Learn everything there is to know about being a pharmacy technician and working alongside registered pharmacists.
Whether you want to work in a clinic, a laboratory, a hospital, or a local drug store, there are a variety of training programs available in New Mexico.
Decide where you want to go to school to train to become a pharmacy tech while living in NM with this career guide.
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Licensing Requirements to Become a Pharmacy Technician in New Mexico
In New Mexico, the legal requirements for pharmacy technicians vary from other states.
For starters, a pharmacy technician can be certified as depicted by “CPhT” or non-certified.
Either way, all pharmacist techs must register with the Board of Pharmacy.
If you are non-certified, you must prove you have worked in the field as a pharmacy technician for a minimum number of hours.
However, you cannot work as a technician in New Mexico before you are registered in this state.
Registration for pharmacy technicians expires every two years and must be renewed.
Twenty hours of continuing education must be completed in order to renew a license as a pharmacy technician.
5 Pharmacy Technician Schools in New Mexico
Pima Medical Institute
Pima Medical Institute has a pharmacy technician certificate program that is a nine-month course.
This program is delivered in a hybrid format and leads to a certificate.
The cost of tuition is not disclosed with this program or school.
Students train to prepare to sit for a board exam on the national level.
The University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy
At The University of New Mexico’s College of Pharmacy located in Albuquerque, NM, students can train as pharmacist clinicians.
This is the same job as a pharmacy tech but with a different title.
In fact, once students complete the program they are required to apply for licensing as a New Mexico pharmacist.
This includes 60 hours of physical assessment, as well as 150 contact hours with 300 patients under supervision.
Pharmacist clinician certification is a pathway for advanced practice pharmacists in the department.
Typically those working toward a Doctor of Pharmacy will be eligible to apply to the program.
The cost for tuition is approximately $21,000 plus fees per academic year.
Carrington College
Carrington College has several campuses nationwide including the Albuquerque location in New Mexico.
This school has a pharmacy technology training program that is a nine-month-long course.
The program covers everything students need to know to be eligible for pharmacy technician certification and licensing in New Mexico.
The cost is not published on the program site.
New Mexico Pharmacists Association
The New Mexico Pharmacists Association provides students interested in working as a pharmacy tech with training materials.
This includes the 13th Edition Pharmacy Certified Technician Training Manual, as well as the 4th Edition Pharmacy Certified Technician Calculations Workbook.
These materials can be purchased for those interested in working as a pharmacy technician.
To do so, contact the New Mexico Pharmacists Association to join the MNPHA.
Central New Mexico Community College
The Central New Mexico Community College (CNMCC) has a pharmacy technician program that is one of the most comprehensive in the state.
Students earn an associate of applied science (AAS) degree.
This includes a pharmacy technician entry-level certificate of completion.
The AAS program is two years in length, while the certificate program is only four terms.
Students can start the entry-level pharmacy tech program in the spring and fall at the Westside campus location.
This includes 45 credit hours of training for completion of the certificate.
Tuition is $63 per credit hour or $756 for 12 to 18 credit hours.
Pharmacy Technician Schools in New Mexico
Top 5 Schools in New Mexico
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Pima Medical Institute | 4400 Cutler Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110 |
| The University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy | 2502 Marble Ave, Albuquerque, NM 87106 |
| Carrington College | 1001 Menaul Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87107 |
| New Mexico Pharmacists Association | 2716 San Pedro Dr NE Ste C, Albuquerque, NM 87110 |
| Central New Mexico Community College | 900 University Blvd SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106 |
Pharmacy Technician Salary in New Mexico
For a pharmacy technician working in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the salary, on average, is $34,900 a year.
This is based on a range from $28,404 to $42,542. Compare this to the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico where the annual salary is a median of $58,856 and you could earn up to $84,733.
Here the lowest salary earners are making $34,033, which is at the midrange for those pharmacy techs working nearby Albuquerque.
Location does make quite a difference in the amount of money a pharmacy technician makes in New Mexico.
Annual Salary Range:Average Salary of Pharmacy Technicians in New Mexico
| City Name | Salary |
|---|---|
| Albuquerque | $34,900 |
| Las Cruces | $31,700 |
| Santa Fe | $35,200 |
| Rio Rancho | $34,800 |
| Roswell | $32,700 |
| Farmington | $34,500 |
| Alamogordo | $33,200 |
| Clovis | $33,600 |
| Hobbs | $33,300 |
| Carlsbad | $32,700 |
Regional Salary in New Mexico
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque, NM | 1,520 | $43,440 | $20.88 | $54,540 | $34,890 |
| Farmington, NM | 120 | $43,570 | $20.95 | $53,560 | $34,250 |
| Las Cruces, NM | 200 | $40,840 | $19.64 | $51,010 | $32,120 |
| Santa Fe, NM | 190 | $45,040 | $21.66 | $55,100 | $36,780 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do pharmacy technicians in New Mexico have to report to any agency?
Yes, the pharmacy technicians in New Mexico must report to the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department Board of Pharmacy’s Boards and Commissions Division.
They do not regulate pharmacists but provide professional licensing for applicable pharmacy technicians.
What happens if I have a current license in NM but have trained in another state?
If you have trained as a pharmacy technician in a different state and were certified and licensed, this licensure is not applicable in NM.
According to the Board of Pharmacy in New Mexico, “If you do not have current licensure in New Mexico, you will have to re-train in order to work as a pharmacy technician.”
This is available through the technician training sponsorship program.
What is the difference between a pharmacy tech certificate and pharmacy tech training in NM?
The state notes these are different, and you must complete pharmacy technician training to receive a pharmacy tech certificate.
Both are required to be licensed by the Board of Pharmacy in New Mexico.
