relevant coursework, location advantage are some of the reasons Greenville programs are popular in the region. The ASHP accredited pharmacy technician program is offered at its Benson Campus with day classes and labs offered weekly. The program includes core courses such as pharmacy law, names of drugs, medical terminology, drug dosage and calculation and a pharmacy clinical.
Accreditation: ASHP
Program Length:52 credit hours for the Diploma and 24 credit hours for the Certificate
#4. Piedmont Technical College - Greenwood, South Carolina
Founded in 1966, Piedmont Technical College, a comprehensive two-year college, has received state and regional recognition for its distance learning program. Its main site, Lex Walters Campus is located in Greenwood. Piedmont offers two credentials in Pharmacy technology, namely; an Associate and a Diploma. The Associate program can be a good choice if you chose to learn more than skills required to become a pharmacy technician. With a placement rate of 86% you can choose to work straight out of the program or transfer your credits and go on to study further.
Accreditation: ASHP
Program Length:76 credit hours for the Associate and 47 credit hours for the Diploma
#5. Midlands Technical College - West Columbia
Midlands Technical College is a comprehensive two-year college having 6 campuses across South Carolina. It enrolls 16,000 students and is one of SC's largest two year colleges, having the largest number of students seeking transfers to the University of South Carolina. The Diploma program in Pharmacy technology is a good blend of classroom, online and lab learning. You will learn filling prescriptions, maintaining patient records, drug calculations, handling controlled substances and IV compounding. The exposure you get out of this program will certainly give you an edge in the competitive job market.
Accreditation: ASHP
Program Length:49 credit hours for the Diploma
#6. Trident Technical College - Charleston, South Carolina
Trident Technical College one of the most affordable educational program in the region. With its experienced faculty giving personalized attention, joining its 15,000 strong student population can give you an opportunity to develop skills and knowledge demanded by employers these days. Trident offers an Associate and Diploma in Pharmacy Technology, which is a combination of classroom instructions and lab learning. Clinical rotation which is an integral part of this program is included in two semesters of the program. The clinical sites which include hospitals, community pharmacies and home-health agencies give you a well-rounded real life experience.
Accreditation: ASHP
Program Length:69 credit hours for the Associate and 46 credit hours for the Diploma
#7. Aiken Technical College - Graniteville
Founded in 1972, Aiken College is a two-year higher education institution creating a skilled and educated workforce for the region. Located in Graniteville, the college offers value added programs with its collaborations and partnerships with industry experts. The program prepares you for a pharmacy technician career with a curriculum teaching technical skills, ethical and legal conduct and effective communication skills, helping you succeed in your chosen. Continuous assessment of student learning is conducted to ensure improvement and student success.
Accreditation: ASHP
Program Length:39 credits for the Certificate
Programs Currently on Hold or Discontinued
Virginia College - Charleston, Columbia, Florence, Greenville & Spartanburg
Virginia is a for-profit private college having 5 campuses in South Carolina. The pharmacy technician program is offered at all its 5 campuses. The Pharmacy technician program offered at Virginia College is a fast paced comprehensive program that teaches you the skills and knowledge you need to work a pharmacy technician in a short duration of 9 months. The compressed learning period will eventually work towards saving costs and help you graduate debt free. Virginia College's experienced faculty, small class sizes, financial aid and placement services can well, make your pharmacy technician career a reality!
Accreditation: ASHP
Program Length:9 months for the Diploma
What are the Requirements to Work as a Pharmacy Technician in South Carolina?
Registration/Licensure | Yes |
Training | Yes |
Certification | Yes |
Pharmacy Technician to Pharmacist Ratio | 3 to 1 |
Continuing Education | Yes |
Certification Maintenance | No |
(source: ptcb.org) |
Education: Training is mandatory; you must complete a state-approved training program before obtaining the license. You require graduating from either a diploma/certificate or associate program and then passing the PTCB exam. Also, you need to put in 1000 hours under the direction of the pharmacist.
Certification: The state of South Carolina requires you be certified to work as a pharmacy tech. PTCB is the Approved certification exam.
Licensure: Pharmacy technicians in South Carolina are regulated. You need to acquire a license from the South Carolina Board of Pharmacy to work as a Pharmacy Technician. License renewal needs to be done prior to June 30th every year. There is a $15 fee to renew your license.
*It is mandatory that you complete 10 hours of continuing education; 4 out of the 10 hours must be lectures, seminars and workshops.
Choosing the Right Pharmacy Technician School in South Carolina
When selecting a pharmacy technician school in South Carolina for formal training, make certain that you select one that is ASHP accredited - American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. In addition, it is necessary for you to decide whether you want to complete a certificate course (9 months training) or an associated degree course (2 years training). The state has 17schools offering certificate courses and 1 school which offers the associate degree course. What's more, fill in the FAFSA for financial assistance for the schooling too.
Average Salary of a Pharmacy Technician in South Carolina
There are currently 7,050 pharmacy technicians employed in SC earning an average salary of $35,890. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reckons that job prospects for pharmacy technicians in SC is fairly good with a 17.94% job expansion between the years 2020- 2030. Annually there are 620 job vacancies that need to be filled.
SGS, Career Staff Rx, Pharmacy Tech, CSI Companies, Greenville Health System, APEX, Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, and Supplemental Health Care provide a multitude of job openings in South Carolina.
Pharmacy Technicians Currently Working in SC | 10 Year Job Growth | Annual Vacancies | Average Starting Salary | Average Annual Salary | ||
2020 | 2030 | % Growth | ||||
7,050 | 6,520 | 7,690 | 17.94% | 620 | $28,420 | $35,890 |
Pharmacy Technician Related Organizations in South Carolina
South Carolina Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation - Board of Pharmacy: South Carolina requires you to obtain a pharmacy technician license in order to work as a pharmacy technician in the state. You are required to apply to the South Carolina Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation Board of Pharmacy, which is a regulatory authority that regulates pharmacies and issues licenses and permits
South Carolina Pharmacy Association: South Carolina Pharmacy Association has been around for 140 years, lending professional support to member of the pharmaceutical field. Its members include pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, students and retired pharmacy professionals. A membership into this association will provide you a systematic platform where you can voice your opinions, network with other pharmacy practitioners and upgrade your skills and knowledge by attending events and learning programs.
South Carolina Society of Health-System Pharmacists: South Carolina Society of Health-System Pharmacists is a resourceful association which promotes public health and patient safety by enhancing the role of pharmacy professionals, providing continuing education, learning resources and networking opportunities. Being a member will help you grow professionally in the field of pharmacy.
View Complete List of Pharmacy Technician Schools in South Carolina
School Name | Location | Type | ASHP Accreditation | Program Link | |
1 | Aiken Technical College | Graniteville | Public | Yes | Visit |
2 | Central Carolina Technical College | Sumter | Public | Yes | Visit |
3 | Greenville Technical College | Greenville | Public | Yes | Visit |
4 | Horry-Georgetown Technical College | Conway | Public | Yes | |
5 | Midlands Technical College | West Columbia | Public | Yes | Visit |
6 | Miller-Motte Technical College-Charleston | Charleston | Private for-profit | No | Visit |
7 | Miller-Motte Technical College-Conway | Conway | Private for-profit | No | |
8 | Piedmont Technical College | Greenwood | Public | Yes | Visit |
9 | Remington College-Columbia Campus | Columbia | Private not-for-profit | Yes | Visit |
10 | Spartanburg Community College | Spartanburg | Public | Yes | Visit |
11 | Tri-County Technical College | Pendleton | Public | Yes | Visit |
12 | Trident Technical College | Charleston | Public | Yes | Visit |
13 | Virginia College - Columbia | Columbia | Private for-profit | Yes | |
14 | Virginia College - Florence | Florence | Private for-profit | Yes | |
15 | Virginia College - Greenville | Greenville | Private for-profit | Yes | |
16 | Virginia College - North Charleston | North Charleston | Private for-profit | Yes | |
17 | Virginia College - Spartanburg | Spartanburg | Private for-profit | Yes |
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