LSC-O Pharmacy Technology Program Ranked Top 10 in Texas

June 21, 2018


Recognized for consistently nurturing the academic and career goals of our students, Lamar State College – Orange’s Pharmacy Technology Program has been selected as one of the Top 10 Pharmacy Technician Schools in Texas.

In narrowing down the list, the Pharmacy Technician Guide considered schools' tuition, graduation rates, and student-to-faculty ratio as well as whether the program is accredited by the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists.

Thera Celestine, Program Director for Pharmacy Technology at LSC-O, said when her students complete the program, they have an 85% pass rate for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam and a 90% employment rate.

“I’m proud to be part of a program that fully prepares our students to successfully enter the workforce. We know that our success is based on their success,” she said.

Dabeyva Tant is one of those students who proves the effectiveness of the program. Tant, 28, graduated from LSC-O in 2015 and after passing her certification exam was hired by the pharmacy where she completed her internship. She said she enjoyed the “homey” atmosphere on campus, the affordability of the program, and knowing that her instructors were caring and flexible.

“I really feel like I learned everything I need to know,” Tant said. “The transition from school to work was easy.”

Joseline Mendoza, a 2014 LSC-O graduate, said her experience in the Pharmacy Technology program greatly benefitted her journey to become a pharmacist.

“The pharmacy world is very small so the people I met in my clinicals and internships have helped me get accepted into pharmacy school,” she said. “Being a pharmacy technician first means I know the ins and outs of the pharmacy from both the retail and hospital side.”

According to the ranking, Lamar State College – Orange’s Pharmacy Technology Program is “short and effective” and “will help you gain knowledge in pharmacy law, pharmaceutical math, pharmacy third party payment, community pharmacy practice, compounding sterile preparations and aseptic technique.”

The Pharmacy Technician Guide also noted that the faculty of Lamar State College – Orange’s Pharmacy Technology Program has received the LSC-O Teaching Excellence Award twice.

The two-semester certificate program started at LSC-O in 1997 and students experience classroom lecture, a hands-on laboratory, and clinical hours in local pharmacies. The program also accepts dual enrolled high school students, allowing them to complete much of the program while still in high school.

The starting salary for a Pharmacy Technician is more than $33,000.

Learn more about Lamar State College – Orange’s Pharmacy Technology program.

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