The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board exists to ensure that pharmacy technicians across the country are suitably qualified to carry out their tasks in the best interests of the people that they serve. The point of certification in this line of work is to ensure that a high standard is maintained within the profession and that everyone’s safety is kept in mind.
How The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board Serves Pharmacy Technicians
Pharmacy technicians are trained professionals who aim to assist pharmacists in the dispensing of medication. The pharmacist is legally responsible for all of the actions of the pharmacy technician. In order to ensure that the pharmacist receives the best level of assistance possible, the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board exists to ensure that a high standard is maintained within the profession. This is for the sake of the patients receiving the medication above all else. The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board offers a number of services to pharmacy technicians which they can use in their daily lives:
State Associates
In order to ensure that as many pharmacy technicians as possible are made aware of the certification process and that as many pharmacy assistants as possible are given the opportunity to become certified, the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board has teamed up with a number of pharmacy assistant associations, including the following:
- Alabama Pharmacy Association
- Alabama Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- Alaska Pharmacists Association
- Arizona Pharmacy Foundation
- California Pharmacists Association
- California Society of Health-system Pharmacists
- Colorado Pharmacists Society
- Connecticut Pharmacists Association
- Connecticut Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- Delaware Pharmacists Society
- Delaware Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- Florida Pharmacy Association
- Florida Society of Health-system Pharmacists
- Georgia Pharmacy Association
- Georgia Society of Health-system Pharmacists
- Hawaii Pharmacists Association
- Idaho State Pharmacy Association
- Idaho Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists
- Illinois Pharmacy Association
- Indiana Pharmacists Alliance
- Iowa Pharmacy Association
- Kansas Council of Health-System Pharmacists
- Kansas Pharmacists Foundation
- Kentucky Pharmacists Association
- Kentucky Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- Louisiana Pharmacists Association
- Louisiana Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- Maryland Pharmacists Association
- Maryland Society of Health System Pharmacists
- Massachusetts Pharmacists Association
- Massachusetts Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- Michigan Pharmacists Association
- Minnesota Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- Mississippi Pharmacists Association
- Mississippi Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- Missouri Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- Montana Pharmacy Association
- Nebraska Pharmacists Association
- Nevada Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- New Hampshire Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- New Jersey Pharmacists Association
- New Jersey Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- New Mexico Pharmacists Association
- New Mexico Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- New York State Council of Health-System Pharmacists
- North Carolina Association of Pharmacists
- North Dakota Pharmacists Association
- Ohio Pharmacists Association
- Ohio Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- Oklahoma Pharmacists Association
- Oklahoma Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- Oregon Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association
- Pennsylvania Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- South Carolina Pharmacy Association
- South Carolina Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- Tennessee Pharmacists Association
- Texas Pharmacy Association
- Texas Society of Health-system Pharmacists
- Utah Pharmacists Association
- Virginia Pharmacists Association
- Virginia Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- Washington State Pharmacy Association
- West Virginia Pharmacists Association
- West Virginia Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin
- Wyoming Pharmacists Association
- Wyoming Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Certification
About The Exam
The certification exam comes in three parts:
- Assisting the Pharmacist in Serving Patients, which makes up 66% of the exam
- Maintaining Medication and Inventory Control System, which makes up 22% of the exam
- Participating in the Administration and Management of Pharmacy Practice, which makes up 12% of the exam
In total the exam will be 2 hours long. The first 5 minutes of the exam comprises of a tutorial that you must complete before writing the exam. Following the tutorial you will need to answer 90 multiple choice questions in 110 minutes. It is important to note that 10 of those questions will not count towards your final score. This is because they are new questions being piloted for their suitability in future tests. However these questions are randomly distributed throughout the test, so you will not know which of the questions will count towards your final score and which will not. You will not be penalized for guessing, so it is important that you attempt all questions to the best of your ability. The final five minutes of the test consists of an exit survey that you are also required to complete.
The tutorial that you complete before completing the exam is there to give you an idea of what the test will look and feel like. However, if you would like to prepare more thoroughly for the exam, there are a number of practice tests that you can buy from the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. These tests will allow you to not only test your knowledge, but also to become comfortable with the online testing system used by Pearson VUE, the body that administers that pharmacy technician certification exam.
Apply
If you want to become certified, you must meet the following requirements:
- You must have a high school diploma or equivalent educational diploma
- You must receive a passing score on the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE)
- You must provide full disclosure of all criminal and State Board of Pharmacy registration or licensure actions
- You must comply with all applicable PTCB Certification policies
- There must not be any record of criminal conduct involving you
- There must not be any evidence of State Board of Pharmacy registration or licensure action against you
- There must be no evidence that you have violated a PTCB Certification policy, including but not limited to the Code of Conduct
In order to apply for certification you must pay a fee of $129. You can only apply online, unless you have special needs or disabilities that make this difficult for you, in which case you will be allowed to apply for a hardcopy of the application form. During the application process you will have to indicate that you have met all of the eligibility requirements. Action will be taken against you if you lie on the form about your eligibility for certification.
Schedule
When it comes time to schedule your examination, you will be given a 90 day period in which you are allowed to do this. If you apply online, your 90 period to schedule your exam begins immediately. You will then own exam appointment directly with PTCB’s test administrator Pearson VUE, either online or by phone at (866) 902-0593. There are a number of exam venues available across the country for you to choose from. Once you have scheduled your exam you will receive an email notification to confirm your appointment within 24 hours. If you want to cancel or reschedule your appointment, there is no additional fee charged, but you must contact Pearson VUE at least 24 hours before the start of the exam to give them fair warning of your cancellation. If you do not, you will be marked as absent from the exam. If you miss an appointment due to your own fault, you will forfeit the exam fee and you will have to pay the fee again in order to set anther date.
On Test Day
On the day of the test you should arrive at least 30 minutes before your appointment. If you arrive 30 or more minutes late for your appointment, you will be deemed to have missed your exam. Things to bring to the venue include:
- An approved form of identification that matches the name on your Authorization to Test (ATT) letter
- Your ATT letter
Your personal belongings, except for comfort aides, are stored in a locker before entering the room. You may not bring your own calculator unless special permission has been granted.
During the exam you must behave in accordance with the Code of Conduct outlined by the PTCB. You will then have the option of completing the tutorial after which your exam will begin. You should answer all questions as there is no penalty for guessing. You will also have the opportunity to write notes about questions that bother you and submit concerns about the test directly to the PTCB, although these will not be addressed during your test.
Becoming certified as a pharmacy technician through the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board is easier than you think. Once you have completed your training the test itself will not be very difficult to complete. In addition there are a number of aides available online as well as from other sources that exist specifically to prepare you for your exam.