Pharmacy Technician C2 Admissions Guide

Program Duration and Study Mode

• Program days and times may vary, but you should plan to attend classes 4-5 days a Day. Classes are generally between 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Clinical rotation days and times. Most clinicals are Monday–Friday between 6:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Some clinical sites offer evening schedules until 11:00 p.m. Please plan accordingly to ensure you have proper transportation.

On average, approximately 40 students apply for admission each application period. Of these, approximately 35 are typically accepted.

The Pharmacy Technician program is a selective admission program. Prospective applicants should review the HCC Application Requirements, Pharmacy Technician  Program Application Requirements, and Pre-Enrollment Process & Requirements outlined in this guide.

HCC Application Requirements:

Step 1: Apply for Admission to HCC:

New student to HCC: If you are new to college or transferring to HCC, your first step is to become an HCC Eagle by submitting a free admissions application to HCC. Please create a profile and complete a degree-seeking application the applytexas.org site. Upon completing the application, you will receive your acceptance letter and a welcome email that contains your HCC Student ID number and P-number (if assigned). If you have filled out an HCC application at any point or you already have an HCC student ID number, please do not submit another HCC application. Multiple HCC new student applications and/or ID numbers are not allowed.

Returning student to HCC: If you have not been enrolled in HCC for the past 3 semesters, you must re-activate your HCC student account. If you need assistance with this process, please visit: Returning HCC Student | Houston Community College - HCC.

International Students: If you are an international student planning to attend HCC on a status F-1, (DACA, refugee, L visa, H visa, etc.), please visit the international student site.

Veteran students: Please visit the Veteran & Military-Affiliated Student Success (VMASS) site. Download and complete DD Form 214 & SF-180 Form and submit with the application.

Step 2: Apply for Financial Aid (this step is optional):

All students should apply for financial aid immediately after applying for admission to HCC. Filling out a financial aid application is the first step in learning your options to pay for college. HCC accepts financial aid applications throughout the year.

• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at fafsa.gov, School Code: 010422
• Free Application for Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA) at hccs.edu/tasfa.

If you need assistance paying for college, please visit the Financial Aid Page.

Step 3: Complete My Eagle HCC Account Checklist:

Please visit: myeagle.hccs.edu, and sign into the Student System. Review and complete the HCC Policy and On-Boarding Checklist sections. To avoid delays in the processing of your application, please complete all To-Do List items.

Career Interest Assessment: All first-time HCC students must complete this module.

Meningitis Vaccine – Future and returning students who are under the age of 22 are required to submit proof of vaccination. For more information on requirements, resources & any religious, medical, or online student exemptions, please visit Meningitis Vaccine.

Submit Official Transcript(s): Please submit your official sealed (unopened) transcript(s) from high school, GED, and any other colleges and/or Universities previously attended. If you have completed your courses at HCC, you do not need to submit an official transcript. We do not accept unofficial copies or official copies that have been opened. There are two ways to submit an official transcript from your high school or previous institution:

Submit Electronically: Have an official PDF transcript electronically sent from approved service providers such as Credentials, Parchment, and National Student Clearinghouse to: admissions@hccs.edu.

Submit by Mail: Please use the address: Houston Community College, Office of Admissions & Records, P.O. Box 667517, Houston, TX 77266-7517
If you have completed coursework outside HCC and need more information on transfer equivalency with HCC, please visit transferring credit page.

All foreign transcripts require evaluation by an approved credential evaluation service, including course-by-course evaluation and US equivalency for earned degree. The official evaluation report must be submitted directly to HCC admissions. The HCC Internal process can take up to 8 weeks for evaluation and transfer of course credits. To find a list of approved evaluation companies, please visit Foreign Transcript/ Foreign Credit Evaluators.

For more information on transcript(s) submission, please visit Transcript(s). It is the responsibility of the student to allow enough time for the evaluation of transcripts; please allow 6-8 weeks for evaluation and transfer of course credits.

To receive Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) credit towards admission to the Pharmacy Technician program, an applicant should not have previously taken or attempted the course (by title), that is the same as the PLA credit for which he/she is applying. Learn more about the PLA.

Texas Success Initiative requirements –If you have the "Texas Success Initiative College Readiness Requirements" Checklist on your To-do List in the Student Center, you have to be placed into core courses one of two ways:
Have an approved exemption (reason) for not taking the Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2.0 (TSIA2); or
Take the Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2.0 (TSIA2)
Please visit the Texas Success Initiative Assessment to learn about your options to complete this requirement.

Pharmacy Technician Program Application Requirements:

Step 4. Meet with HCC Coleman College Representative: 

At least once during the application acceptance period, we strongly recommend that an applicant attend an In-Person/Virtual Program Information Session or meet with an HCC Coleman Advisor via phone or in-person or virtually to ensure they are meeting all of the program admission criteria. View up-to-date in-person hours for Coleman College Student Services.

Step 5. Program Information Session:

Attend the online Program Information Session at Pharmacy Technician | Houston Community College (HCC) | We are Houston's Community College. If you have questions regarding the online delivery of program information sessions, please contact via email: co.pharmacytech@hccs.edu. 

Step 6. Complete Requirements and Submit Program Application:

In addition to the HCC admission application, you must complete and submit a typed Pharmacy Technician program application (handwritten not accepted) via email to co.phraadmit@hccs.edu to Student Services. Please send all the required documents listed below with your program application, and label each attachment with the file name.

• Copy of high school or GED equivalent transcript showing completion.
• Copy of College transcript/s showing completion of the TSI, prerequisite courses, and applicable supporting documents.
  All official high school and college transcripts must be submitted to HCC.
  
  Please refer to the section: Program Application: Academic Course Requirements to learn about prerequisite courses and TSI requirements.          

Placement Test:  All new students enrolling in a Texas Public Institution of Higher Education must take the TSIA2 to determine college readiness unless they qualify for an exemption. Visit TSIA Exemptions for a list of exemptions. If your TSIA scores or transcript do not indicate college-level proficiency in reading, writing, and math, you are required to complete INRW 0420 and one of the specified MATH courses with a minimum grade of 'C' or higher

• INRW 0420 - Integrated Reading and Writing
  &
• MATH 0432P - Basic Mathematics & Contemporary Mathematics OR MATH 0424P - Basic Mathematics & Introduction to Business Mathematics OR
• MATH 0442P - Basic Mathematics & Introduction to Statistics

Prerequisite Courses

All prerequisite courses must be completed with a minimum grade of ‘C’ upon application submission. 

Prerequisite Courses GPA:  A minimum GPA of 2.5 or above is required from the prerequisite courses.

If you would like to determine your eligibility by calculating your cumulative points earned, please use our Admission Rubric form

When the number of eligible applications exceeds program seat availability, selective criteria are used to determine which applicants are offered admission. Selective criteria are awarded based on the following:

• 100% may be awarded based on the health program academic criteria (grades earned from the pre-entry form, required and recommended courses, and general education requirements).
  All application requirements must be satisfied by the close of the application window.

If you are offered admission into the program, then you will be asked to complete the following pre-enrollment requirements by a specific due date to maintain eligible status. 

• Complete and send the Letter of Intent form by the deadline stated in the admission acceptance offer email. The offer and blank intent form will be sent to your submitted email address with the application form.
• Cleared Background Check through Certified Individuals with a positive background must declare to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy (TSBP) pharmacy.texas.gov.
• Complete the mandatory program orientation and student services orientation on the date provided in your admission email.

The requirements below are to be completed before the start of the second semester:

• Proof of personal health insurance: If you need to purchase health insurance please visit the health insurance page for a list of health care insurance providers that HCC has compiled as a courtesy to students who wish to contact a potential provider to meet their personal health insurance Students are advised to contact more than one company and compare offerings.
• Passing drug screen.
• Physical examination.
• Immunization record showing (Monitored By Complio system: houstoncccompliance.com) completion of Hepatitis B immunization series (may take up to 6 months), MMR – 2 shots or titer, Tdap – every 10 years, TB Skin Test –for students start in Fall should complete the test by the 1st week of March of the following year and for students who start in Spring should complete the test by 1st week of November in the same year; Varicella 2 shots or titer, Meningitis (required for students 22 years or younger) and Influenza vaccine should be taken by the 1st week of October.
• CPR (BLS) current certification.
• Active registration status as a Pharmacy Technician Trainee with the Texas State Board of Pharmacy.
  
  

Clinical Requirements for Program Progression & Completion

To provide students with the most robust clinical educational experience and to ensure that students progress and graduate as scheduled, it is highly recommended that applicants weigh all of their options before agreeing to a conditional acceptance into their desired health science program. In order to facilitate this decision-making, students should understand all of the requirements of their program, including clinical education.

To be placed in a clinical educational experience, students must comply with the guidelines and requirements of HCC clinical sites, including health and wellness directives. Most clinical sites require background checks, health testing, drug screens and immunizations, including proof of COVID-19 vaccination. 

Students are required to provide to HCC proof that students meet all clinical requirements, with the exception of their COVID-19 vaccination status.  Consistent with state law, HCC does not mandate the COVID-19 vaccination. Students have the choice to voluntarily disclose or not disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status through their HCC Complio account.

However, most healthcare facilities do require the vaccine as a condition of employment, volunteering, or student clinical placement.  If a student chooses not to disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status or is not vaccinated, HCC may not be able to place the student in clinical rotations.  HCC will work to place such students into a clinical site that does not require the vaccine, provided such a site is available and HCC has an active affiliation agreement in place that meets the necessary conditions to provide an appropriate learning opportunity for the student.  However, HCC cannot guarantee that clinical sites that do not require the COVID vaccine will be available at the time the student requires placement.  At this time, many healthcare facilities are not accepting religious or medical exemptions for the COVID-19 vaccine for clinical students.

If a student chooses not to receive or to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination and no clinical sites are available to accept the student that do not require the COVID-19 vaccination, the student’s progression in the program and graduation will be delayed or stopped all together.  If a student cannot be timely placed in a qualifying clinical site, a student may not be able to complete the program. Our affiliate partners’ expectations are the same for our students as they would be when our students ultimately become employees in their chosen field.

Students with questions about clinical requirements and placement may contact the program director of their program of interest. 

HB 1508 requires the following information to be given to students

If you are applying for admission to a program that prepares an individual for an initial occupational license or certification and/or if you later decide to change to a program that prepares you for an initial occupational license or certification, in accordance with state law, please be advised of the following: 

1. An individual who has been charged or convicted of an offense or who is on probation may not be eligible for issuance of an occupational license or certification upon completion of the educational program.
2. It is the responsibility of the individual to immediately report to the program any change in status that would affect that individual’s eligibility to apply for a license or certification.
3. Local, state, or national licensing and certification authorities may issue additional guidelines related to criminal history. Applicant should contact their respective licensing or certification authority for more details.

Most healthcare programs require all students admitted to the program to submit to a national background check, which may include fingerprinting. Applicants are encouraged to review all applicable eligibility requirements related to the respective occupational license or Certification. Questions related to eligibility requirements should be directed to the individual program and applicable licensing or certification authority.

The Pharmacy Technician  Program requires participation in clinical rotations in order to complete the program. In order to participate in clinical rotations at our affiliate sites, certain background information must be verified. Students participating in clinical rotations must meet the same background verifications as clinical staff at our affiliate sites. For that reason, we require students to submit the following required background information before admission/enrollment in the program is completed: 

1. Social Security Number Verification
2. Criminal Search (7 yrs. or up to 5 criminal searches)
3. Violent Sexual Offender and Predator Registry Search
4. OIG List of Excluded Individuals/Entities
5. GSA List of Parties Excluded from Federal Programs
6. US Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), List of Specially Designated Nationals (SDN)
7. State Exclusive List oig.hhs.texas.gov
8. Driver’s license or government-issued identification 

Please note: Verification of this information is the financial responsibility of the student and must be completed through the program-approved vendor - Complio.

HCC Coleman College Grading Scale

To best prepare students for success in their chosen fields, Health Sciences Programs have high standards for progression. Unlike other HCC programs, the Pharmacy Technician  program requires a C (75%) or better to progress to the next course or semester in the program. For specific questions about grades, grading, and progression within Health Science programs, please contact Coleman College at co.pharmacytech@hccs.edu. 

Pharmacy Technician Program Grading Scale

A = 100 – 90 %
B = 89 – 80 %
C = 79 – 75 %*
D = 74 – 60 %
F = 59 – 0 %

*A grade of C (75%) or better must be achieved to progress to the next course or semester. 

Regulations for Experiential Courses, Registration, Certification and Future Employment as a Pharmacy Technician 

Illicit drug use, negative background checks and lack of proof of immunizations can prevent pharmacy technician students, trainees and pharmacy technicians from participating in HCC Pharmacy Technician experiential courses as well as impact future employment in the field. Externships, employers and state boards of pharmacy have regulations about drug use as well as criminal background and immunization status.

Pharmacy technicians must meet all school and clinical site requirements regarding drug use, background checks and immunizations. Failure to meet these requirements will prevent the student from participation. Likewise, failure to meet employer requirements in regards to drug use, background checks and immunizations may prevent employment of a graduate of the pharmacy technician program.

Tuition is estimated using the Texas resident rates. Out-of-district and out-of-state residents will have higher tuition fees. Please visit the tuition calculator for more information.

Tuition is for core coursework only. General Education and Support courses are not included. These are high estimates; actual costs will vary depending on health insurance coverage.

Due to increases/decreases in books and supplements, please check the bookstore website for updated cost information. Only required books are included in the estimate.

Pharmacy Technician Certificate ll Program Costing Sheet (In-District) 

Pre-Entrance

1st Semester (12 semester hours)

2nd Semester (13 semester hours)

3rd Semester (8 semester hours)

Credential Exam: $129.00
TSBP Registration: $83.00

GRAND TOTAL  $6,697.13

Learn more about the degree plan by visiting the HCC Catalog.

You can use a valid MasterCard, Visa, Discover, or American Express card to pay for tuition and fees. You can also use debit card with Visa or MasterCard logo, but not a non-USA credit card. Online payment via check is also available.
Check or echeck payments have a 10 day hold on release of official transcripts. International students or their parents can also pay online from their country of origin with their local currency, where applicable. Online payment from other countries can be made through “International Fund Transfer” payment option.

Additional Option For Payment

•  Financial Aid - If you need assistance paying for college, please visit the Financial Aid office for assistance.
• Scholarships - In addition to federal and state aid, scholarships are a great way to offset all or part of the cost of your education. Please visit the scholarships page for more information.
• Installment Payment Plan -If you are paying out of pocket and need assistance on how to setup a payment plan, please visit Business Office at HCC for more information.

The purpose of the pharmacy technician program is to train and educate students for entry level employment as a pharmacy technician. A Pharmacy Technician provides technical services that do not require professional judgment regarding the preparation and distribution of drugs. Pharmacy technicians always work under the direct supervision of and are responsible to a licensed pharmacist. All work performed by a pharmacy technician must be verified for accuracy by a licensed pharmacist.

Responsibilities, Duties & Competencies of Pharmacy Technician frequently include:

1. Compounding sterile and non-sterile pharmaceuticals
2. Packaging and re-packaging medications
3. Utilizing and maintaining various types pharmacy technology
4. Performing pharmaceutical calculations
5. Preparing and maintaining prescription orders
6. Distributing and delivering medications
7. Providing great customer service
8. Maintaining patient privacy

The practice of pharmacy is continually changing to meet the needs of society. As a result, the pharmacy technician’s role is also changing. Pharmacy Technicians are being relied upon more & more to perform routine day-to-day functions to free up the pharmacist to spend more time providing clinical support to other healthcare team members. Therefore, educated, highly skilled, and well-trained pharmacy technicians are essential to the successful function of the pharmacy.

Accreditation Agency

The pharmacy technician program is accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). More information on ASHP/ACPE accreditation can be found at the ashp.org accreditation webpage.

Houston Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). More information on SACSCOC can be found at hccs.edu/accreditation/ and sacscoc.org.

Certification Testing

Graduates are eligible to take the National certification examination offered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). To be eligible to sit for the PTCB exam, an applicant must complete a PTCB- Recognized Education/Training program. HCC’s pharmacy technician program is a PTCB- Recognized program. Once initial PTCB certification is obtained, the certified pharmacy technician must obtain 20 hours of pharmacy technician related continuing education credits and apply with PTCB to renew their certification. Visit www.ptcb.org for more detailed information on the pharmacy technician registration process.

The Pharmacy Technician program’s current 3-year statistics for graduate performance on the PTCB exam are listed below:

Texas State Board of Pharmacy (TSBP) Registration

To work as a pharmacy technician in Texas, the pharmacy technician must be registered with the TSBP as a pharmacy technician trainee or pharmacy technician. For an HCC pharmacy technician student to participate in their experiential or clinical education courses they obtain TSBP registration as a pharmacy technician trainee (see page 6). To obtain a TSBP pharmacy technician trainee registration, the student must apply to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy and pay any required fees. The TSBP conducts a detailed background check on the applicant before granting trainee registration. The TSBP pharmacy technician trainee registration expires in 2 years and is not renewable.

Once a student graduates from HCC’s pharmacy technician program and passes their PTCB certification exam, they will be eligible to register with the TSBP as a pharmacy technician. To obtain a TSBP pharmacy technician registration, the student must apply to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy and pay any required fees. The TSBP conducts a detailed background check on the applicant before granting registration. The TSBP pharmacy technician registration must be renewed every 2 years. Renewal requires a renewal application with the TSBP years and the completion of at least 20 hours of pharmacy technician continuing education. For more detailed information on the pharmacy technician and trainee registration, please visit https://www.pharmacy.texas.gov.

Dismissal Policy

Violation of HCC, Coleman College or the Pharmacy Technician policies may result in the dismissal of a student. A pharmacy technician student will be dismissed from the program if they are found to have violated pharmacy technician polices including, but not limited to:

1. Behavior – Professional
2. Confidentiality
3. Injuries & Needle sticks
4. Safety
5. Standards of Practice
6. Academic Dishonesty
7. Weapons

Examples of other types of behavior that may lead to corrective action and/or immediate dismissal from the Pharmacy Program include:

1. Offensive, harassing, abusive, disrespectful, insulting, or vulgar language and/or gestures.
2. Damage, abuse, or theft of HCC, Coleman College, pharmacy technician program, or any clinical affiliate property.
3. Insubordination, including willful negligence or refusal to perform tasks in the manner assigned by instructors, instructional support specialists, preceptors, clinical supervisors, or other authority figures.
4. Time clock violations or excessive tardies and absences.
5. Fighting, threatening violence, or horseplay (which may result in injury)
6. Sleeping or giving the appearance of sleeping.
7. Physical or psychological negligence to faculty, classmates, staff, patients, or guests.
8. Failure to follow instructions and/or policies and procedures which may result in serious consequences.
9. Sexually suggestive behaviors and/or actions.
10. Any possession, use, distribution or abuse of alcohol, un-prescribed drugs, narcotics, or illegal substances on college or clinical property.
11. Not following HCC, Coleman College, or the Pharmacy Technician policies, procedures, guidelines, or regulations.
12. Disregard for established safety practices in the classroom, lab, or clinic settings.
13. Failure to protect self, peers, faculty, staff, and patients from actual or potential physical and health hazards.
14. Failure to disclose any health disorder (physical or psychological) that could potentially interfere with your being able to professionally perform in any academic, laboratory, or clinical setting.

HCC’s student code of conduct can be found here.

Employment Opportunities*

Pharmacy Technician may find employment in a hospital, clinic, home health care, mail order, and retail pharmacies.
In the Houston-Woodlands-SugarLand, TX region, it is expected that the number of available pharmacy technician jobs will increase by 632 jobs between 2020 and 2025 which is an increase of 7% (EMSI, 2020).

Average Salary*

The median wage for Pharmacy Technicians in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX region is $17.07/hr., while the national median wage is $16.32/hr. (EMSI, 2020). Entry-level pharmacy technicians can expect a starting salary between $11 and $16 per hour. Find out the entry-level wages, medium wages, and high wages for each career field in High School or less, Vocational Certificate, Associate's degree, Bachelor's degree, and Graduate degree: Career Coach | Houston Community College (HCC) | We are Houston's  Community College (hccs.edu)

Psychomotor Skills

Cognitive Skills

Sensory Skills

Social-Behavioral Skills