Exam Bulletin - Pharmacy Technician

California Correctional Health Care Services

Multiple Testing Departments. Please see list of Departments.

Exam Code: EX-3107

Examination Plans Included:

  • PHARMACY TECHNICIAN - Open

Final Filing Date: Applications are accepted on a continuous basis.

Bulletin Updates

  • The exam preview section has been updated.

Classification Details

PHARMACY TECHNICIAN: $3,649.00 - $4,573.00 (A) per Month
PHARMACY TECHNICIAN: $4,141.00 - $5,188.00 (P) per Month
PHARMACY TECHNICIAN: $4,141.00 - $5,188.00 (R) per Month
PHARMACY TECHNICIAN: $3,944.00 - $4,938.00 (T) per Month

View the PHARMACY TECHNICIAN classification specification.

Application Instructions

Applications are accepted on a continuous basis.

Who Should Apply:

The information below will help you determine which classification(s) is(are) appropriate for you. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications as stated on this bulletin to compete in this examination.

Open and Open, Non-Promotional Examination(s):

  • PHARMACY TECHNICIAN - Open

For all Classifications, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 3 months:

Exam Code(s):

    3107

For PHARMACY TECHNICIAN, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 3 months:

Exam Code(s):

  • EX-03107

How To Apply:

Submit an Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) to apply for this examination.

Electronic applications can be submitted through your account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov.

Special Testing Arrangements:

If you require assistance or alternative testing arrangements due to a disability, indicate on your application that you need reasonable accommodation. You will be contacted by a representative of the testing department to make the necessary arrangements. If you have not been contacted by the time you receive notification of testing, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

If you are unable to submit your application or complete the test due to a disability, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

Minimum Qualifications

All applicants must meet the education and/or experience requirements as stated on this exam bulletin to be accepted to the examination.

Unless otherwise stated in the Minimum Qualifications, qualifying experience may be combined on a proportionate basis if the requirements stated below include more than one pattern and are distinguished as "Either" 1, "or" 2, "or" 3, etc. For example, applicants possessing qualifying experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 1 and additional experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 2 may be accepted to an examination as meeting 100% of the overall experience requirement.

00107979 - PHARMACY TECHNICIAN

Possession of a valid certificate of registration as a Pharmacy Technician issued by the State Board of Pharmacy set forth in Section 4115 and 4202 of the Business and Professions Code.

Registration requirements shall not apply during the first year of employment for a person employed or utilized as a Pharmacy Technician to assist in the filling of prescriptions for an inmate of a correctional facility of the State Departments of Youth Authority or Corrections, or for a person receiving treatment in a facility operated by the State Department of Veterans Affairs. And

Either I

One year of clerical work experience in a pharmacy relieving a pharmacist of clerical or subprofessional duties. Primary duties must have included stocking shelves with pharmaceutical supplies or typing pharmaceutical labels. [Experience in the California state service applied toward this requirement must be in a class at a level of responsibility not less than that of Office Assistant (General), Range B.] (Academic education above the 12th grade may be substituted for the experience on the basis of one year of education of a science or mathematical nature being equivalent to six months' experience. Students who are enrolled in the last semester or its equivalent of course work which upon completion will fulfill these requirements will be admitted to the examination, but they must submit evidence of completion before they can be considered for appointment.)

Or II
Completion of an academic curriculum and formal on-the-job training program for Pharmacy Technician.

Applicants possessing the required license/certificate at the time of application must show the number, title, and expiration date on their Examination Application (Std. Form 678).

Special Personal Characteristics:  Willingness to recheck one's own work and work within exacting and meticulous guidelines; personal hygiene that is consistent with a medical setting; and normal color vision adequate to successfully perform the job as measured by the Ishihara Pseudo-Chromatic Plate Test or for persons failing the Ishihara, the Farnsworth D-15 Arrangement Test.

State Civil Service Out of Class Experience:  A completion of an “out-of-class (OOC) assignment memorandum”, dated within one year of assignment completion, is required to use OOC experience to meet the minimum qualifications for examination purposes.  Employees may obtain this documentation from their Classification and Pay Analyst or institutional Personnel Liaison.  OOC experience without the required documentation cannot be considered for examination purposes.

Position Description

00107979 - PHARMACY TECHNICIAN

A Pharmacy Technician, under the direct supervision of a pharmacist in a State facility, to perform basic services in a pharmacy and technical pharmaceutically related duties which do not require licensure; and to do other related work. 

Desirables: Education equivalent to completion of the 12th grade.

Positions exist statewide. 

Examination Information

This examination consists of the following component(s):

Component OrderComponent TypeComponent DuePercentage of Final Score
1Online ExamContinuous100%

A final score of 70% must be attained to be placed on the eligible list.

In addition to evaluating the applicant's relative knowledge, skill and ability as demonstrated by quality and breadth of education/experience, emphasis in each test component will be on measuring competitively, relative to job demands, each applicant's:

Knowledge of:

  1. Basic clerical, record keeping, and pharmaceutical office practices;
  2. Basic pharmaceutical terminology;
  3. Weights and measures;
  4. Sterile techniques.
Ability to:
  1. Follow meticulous written and oral instructions;
  2. Read and write English;
  3. Perform mathematical computations with accuracy;
  4. Learn and distinguish subtle differences in pharmaceutical terminology;
  5. Type accurately.

Eligible List Information

A Servicewide Open eligible list for the PHARMACY TECHNICIAN Classification will be established for:

  • State of California

The names of successful competitors will be merged onto the eligible list(s) in order of final score regardless of test date. Eligibility expires 12 months after it is established. Applicants must then retake the examination to reestablish eligibility.

Resulting Eligibility List(s) will be used to fill vacancies throughout the State of California.

Veterans' Preference will be granted for this examination. Veterans' Preference is an assistance program for veterans, veteran widows and widowers, and spouses of 100% disabled veterans who seek employment with the state. Veterans' Preference is also extended to currently serving military members nearing their retirement or separation date.

You are not eligible for Veteran's Preference if you are:

  • A veteran who has been dishonorably discharged or released.
  • A veteran, widow or widower of a veteran, or spouse of a 100 percent disabled veteran who currently has permanent civil service status. (Permanent civil service status is the status of an employee who is lawfully retained in his/her position after completion of the applicable probationary period. This does not include limited term).

Veterans' Preference is codified in Government Code Sections 18973 – 18979.

Veteran status is verified by the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR). Directions to apply for Veterans' Preference are on the Veterans' Preference Application (Std. Form 1093), which is available at www.CalCareers.ca.gov, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Career Credits are not granted for examination(s) administered on an Open basis or a Promotional basis.

Preview the Pharmacy Technician Exam

It is important that you read the instructions and definitions carefully. This is not a timed process.  Using the rating scales provided, you will be asked to rate your experience performing specific job-related tasks. You will be asked how often/frequently you have performed the task, and then, your level of skill in performing the task. Respond to the statements by indicating how the statement applies to you. You are required to respond to every statement by marking one option for both of the two scales provided in order to receive credit for your response.  You may refer to your WORK EXPERIENCE, whether paid or volunteer, your EDUCATION, and/or FORMAL TRAINING COURSES you have completed.

1.  Act on drug recall notices by reviewing purchase orders and removing stock.
2.  Answer telephones to accept and/or to provide information to health care providers.
3.  Assist in the processing of medication returns to ensure that medications are returned to the correct place.
4.  Assist pharmacy personnel to research lost or missing orders to ensure accountability.
5.  Assist a Pharmacist in filling medications accurately.
6.  Check goods received against purchase orders, invoices, and requisitions to post invoices for proper payment.
7.  Check pharmacy shelves and an automated drug delivery system to ensure recalled drugs are removed.
8.  Check the incoming and existing inventory of drugs and supplies to ensure incoming drugs are correct, free from breakage and spoilage and to replenish stock, special orders, and acquire newly prescribed drugs.
9.  Complete trainings to enhance and maintain professional skills, keep up-to-date on modern pharmacy methods, and comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) laws and department/company policies.
10.  Ensure correct medication and quantity is loaded in an automated drug delivery system to maintain quality assurance.
11.  Fill and process medication orders for clients/customers/patients.
12.  Fill medical supplies, carts, and/or dispensing units to ensure that medication and supplies are in stock.
13.  Fill unit dose medications for an automated drug delivery system restock to ensure accuracy.
14.  Maintain inventory of an automated drug delivery system to distribute medication.
15.  Maintain medical waste management (e.g., needles, intravenous solutions, chemotherapy waste) to discard materials safely.
16.  Maintain a pharmacy work area for cleanliness and orderliness.
17.  Maintain records of prepackaged drugs to ensure proper documentation.
18.  Properly discard confidential materials/information.
19.  Order drugs and supplies to maintain adequate inventory.
20.  participated in on-the-job training.
21.  Perform work-area safety and security inspections, general housekeeping, and maintenance of the work area.
22.  Pick up medications and pharmacy materials and supplies for distribution.
23.  Prepare and fill prescriptions utilizing prescription labels, counting trays, pill counters, spatulas, and containers.
24.  Print and review medication labels.
25.  Pull medications from storage to fill prescriptions and replenish shelf medications.
26.  Remove medications from storage (e.g. refrigerators, shelves, cabinets) to fill prescriptions and physician’s orders.
27.  Repackage medication to prepare unit dose, stock cards, and/or prepacked medications.
28.  Review pharmacy stock to remove expired drugs.
29.  Review prescription orders to refill client/customer/patient medications utilizing refill request forms, computers, and fax machines.
30.  Maintain and store pharmaceutical supplies consistent with proper segregation, labeling, quantity, expiration dates, cost management, stock rotation, and drug returns.

Testing Departments

  • California Correctional Health Care Services
  • State of California

Contact Information

Questions regarding this examination should be directed to:

California Correctional Health Care Services
Examination Services Section
PO Box 588500, Personnel D-1
Elk Grove, CA 95758
Phone: (916) 691-5894
CPHCSSelectionServices@cdcr.ca.gov

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice). TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Drug Free Statement

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free State work place. Any applicant for State employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective, because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing civil service, and the special trust placed in public servants.

General Information

Examination and/or Employment Application (STD 678) forms are available at the California Department of Human Resources, local offices of the Employment Development Department, and through your CalCareer Account (www.CalCareers.ca.gov).

If you meet the requirements stated on this examination bulletin, you may take this examination, which is competitive. Possession of the entrance requirements does not assure a place on the eligible list. Your performance in the examination described in this bulletin will be rated against a predetermined job-related rating, and all applicants who pass will be ranked according to their scores.

California Correctional Health Care Services reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the service, if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service laws and rules and all applicants will be notified.

General Qualifications: Applicants must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, the ability to work cooperatively with others, and a state of health consistent with the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class. A medical examination may be required. In open examinations, investigation may be made of employment records and personal history and fingerprinting may be required.

Eligible Lists: Eligible lists established by competitive examination, regardless of date, must be used in the following order: 1) sub-divisional promotional, 2) departmental promotional, 3) multi-departmental promotional, 4) service-wide promotional, 5) departmental open, 6) open. When there are two lists of the same kind, the older must be used first. Eligible lists will expire in one to four years unless otherwise stated on the bulletin.

High School Equivalence: Equivalence to completion of the 12th grade may be demonstrated in any one of the following ways: 1) passing the General Education Development (GED) Test; 2) completion of 12 semester units of college-level work; 3) certification from the State Department of Education, a local school board, or high school authorities that the competitor is considered to have education equivalent to graduation from high school; or 4) for clerical and accounting classes, substitution of business college work in place of high school on a year-for-year basis.

Accepted applicants must provide proof of identification at each in-person test session. Acceptable identification consists of a photo identification card or two forms of signed identification.

Application Methods:
Electronic (Your CalCareer Account)