Become a Pharmacy Technician Course

Editorial Take

Steven Pettit’s 'Become a Pharmacy Technician' course is a targeted, high-efficiency prep resource for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam. Designed for intermediate learners, it distills essential knowledge into under five hours of focused video instruction.

Standout Strengths

• Expert-Led Instruction: Dr. Steven Pettit brings real-world pharmacy experience as a licensed Pharm.D., ensuring clinical accuracy and relevance. His explanations reflect practical insights from actual pharmacy settings, not just textbook theory.
• PTCB-Aligned Curriculum: The syllabus mirrors the PTCB exam blueprint, covering high-yield topics like sig codes, medication names, and pharmacy law. This alignment makes it a strategic review tool for test-takers.
• Clear Focus on Sig Codes: The section on pharmacy abbreviations is exceptionally well-organized, helping students decode common prescriptions quickly. Mastery of these codes is critical for both the exam and daily pharmacy work.
• Effective Pharmacy Math Review: The 1h 48m math module breaks down calculations into manageable steps, including dosage conversions and IV flow rates. It’s concise but sufficient for reinforcing foundational skills needed on the job.
• Realistic Time Investment: At under five hours, the course respects learners’ time while delivering comprehensive coverage. It’s ideal for those balancing study with work or other commitments.
• Updated Exam Content: The inclusion of a dedicated 'PTCB Updated Exam' section shows responsiveness to changes in certification standards. This ensures learners are studying current, relevant material.

Honest Limitations

• Limited Beginner Support: The course assumes prior familiarity with basic pharmacy concepts. Complete novices may struggle without supplemental reading or foundational coursework beforehand.
• No Interactive Quizzes: Despite its exam prep focus, the course lacks built-in assessments or practice questions. Learners must seek external resources to test their knowledge.
• Few Downloadable Materials: There are no PDFs, flashcards, or study guides provided. This reduces offline review options and limits active learning strategies for some students.
• Narrow Scope: While excellent for exam prep, the course doesn’t cover soft skills like customer service or inventory management, which are important in real pharmacy roles.

How to Get the Most Out of It

• Study cadence: Complete one module per day to allow time for repetition and note review. Avoid cramming to improve long-term retention of abbreviations and math formulas.
• Parallel project: Create a personal abbreviation dictionary while watching the lectures. This active note-taking method reinforces memory and builds a useful reference tool.
• Note-taking: Pause videos during math examples to solve problems independently before seeing the solution. This builds confidence and identifies knowledge gaps.
• Community: Join pharmacy tech forums or Facebook groups to discuss concepts from the course. Peer interaction can clarify confusing topics and provide moral support.
• Practice: Supplement with free online PTCB quizzes to apply what you’ve learned. Repetition under timed conditions improves test readiness.
• Consistency: Study at the same time each day to build a routine. Even 30 minutes daily leads to completion in under a week, maintaining momentum.

Supplementary Resources

• Book: Pair this course with 'Mosby’s Pharmacy Technician' textbook for deeper explanations and practice problems. It complements the video content well.
• Tool: Use free flashcard apps like Anki to memorize brand-generic drug pairs covered in the course. Spaced repetition boosts recall significantly.
• Follow-up: After completion, enroll in a hands-on externship or lab course to gain practical experience. This bridges the gap between theory and practice.
• Reference: Keep the FDA’s Orange Book handy to verify generic equivalents discussed in the course. It’s a vital tool for real pharmacy work.

Common Pitfalls

• Pitfall: Skipping the math section due to anxiety. Many learners avoid calculations, but consistent practice using the course’s examples builds competence quickly.
• Pitfall: Relying solely on this course for certification prep. It’s a review guide, not a full curriculum. Combine it with other resources for best results.
• Pitfall: Passive watching without note-taking. Engaging actively with the material through summaries and self-testing dramatically improves retention and application.

Time & Money ROI

• Time: At under five hours, the course offers exceptional time efficiency. Most learners can complete it in a weekend while balancing other responsibilities.
• Cost-to-value: Though priced, the course delivers expert instruction at a fraction of live training costs. Its focused nature maximizes return on study time.
• Certificate: The completion certificate adds value to resumes, especially when paired with externship experience. It signals initiative to potential employers.
• Alternative: Free YouTube content lacks the structure and expertise of this course. The small investment here saves time and increases exam success odds.

Editorial Verdict

This course stands out as one of the most efficient and expert-led PTCB prep resources available on Udemy. Dr. Steven Pettit’s clinical background ensures that every concept taught is not only exam-relevant but also applicable in real pharmacy environments. The structured modules—especially the in-depth pharmacy math and abbreviations sections—deliver high-yield content without fluff. While it doesn’t replace hands-on training, it serves as an excellent final review or confidence booster before exam day.

However, learners should be aware of its limitations: no interactive quizzes, minimal downloadable materials, and an assumption of prior knowledge. These factors make it less suitable for absolute beginners. For intermediate students preparing for certification, though, it offers exceptional value. When paired with external practice tests and active study methods, this course can significantly improve exam performance. We recommend it as a core component of a broader study plan for aspiring pharmacy technicians seeking a concise, expert-reviewed review.