Two full years A regular college environment with normal courses may take up to two years to complete; however, you can follow an accelerated option and complete your pharmacy training through an authorized online school. Traditional college settings with standard courses may take up to two years to complete.
How often do I need to renew my Pharmacy Technician certification?
Certification and Licensure Requirements Necessary to Become a Pharmacy Technician – There are rules concerning pharmacy technicians that have been put into place by many states. These policies may require pharmacy technicians to earn certification or a license in order to work in the state.
When applying for a license to work as a pharmacy technician in certain states, applicants must demonstrate that they have successfully finished an accredited formal education program. In other states, only certain programs that have been pre-approved can be considered.
Before you submit an application to join a program, you need to be sure that you have completed the necessary research on the licensing criteria for your state. The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) and the National Healthcareer Association are the two organizations responsible for administering certification for pharmacy technicians (NHA).
- Both of these programs lead to a certificate known as Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) status;
- A high school diploma or its equivalent, disclosure of any past criminal history, compliance with the organization’s general standards, and successful completion of the certification test are all prerequisites for becoming certified by the PTCB;
The PTCB will begin requiring candidates to either have completed an educational program that is recognized by the PTCB or have a comparable level of work experience (500+ hours) beginning in the year 2020. Candidates for the NHA certification are required to have a full year of work experience if they have not finished an educational program beforehand.
These applicants have identical prerequisites. Every two years, certification needs to be renewed for each of these organizations. Even in places where certification is not necessary, employers would almost always prefer to hire pharmacy technicians who have it since it demonstrates a higher level of professionalism.
Some states require certification for pharmacy technicians in order for them to be licensed.
Do pharmacy techs need continuing education credits?
In order to keep their status, pharmacy technicians who wish to get credentialed through the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) are required to earn continuing education credits. Those individuals who limit the scope of their qualifications to having completed certificate programs are not held to the same standard.