Everything you need to pass the PTCE.
Foothills is a PTCB-recognized, 100% online program. Our self-paced course maps directly to the four PTCE knowledge domains, uses the same Paradigm Education textbooks as accredited college programs, and prepares you to earn your CPhT — for a one-time $180.
What our program is.
A focused, four-month path from beginner to exam-ready — no campus, no waitlist, no tuition bill.
PTCB-Recognized
Our program meets the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board's educational standards, which qualifies you to sit for the PTCE.
16 weeks, 192 hours
A structured schedule you complete at your own pace, finishing in about four months at roughly 12–15 hours a week.
100% online
Every lesson, flash card, and practice exam lives in your Student Portal — study anywhere, on any device, 24/7.
A complete, exam-aligned syllabus.
Two parallel textbook tracks — Certification Exam Review and Pharmacy Calculations — woven into one schedule that mirrors how the work is actually done behind the counter.
Every chapter includes Watch-and-Learn video lessons, flash cards for terminology and drug names, practice problems, and chapter exams — all in your Student Portal.
What you're preparing for.
The Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam is administered by the PTCB at Pearson VUE testing centers. Here's exactly how it breaks down — and how our curriculum maps to it.
Medications · 35%
Drug names, classifications, side effects, and interactions — the largest domain on the exam (~28 questions).
Patient Safety & QA · 23.75%
Error prevention, quality control, and USP standards (~19 questions).
Order Entry & Processing · 22.5%
Prescription processing, calculations, and insurance billing (~18 questions).
Federal Requirements · 18.75%
DEA regulations, controlled substances, HIPAA, and DSCSA (~15 questions).
Pass the PTCE and you earn the CPhT credential, which renews every two years with 20 hours of continuing education. Exam fees and domain weightings are set by the PTCB — check ptcb.org for current details.
Your $180 enrollment covers the course.
Enrollment unlocks the full instructional program and keeps you on track from day one to exam day.
- ✓Full access to the 16-week, 192-hour online curriculum
- ✓Video lessons, flash cards, practice problems, and chapter exams
- ✓Full-length PTCE and ExCPT practice exams that mirror the real test
- ✓A Student Portal with a countdown, a week-by-week checklist, and progress tracking
- ✓Email support from our instructor throughout the program
- ✓A PTCE prep checklist for when you near the finish line
The two things we don't bundle.
We're upfront about every cost. Two items are bought outside your enrollment:
- ✓Digital textbooks (~$218) — the two required Paradigm Education titles, purchased through our Foothills store at paradigmeducation.com/foothills-pharmacy. Access codes are included with that purchase.
- ✓PTCE exam fee (~$129) — paid directly to the PTCB when you're ready to test. Check ptcb.org for the current fee.
Buying your books through our Foothills store is the simplest path — one purchase gets you the correct edition and the access code that unlocks the course.
About $527 to certification — not thousands.
We believe you should see every number before you enroll. Here is the complete cost of getting certified through Foothills, start to finish.
- ✓$180 — one-time Foothills enrollment (instruction + portal)
- ✓$102 — Pharmacy Calculations for Technicians, 7th Ed. (digital)
- ✓$116 — Certification Exam Review for Pharmacy Technicians, 6th Ed. (digital)
- ✓~$129 — PTCE exam fee, paid to the PTCB
No monthly payments, no surprise fees. Financial aid isn't available because we're not a college — but the total is a fraction of what a college charges.
A community-college program runs $3,000–$15,000 before books. No monthly payments here, no surprise fees.
One portal, everything in it.
After you enroll, you study from your Student Portal on foothillspharmacytech.com. One click on "Open My Course" logs you straight in — no separate username or password to juggle.
- ✓Interactive lessons, e-textbook integration, flash cards, and a gradebook
- ✓Practice exams in the real PTCE format (90 questions, multiple choice)
- ✓Built-in progress tracking and performance analytics
- ✓Available 24/7 from any device — a computer is recommended for exams
Always open your course through the "Open My Course" button in your portal. For technical issues with course content, Kendall Hunt Support is available at help.kendallhunt.com.
What you'll need to start.
No pharmacy experience and no science background required — we teach everything from the ground up. Here's the short list.
A diploma or GED
A high school diploma or equivalent. There's no age limit — students of all ages and backgrounds enroll.
Basic math skills
Comfort with fractions, decimals, percentages, and ratios for the pharmacy calculations section.
A computer & internet
Any modern browser works. Basic computer skills — typing, navigating sites, downloading files — are all you need.
Pharmacy technician registration and licensure rules vary by state. Students outside North Carolina should confirm requirements with their state Board of Pharmacy.
You've seen the whole path. Your seat is $180.
Sixteen weeks, the four PTCE domains, the same books the colleges use — and every cost on the table.
Enroll for $180 →