Pharmacy Technician Certification

Why Become Certified

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

Having your pharmacy technician certification means that you have passed the certification test given by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board and have the basic knowledge to begin working as a pharmacy technician.

Surprisingly, right now only a few states require you to be certified, but that list is growing as pharmacists depend more on technicians for support.

More and more employers are requiring certification. You will find that most pharmacy technician job postings state that they want candidates who are either already certified or are currently enrolled in a pharmacy technician training program.

Certification Requirements

Certification is easy. You must have a high school diploma, GED or foreign equivalent, and you must not have been convicted of a drug-related felony in the past five years.

After that, you simply have to pass the pharmacy technician certification test administered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board.

In order to keep your pharmacy technician certification status, you must complete 20 hours of continuing education every two years. At least one of those hours must be in pharmacy law.

Pharmacy Technician Test

The pharmacy technician certification test is administered on a computer and consists of 100 multiple choice questions. A score of 75 or higher is considered a passing grade.

The exam covers the following areas:

• Assisting pharmacists in serving patients
• Maintaining medication and inventory control systems
• Participating in the administration and management of pharmacy practice
• Pharmacy calculations

The test is given in virtually every state, up to four times per year. There is a registration fee, which must be paid by the application deadline.

You will receive your official score by mail within three weeks. If you do not pass, you may take the exam as many times as needed until you earn a passing score. The exam fee is required each time you take the exam.

Once you have passed the exam, you will have earned the designation of Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).

Practice exams are available online at www.catglobal.com.