how to become a certified pharmacy technician

While certification is not always needed to work as a pharmacy technician, the requirement is becoming more and more common. Even in states that do not have certification requirements, earning yours may advance your career and increase your earning potential.

Pharmacy technician certifications show that you have the needed skills and knowledge to meet job requirements. Certifications show employers, at a glance, that you have the expertise they're looking for.

Earning certification entails studying for and passing a standardized exam from a credentialing board, then maintaining the credential—usually through continuing education.

How to Become a Certified Pharmacy Technician

Demand for pharmacy technicians is growing nationwide. To differentiate yourself—and make yourself potentially more competitive for jobs and increased pay—consider becoming a certified pharmacy technician.

Getting certified involves passing the exam given by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) or the National Healthcareer Association (NHA). This milestone demonstrates that you have the fundamental knowledge to begin working as a pharmacy technician.

You have several options when it comes to the types of certifications you can earn:

Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT):: Granted by the PTCB and NHA, it's designed for entry-level technicians to show their knowledge of medication safety and patient care.
Certified Compounded Sterile Preparation Technician (CSPT):: Granted by the PTCB, this certification demonstrates your expertise in preparing combinations of medications tailored for individual patients.
Advanced Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT-Adv):: Granted by the PTCB, the CPhT-Adv requires at least three years of professional experience plus completed certificate programs or a combination of certificate programs and certifications.

Not all states require pharmacy technicians to be certified, "but there is a growing expectation that you earn a national certification," explains Glen Gard, CPhT, CSPT, director of sterile compounding compliance at the infusion services company Option Care Health.

Why are Pharmacy Technician Requirements Changing?

You might wonder why certification requirements are becoming the industry standard. The trend can be attributed to several factors, Gard says.

On one hand, as healthcare practices and pharmacology become more nuanced and complex, pharmacy technicians need to rise to meet those higher standards.

Secondly, pharmacy technicians are taking on some tasks that formerly were pharmacists' responsibility. For instance, pharmacy technicians in many places can now administer vaccinations. As pharmacy technicians take on more responsibility, certification requirements become more common.

What Does Pharmacy Technician Certification Entail?

Before earning your certification from the PTCB or NHA, you'll need to complete an educational program. Your education options to become a pharmacy technician vary, from a certificate or diploma program to an associate degree or even training provided by an employer. Programs include the basics you'll need on the job—and to pass the certification exam—including medical terminology, math needed for pharmaceutical calculations and measurements, anatomy and physiology, and drug classifications.

After completing an accredited (and therefore certification board-recognized) education program, you'll need to meet these certification requirements:

Have a high school diploma, GED, or foreign equivalent

Have no felony or drug-related convictions

Are not under any restrictions from any state board of pharmacy

To keep your pharmacy technician certification current, you must renew every two years. Renewals require 20 hours of continuing education credits, including at least one hour in pharmacy law.

Certification by State

"There is not a single national certification requirement for pharmacy technicians, but the field is beginning to standardize," Gard explains.

Before deciding on a path for education, training, and certification, research the state where you plan to work. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy has links to pages that detail each state's requirements. Below is a summarized version of the requirements to work as a pharmacy technician in each state.

	Certification Required	Licensing/Registration Required	State Board
Alabama	No	Yes	Alabama Board of Pharmacy
Alaska	No	Yes	Alaska Board of Pharmacy
Arizona	Yes	Yes	Arizona State Board of Pharmacy
Arkansas	No	Yes	Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy
California	No	Yes	California State Board of Pharmacy
Colorado	Yes	Yes	Colorado State Board of Pharmacy
Connecticut	No	Yes	The Connecticut Commission of Pharmacy
Delaware	No	No	Delaware Board of Pharmacy
Florida	No	Yes	Florida Board of Pharmacy
Georgia	No	Yes	Georgia Board of Pharmacy
Hawaii	No	No	Board of Pharmacy
Idaho	Yes	Yes	Idaho State Board of Pharmacy
Illinois	Yes	Yes	Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Pharmacy Division
Indiana	No	Yes	PLA Indiana Board of Pharmacy
Iowa	Yes	Yes	Iowa Board of Pharmacy
Kansas	Yes	Yes	Kansas Board of Pharmacy
Kentucky	No	Yes	Kentucky Board of Pharmacy
Louisiana	Yes	Yes	Louisiana Board of Pharmacy
Maine	No	Yes	Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board of Pharmacy
Maryland	No	Yes	Maryland Board of Pharmacy
Massachusetts	No	Yes	Board of Registration in Pharmacy
Michigan	No	Yes	Michigan Board of Pharmacy
Minnesota	No	Yes	Minnesota Board of Pharmacy
Mississippi	Yes	Yes	Mississippi Board of Pharmacy
Missouri	No	Yes	Missouri Division of Professional Regulation
Montana	Yes	Yes	Montana Board of Pharmacy
Nebraska	No	Yes	Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Licensing Division
Nevada	Yes	Yes	Nevada State Board of Pharmacy
New Hampshire	No	Yes	Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, Board of Pharmacy
New Jersey	No	Yes	New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy
New Mexico	Yes	Yes	New Mexico Regulation & Licensing Department
New York	No	No	Office of the Professions, Pharmacy Division
North Carolina	Yes	Yes	North Carolina Board of Pharmacy
North Dakota	Yes	Yes	North Dakota Board of Pharmacy
Ohio	No	Yes	State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy
Oklahoma	No	Yes	Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy
Oregon	Yes	Yes	Oregon Board of Pharmacy
Pennsylvania	No	No	Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy
Rhode Island	No	Yes	State of Rhode Island Department of Health
South Carolina	No	Yes	South Carolina Board of Pharmacy
South Dakota	Yes	Yes	South Dakota Board of Pharmacy
Tennessee	No	Yes	Tennessee Board of Pharmacy
Texas	Yes	Yes	Texas State Board of Pharmacy
Utah	Yes	Yes	Utah Board of Pharmacy
Vermont	Yes	Yes	Office of Professional Regulation, Pharmacy
Virginia	Yes	Yes	Virginia Board of Pharmacy
Washington	Yes	Yes	Washington State Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission
West Virginia	No	Yes	West Virginia Board of Pharmacy
Wisconsin	No	No	DSPS Pharmacy Examining Board
Wyoming	Yes	Yes	Wyoming State Board of Pharmacy

Certification Exams

Pharmacy technician certification tests are standardized and given on a computer. Two exams for pharmacy technicians are available:

The PTCB Certification Exam

Before taking the PTCB certification exam, you will need to complete a PTCB-approved education or training program, or have at least 500 hours of work experience. The test consists of 90 multiple-choice questions that cover the following areas:

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

You can take the exam in testing locations across the country. The test is offered year-round, so you can take it as soon as you feel prepared.

If you do not pass, you may retake the exam as many times as you need to earn a passing score. You'll need to pay the exam fee ($129) each time you take it.

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

The National Healthcareer Association Certification Test

Aspiring pharmacy technicians can also earn their CPhT designation by passing the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) test. Unlike the PTCB exam, you'll need to complete a pharmacy technician training program or have at least one year of work experience. Some of the topics you'll be tested on within the 100 questions include:

Dosage and calculations
Drug names
Common medications

The exam registration fee is $115. The computer-based exam can be taken online or in person.

Both the PTCB and NHA designations of CPhT must be renewed every two years. Renewal requirements include a fee and completion of at least 20 hours of continuing education credits, including 1 hour of pharmacy law and 1 hour of patient safety.

Note, too, that exams require completion of a recognized education or training program. That is why it is so important to ensure the institution where you study is approved by the certification board.

What are Specialty Certificates?

All the different kinds of certificates for pharmacy technicians can be confusing. After earning your foundational certification—your CPhT—you can go on to acquire specialty certificate.

"If you want to specialize, you can earn specialty certificates, which helps open up opportunities to move into advanced roles," Gard explains.

Specialty certificates are offered through the PTCB. They include:

Medication History Certificate
Technician Product Verification Certificate
Hazardous Drug Management Certificate
Billing and Reimbursement Certificate
Controlled Substances Diversion Prevention Certificate
Immunization Administration Certificate

These niche certificates can pay off—literally. Gard says, "Specializing will increase your salary."

Salary

As you consider different paths in healthcare careers, you'll want to investigate what you can earn. The salary of pharmacy technicians varies. Your pay will be impacted by:

The setting in which you work (hospital, compounding pharmacy, long-term skilled nursing facility, etc.)
Rural vs urban vs suburban location
The state in which you work
Years of experience
Certifications

Careers

If you're just starting your research on how to become a pharmacy technician, you might not realize the diversity of positions within the field. In fact, there are many careers you can pursue as a pharmacy technician.

Your day-to-day work often depends on the setting in which you're employed. A technician in a compounding pharmacy, for example, will spend their time differently than someone in a home infusion services company.

The range of roles is exciting, Gard says, because you can customize your career to your passions. "It's a really rewarding profession," he says. "What you do makes a difference."