You may be surprised to know that you can study for a career as a pharmacy technician online with a two year associate’s degree. So for those of you who have work or family commitments and can’t afford to go to college on-campus, don’t despair! You can earn your degree online and guarantee yourself a bright future as a pharmacy technician. After all, professionals predict that career opportunities will increase by 25% in the next decade, due to the increased health care needs of the baby boomer population.

It is paramount to do your research before embarking in an online course. You need to ensure that the program you are considering abides by state pharmacy requirements. You can find this information at the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) website. Also, make sure you are enrolling at an accredited school – otherwise your degree will not hold as much weight in the real world and will make it more difficult for you to transfer credits if you wish to go back for a higher degree in the future.

There are many benefits of going to an online school compared to a traditional brick and mortar college. You needn’t worry about traveling to school and you have the flexibility to work at your own pace. It is also considerably cheaper to attend an online school instead of a traditional college. In some ways you are also able to establish a better bond with your professor since you will have direct email and telephone access. There is also the possibility of interning throughout your degree. This will give you hands-on experience in the real world under the guidance of a certified pharmacist, either in a pharmacy or hospital setting.

Once you have successfully completed your online courses with passing grades, you will be qualified to take the certification exam. Once you have passed this, you must complete twenty hours of continuing education to recertify every two years.