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New program trains pharmacy technicians in Elgin

Rx Tech Prep will soon offer Elgin area residents a chance at a new career. The Rockford-based pharmacy technician school is expanding to the Chicago region, with classes being offered in Elgin starting Aug. 24.

Rx Tech Prep co-founder Roy Rodriguez serves as the vice president of operations for the program he bills as an accelerated alternative to the more expensive programs offered by other schools.

“There are programs out there that take two years, cost upward of $20,000,” Rodriguez said. “We’ve developed a curriculum that gives the nuts and bolts to pass the exam.”

The program started in Rockford in January and has since graduated five classes of about 90 students — 94 percent of whom have passed the national certification exam administered through the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. Each class is capped at 25 people, with open registration until the class starts or the cap is reached.

The courses last 11 weeks with one four-hour session per week. In Elgin those classes will be held from 8 a.m. to noon and from 6 to 10 p.m. to accommodate multiple schedules, both in a conference room at the Holiday Inn, 495 Airport Road. Courses are taught by licensed pharmacists like Rodriguez’s wife and Rx Tech Prep co-founder Isabella Rodriguez.

Already several of the people who completed the course with Rx Tech Prep have been hired in pharmacies, according to Roy Rodriguez.

“We’re getting people back to work,” Rodriguez said. “That’s the most important thing.”

Rodriguez said the courses are ideal for people looking to get into a new field.

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of pharmacy technicians is expected to increase by 31 percent between 2008 and 2018 — much faster than the average for all occupations.

For more information about course content, locations and how to register, visit rxtechprep.net or call (888) 560-5953.