The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) offers Pharmacy Technician National Certification. Individuals must pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) to become a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT). This certification is valid for two years and then must be renewed.
While the PTCB's certification is a national certification, regulations to work in a pharmacy as a pharmacy technician vary from state to state. The state board of pharmacy or the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) will have details regarding specific states.
If you are interested in taking the PTCB exam, you must apply and may do so here online. The fee is $129. After applying you can schedule an exam appointment online through Pearson VUE or by calling (866) 902-0593. The exam consists of 90 multiple-choice questions and you are given 2 hours to complete it.
This is a good time for being a Pharmacy Technician. Although the economy is struggling and many job industries are seeing layoffs, health care occupations are experiencing strength. In fact, the demand for Pharmacy Techs is expected to be very strong for at least the next 5 years. Reasons for this include the aging of the baby-boomer generation as well as expansion of life sciences and pharmaceutical companies. As the baby boomer generation grows older, they are more likely to use medicine and drugs. This is creating a larger pool of people requiring service from pharmacies. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies are constantly developing new medicines and this places a larger demand for folks to dispense them. This is all very good for Pharmacy Technicians.
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