UPMC Pharmacy Technician Training Program

Pharmacy technicians provide pharmaceutical care to patients within the UPMC Health System by:

• Dispensing, packaging, and labeling medications.
• Distributing medications.
• Compounding nonsterile medications.
• Maintaining a safe, clean, and organized work environment.
• Managing inventory.

In the outpatient setting, pharmacy technicians are also responsible for:

• Processing prescriptions.
• Operating cash registers.

Pharmacy technician duties are carried out under the direct supervision of a pharmacist in compliance with Department of Health, The Joint Commission, and State Board of Pharmacy regulations.

The purpose of the UPMC Pharmacy Technician Training Program is to prepare trainees to competently complete pharmacy technician duties upon graduation. The training program is a one-year commitment.

The one-year commitment includes 2,080 hours of paid training as follows:

• Didactic: 167.4 hours. The didactic learning is carried out through online courses covering the following areas of study: pharmaceutics, anatomy, pharmacy law and regulation, pharmacology, pharmacy calculations, pharmacy operations and services, nonsterile and sterile compounding, community pharmacy technician practice, institutional pharmacy technician practice.
• Simulation: 65.6 hours. Simulated learning provides the opportunity to practice the knowledge gained in didactic learning under the guidance of an instructor in a mock environment.
• Experiential: 168 hours. The experiential learning consists of one eight-hour orientation component and two 80-hour rotations. The orientation experiential component provides the trainee time to complete onboarding tasks, meet and acquaint with colleagues, tour facilities, and learn about the pharmacy technician career field. The primary experiential rotation provides the opportunity to practice skills or specific roles under the guidance of an instructor in a live pharmacy environment. The discovery experiential rotation provides the opportunity to learn new skills or a new role under the guidance of an instructor in a live pharmacy environment.
• On-the-job: 1,679 hours. Roughly nine months of on-the-job training.
• Certification. Upon satisfactory completion of the program, trainees will be eligible to sit for national certification. National certification and state registration may be required based on the state where the pharmacy technician will practice. This information will be provided in the eligibility requirements upon application to the program. More information on national certification exams can be found on the websites of the certifying bodies:
  • Pharmacy Technician Certification Board.
  • National Healthcareer Association.

Opportunities to apply for this program will be listed at UPMC Careers. Internal candidates can apply via the internal Careers website on Infonet. Search for the job title “pharmacy technician trainee.”

Pharmacy technician trainees are subject to all UPMC and program policies. Please contact the program director with questions.

The UPMC pharmacy technician training program does not charge tuition. Trainees are hired as entry-level pharmacy technicians and are paid to learn through didactic, simulated, experiential, and on-the-job training.

There are no trainee expenses related to the training program. Trainees will have expenses related to appropriate work attire, transportation, and other typical necessities of employment.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of pharmacy technicians is projected to grow by 7% from 2023 to 2033, which is faster than the average for all occupations. About 47,400 openings for pharmacy technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Quick Facts: Pharmacy Technicians

• 2024 Median Pay: $43,460 per year
• Typical Entry-Level Education: High school diploma or equivalent
• Work Experience in a Related Occupation: None
• On-the-job Training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
• Number of Jobs, 2023: 463,900
• Job Outlook, 2023-33: 7% (Faster than average)
• Employment Change, 2023-33: 33,300