In January 1990, there were no Pharmacy Technician (PT) programs in Iowa. To determine the need for a PT program in the Eastern Iowa Community College District, a survey was conducted of 958 pharmacy-related businesses in Iowa and the Quad Cities of Illinois believed to be employing PT's. The survey gathered information on personnel employed; minimum education sought for entry-level PT's; difficulty finding qualified PT's; and projected employee interest in a PT program. Study findings, based on a 55% response rate (N=526, of which 97% were Iowa-based), included the following: (1) 47% of the respondents represented pharmacies in retail stores, 26% stand-alone pharmacies, and 17% hospitals; (2) 76% of the respondents employed only 1 or 2 registered pharmacists; (3) among the 336 respondents employing PT's, 69% employed less than 3; (4) among respondents who employed or would employ PT's, 84% required only a high school diploma for entry-level PT's, though several respondents indicated that the low requirements were due to the lack of a PT program; (5) respondents indicated a total of 237 full-time and 336 part-time openings for PT's from January 1990 through 1992; (6) 197 respondents estimated that at total of 524 employees within their facilities would be interested in enrolling in PT programs; and (7) projections for 110 local PT job openings in 1992 and the interest of 76 employers in a PT program substantiated the need for a PT program at the college. Data tables and the survey instrument are included. (PAA)