Earning your Certification through the PTCB and NHCA

The certification exam through the PTCB and NHCA will allow the pharmacy tech to perform their duties in a more effective manner with professional pharmacists, by providing effective and safe patient service and care. Pharmacy technician certification can be achieved through specific requirements such as being 18 years of age, having a high school diploma or equivalent, having no past felonies, no misdemeanors in the past five years and obtaining a passing grade on the technician exam. Both the NHCA and the PTCB exams are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, also referred to as NCCA.

These exams will assess the student’s ability to perform duties in a pharmacy setting and requires the student to apply on either organizations website, in order for the organizations to determine if the applicant meets testing requirements. Should the student meet the requirements they will receive a list of testing sites in their area. The cost for the exam is 130$ and will focus on such areas of the profession as reading and transcribing physician orders, how to prepare insurance claim forms, how to manage a pharmacy’ inventory, establishing and maintaining a patient’s profile, and how to measure, count, weigh and pour medications. The tests will consist of both multiple choice and essay questions, with a total of three hours available to complete the exam.

How to Maintain Certification with Continuing Education

In order to maintain your certification as a pharmacy technician you will need to complete 20 hours of continuing education every two years, which can include re-taking the certification exam.  Some hours of continuing education will need to be devoted to pharmacy law or by completing in-service projects. These projects are work assignments that do not involve the technician’s routine duties in the pharmacy. The tech will need to make arrangements with their pharmacist for this type of CE credit. You can also find free continuing education options online through such organizations as the Council for Pharmacy Education, also referred to as the ACPE.  Home study or online study courses in medication distribution, math, pharmaceutical science, inventory control, pharmacology therapy and biology can be counted as two hours towards your continuing education with each course.

Certificate and Degree Programs for the Pharmacy Technician

The certificate program for the pharmacy tech can be completed in one to two years and will teach students how to fill prescriptions, interact with patients and mix, weigh and measure medications.  Student will also learn how to work closely with pharmacists and how to refer patients to pharmacist consultations, should they have questions regarding their prescription.  Common education requirements prior to enrolling in a certificate program will include being the minimum age of 18 and having a high school diploma or state equivalent.

Courses for this program will include anatomy, physiology, drug absorption, pharmacology ethics and laws, pharmacy procedures, drug interactions, medical terminology and medical transcription. During your enrollment in this program you can participate in an internship program, working and learning under the supervision of a professional pharmacist, gaining valuable field experience. As an intern you will observe the pharmacist at work, assist in counting medications and take inventory of drugs stored in the pharmacy.

Some colleges and universities will also offer an associate’s degree program for the pharmacy technician which will include a one year internship in a pharmacy setting during the final year of the program. Associate’s degree programs can be more commonly found at online universities for this specific career field. Courses for this program will include drug interactions, adverse effects, medication dispensation, pharmacology basics, anatomy, medication absorption rates, medical terminology, chemistry, biology and medical law and ethics.

Since a pharmacy technician will need to interact with patients and other medical health professionals they will need to have good customer service and communication skills. They will also need to have good spelling, have basic computer skills and be detail oriented.

Earning your Certification in this Field

Pharmacy technician requirements will vary by state so it’s important for the student to know whether they are required to have certification before pursuing employment. Voluntary certification is also available for this field and can be helpful when trying to find employment. The two organizations that offer the pharmacy technician certification are the PTCB, also known as the Pharmacy Technician Certification board and the NHA, or National Health Career Association. In order to be eligible for the certification exam the applicant will need to have their high school diploma and proof of completion from an accredited pharmacy technician certificate program, or two years of work experience in the pharmacology industry.