Short Introduction to Pharmacy Technician CertificationThis page covers national pharmacy technician certification. Also, the PTCB and ICPT, the two organizations who are accredited to test technicians for competency. One of the most important things you can do to improve you marketability is to pass an exam given by a pharmacy technician certifying organization. While some employers prefer to hire already certified technicians, there are technicians that are hired even without formal training or certification. In some cases, the employers shoulder or reimburse the cost of the training and certification of their technicians but under the condition that they obtain certification within a specified period of time. The examination requirements for candidates for Pharmacy Technician certification include high school diploma or GED, have no felony convictions of any type within 5 years of applying and never have had a drug or pharmacy related felony convictions at any time. 
There are many different study-at-home courses, online courses, as well as college courses available for you that will prepare you for taking the certification exam or becoming a technician. When you are considering which course to take, make sure it is accredited. Come back to this page in the future for links to suggested certification preparation courses and materials.
The PTCBThe PTCB is one accrediting organization.The acronym stands for Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. The PTCB is the industry leader in technician certification. They are a pioneer in their approach to certifying techs. So far, the PTCB has certified over 300,000 pharmacy technicians. The name of the exam the PTCB administers is the Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination, or PTCE for short. The PTCE has been endorsed by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP,) the American Society for Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP,) and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA.) The PTCB requires new applicants to sit for the PTCE. These exams take place at central locations all over the US. The cost is currently $129 to sit for the exam. When I took the exam, I thought for sure I had failed. It was very difficult. But later I realized that this fear was common among my colleagues who had already taken the exam. I passed! The exam was grueling. There was a lot of math calculations on the exam, as well as questions requiring you to know brand and generic names of medications. The ICPTThe ICPT is the other accrediting organization for technicians.The acronym stand for the Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians. They are accredited to test technicians in the US as well as Canada. Applicants participate in a computer-based exam administered at located at secure test centers in the US and Canada. You can use their "Find a Test Center" page to find the nearest test location. The exam is called ExCPT. The cost for the ExCPT exam is currently $95. Recertifying...In order to recertify, you need to earn 20 Continuing Education credits every 2 years.While they can be time consuming, they allow you to stay current with new developments in the wide field of pharmacy. You can take whatever courses that you are interested in, with the exception of pharmacy law, which is a required. Top of Pharmacy Technician Certification Page
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