Even though there is no national educational standard for pharmacy technicians (some jobs require only a high school diploma or a GED), the industry is moving in the direction of requiring postsecondary education or training. Despite the fact that there is no national educational standard for pharmacy technicians.
- This can be accomplished by on-the-job training, through completion of a program leading to a certificate or diploma, or through earning an associate’s degree.
- Your academic pursuits are not doomed after you have secured employment.
- You could decide to get certified, and then later on you could acquire speciality certificates in subjects that are more specialized.
“If you want to be successful as a pharmacy technician, you should be someone who craves learning something new all the time,” says Glen Gard, CPhT, CSPT, director of sterile compounding compliance at the infusion services company Option Care Health.
Why do we set the education and training requirements for pharmacists?
We determine the educational and training requirements for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy support staff in order to ensure that these individuals acquire the knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary to provide the kind of secure and efficient care that patients and the general public have come to expect from medical professionals. 
| Information about MPharm courses and the educational requirements for becoming a pharmacist including courses for overseas pharmacists and foundation degree courses. |
| Information about courses and the educational and training requirements for becoming a pharmacy technician. |
| Information on the additional education and training requirements for pharmacists to be annotated as an independent prescriber. |
| Information about the GPhC’s work in relation to pharmacy support staff and the current training requirements for dispensing or pharmacy assistants and medicines counter assistants. |
What is the Best Continuing Education for Pharmacy techs?
Continuing Education Requirements: Pharmacy Technicians and other professionals in the healthcare industry are obliged to participate in continuing education programs in order to keep their certifications or qualifications current. Even though accreditation through organizations like the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) and the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) is not necessarily required, the vast majority of companies either prefer or need prospective pharmacy technicians to be qualified.
Both the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board and the National Healthcareer Association are the most widely recognized organizations that offer certification for pharmacy technicians, and in order to keep one’s certification current, one must fulfill the requirements for continuing education set forth by both of these organizations.
Pharmacy Technician Education Requirements
The subsequent tables provide a breakdown of their prerequisites.
| Continuing education requirements for PTCB | |
|---|---|
| 1) | Must complete 20 hours of continuing education every 2 years |
| 2) | Must include at least one hour of pharmacy law |
| 3) | Max 15 hours of relevant college courses will be accepted |
| 4) | Max 10 hours in-service continuing education allowed |
| 5) | All course work must have pharmacy technician subject matter |
table> Table 2: NHA requirements