How to Become a Pharmacy Technician in Maine

Becoming a pharmacy technician is a great way to enter the healthcare industry without the headaches that come with many positions.

Pharmacy technicians are vital members of their community and invaluable assets to the pharmacists they work with.

If being a pharmacy technician in Maine sounds like the type of career you’d like to have, this guide can help you make it happen.

Licensing Requirements to Become a Pharmacy Technician in Maine

Maine does require its pharmacy technicians to register for a license through the Maine Board of Pharmacy.

The state does not require any certification, although being certified through the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board can provide additional career opportunities.

5 Pharmacy Technician Schools in Maine

Unfortunately, Maine doesn’t boast many pharmacy technician schools in-state, and some that were there have recently closed.

However, you still have a couple of local options provided by several organizations, as well as online options that many Maine students take advantage of.

Below are a few options to get you started.

1. Southern Maine Community College

Southern Maine Community College offers an Online Pharmacy Technician Training program that lasts 16 weeks.

The cost of the training is $2,100, which includes the required books.

If you choose this program, you’ll need to be able to start within two weeks of enrollment, and it’s vital that you do

not miss any lectures or webinars that an instructor schedules.

SMCC does often have grants available to help fund these program costs for qualifying individuals, so ask about this option before applying.

2. Academy of Medical Professions

The Academy of Medical Professionals offers a Pharmacy Technician program that is very popular.

It requires as little as 14 weeks to complete, but you keep access to it for a year, which gives you extra time to study if you choose to get certified.

You have three different options for paying for the course.

The first is through a one-time payment of $2,050.

The second is to get a $2,050 voucher from various sponsor options, like the Department of Labor, VA, or MYCCA.

The third is through a payment plan, in which you’ll pay $500 and then $300 per month until you’ve paid a total of $2,250.

The costs mentioned here include books, materials, and even the cost of the certification exam.

3. Ultimate Medical Academy

Though Ultimate Medical Academy or UMA is based in Florida, students from around the country appreciate the flexibility of their online Pharmacy Technician associate’s degree program.

It includes 61.5 credit hours that take about 18 months to complete.

The program costs $475 per credit hour or $29,212.50.

As it is a credit hour program, you can receive financial aid for this program.

Additionally, UMA offers its own assistance programs and even a laptop for those that qualify.

4. Ashworth College

If the idea of a self-paced online course sounds perfect to you, Ashworth College might be right for you.

It’s broken down into five in-depth lessons after an orientation.

As it’s self-paced, you can finish it in less than a year, but you have a full year to access and complete the course.

As with other non-credit hour programs, most traditional financial aid will not pay for this program.

It costs $1,299 total if you choose to make a $69 monthly payment.

However, you can pay the full tuition upfront for a reduced price of $1,099.

5. Penn Foster

Penn Foster is another flexible online program that students in Maine and across the country benefit from.

It includes a total of 13 courses, which adds up to 66.7 Continuing Education Units.

You can complete it in as little as 11 months, but it can take up to 17 months if you need to.

Unfortunately, as it is not a credit hour program, traditional financial aid does not typically cover the costs.

However, Penn Foster does have several payment options to help.

You can make a payment of $899 to cover the full cost.

You can also pay $1 at enrollment and $59 per month for a total of $1,099, but you’ll need an automatic payment method.

You can also pay $39 at enrollment and then $59 per month for a total of $1,199 if you prefer to pay by check or money order.

Pharmacy Technician Schools in Maine – Summary Table

Pharmacy Technician Salary in Maine

Pharmacy technicians in Maine usually make between $32,351 and $40,032 per year, though $35,877 is the average.