Certification

Why Seek Pharmacy Technician Certification?

The pharmaceutical industry is in constant pursuit of better medications and advancements in technology. There will always be a need for skilled certified pharmacy technicians who have a desire to stay current on the latest medical innovations.

Having your pharmacy technician certification signals that you have passed the certification test administered by PTCB and have the basic knowledge to begin working as a pharmacy technician. As the practice of pharmacy continues to become increasingly complex, more states are beginning to require certification as a condition of licensure as a pharmacy technician.

Regardless of your state regulations, you will find that more and more employers are also requiring pharmacy technician certification. Most pharmacy technician job postings desire candidates who are either already certified or are currently enrolled in pharmacy technician school.

Pharmacy Technician Certification Requirements

The pre-requisites for taking the pharmacy technician certification exam include the following: 

• Reside in the United States or its territories
• Completion of a high-school diploma, GED, or foreign-equivalent
• Completion of an education/training program recognized by PTCB or equivalent work experience
• No felony or drug-related convictions
• Compliance with all applicable PTCB policies
• Not be under any restrictions from any state board of pharmacy.

After meeting the eligibility qualifications, you are required to pass the pharmacy technician certification exam administered by the PTCB. To keep your pharmacy technician certification status, you must complete 20 hours of continuing education (CE) every two years. At least one of those hours must be in pharmacy law and one hour must be in patient safety.

TPTS technician membership includes unlimited access to PharmacyTechCE which offers more than 30 hours of technician-designated CE to meet requirements for PTCB certification, including pharmacy law and patient safety.

Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam

The pharmacy technician certification exam is administered on a computer and consists of 90 multiple choice questions covering the following knowledge domains and areas:

• Medications (40%)
• Federal Requirements (12.5%)
• Patient Safety and Quality Assurance (26.25%)
• Order Entry and Processing (21.25%)

View the complete PTCE content outline.

There are testing locations around the country. If you want extra practice before you take the pharmacy technician certification exam, practice tests are available for a fee at www.ptcb.org.