Earn a high school diploma, complete the High School Equivalency Program or earn a General Equivalency Diploma. Online community colleges that offer pharmacy technician programs require a high school diploma before enrollment.
Identify those online community colleges and schools that offer distance-learning pharmacy technician programs. Consider only those programs which are accredited by a board approved by the U.S. Department of Education.
Apply to multiple schools of interest to increase your chances of being accepted into a program.
Enroll in the required pharmacy technician courses. Complete all assignments, simulated laboratory projects and papers within the established time frame to remain in good standing. Online courses in pharmacy technician programs are asynchronous (archived), and students must be self-motivated and organized in order to keep up with their courses.
Demonstrate mastery of prescription preparation, pharmacy management operations and billing processing on tests and assessments.
Declare an intent to graduate upon completing all of the certificate's course requirements. This is a necessary bureaucratic step for many institutions before they grant a diploma or certificate.