Pharmacy Technician (CPHA - Code 042B)
The certificate in Pharmacy Technician is designed to develop professional competencies in the pharmacy work scenario. It is expected that students master the knowledge and skills that will allow them to assist the pharmacist in prescription preparation and in some administrative tasks in the pharmacy.
The certificate in Pharmacy Technician is divided into two years. During the first year, students are prepared in the knowledge and basic skills of the discipline and in the second year they take the internship. Student, under the supervision of an authorized pharmacist, must complete a minimum of 1,000 hours of practice, which is required to take the board examination, as established by the General Regulation of the Pharmacy Board of Puerto Rico. In order to take the board examination, it is required that students have approved the high school Chemistry course (one year).
The courses of the major must be approved with a minimum grade of C. Students will not be permitted to start the internship if they have not approved the major courses: CPHA 130, CPHA 110, CPHA 221, CPHA 220 and CPHA 250.
The Arecibo, Bayamón, Fajardo, Metropolitan and San Germán campuses are authorized to offer this Program.
- Students admitted in or before August 2021 – 48 credits / 1,972.5 hours
- New Students admitted in or after January 2022 - 59 credits / 1,770 hours
Academic Requirements for the Certificate in Pharmacy Technician
First Term
Second Term
Third Term
| CPHA 291 | Internship in Pharmacy Technician I | 17 |
Fourth Term
| CPHA 292 | Internship in Pharmacy Technician II | 17 |
| CPHA 297 | Pharmacy Technician Seminar | 1 |
For students enrolled on or before August 2021, in compliance with the past regulations, (34 CFR 668.8 (1) (1) a minimum number of hours in work outside the classroom will be added to the specified hours. The details of the number of hours and the appropriate tasks for each course are defined in the course syllabus.