Getting A Pharmacy Technician Certification

If you are looking to get a pharmacy technician certification, you have chosen a great qualification. The demand for this role is currently very high and this shows no signs of changing.

The combination of an aging population and improvement in medical knowledge means that pharmacies are busier than ever.

Pharmacists have realized that people don’t just want to come in to collect their medications but would also welcome the chance to speak with a pharmacist or pharmacy technician and seek advice on how to improve their overall health.

Pharmacy Technician Certification

While most pharmacists love the client contact, it does mean that they become even more dependent on their pharmacy tech to help keep the business profitable. Pharmacists are by Law responsible for the care of the patients who use the pharmacy. Therefore the pharmacy technicians are accountable to the supervising pharmacist. He is not going to trust someone who is not qualified by experience and examination.

How do you become a certified pharmacy technician?

You must apply to the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) for certification and once certified the qualification lasts for two years at which point it must be renewed if you wish to continue to use the designation. This is recognized nationwide but you must check to see if your state allows you to practice with this qualification. You can find that out b either contacting the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy at their website http://www.nabp.net or by contacting the state board of pharmacy in the state you wish to work in.

The actual pharmacy technician certification exam is a computer based multiple choice exam. There are 90 questions which must be answered within one hour and 50 minutes. The other ten minutes of the two hour exam is reserved for survey questions. Only 80 questions are actually scored but you won’t know which ten questions will be ignored. These are scattered through the exam and are present for statistical use only.

The questions are based on the three main areas involved in the role of the pharmacy technician. As assisting the pharmacist serving patients is the main duty, it is no surprise that about 66% of the exam will examine your knowledge in this area. The other questions are based on maintaining an inventory and administration of the pharmacy and account for the other 22% and 12% respectively.

There is no set format to the questions with all three areas being questioned randomly throughout the exam.

Does the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board recommend specific pharmacy technician schools?

Although the PTCB (Pharmacy Technician Certification Board) doesn’t recommend any specific pharmacy technician schools, there are plenty of courses to choose from. The most important part of your exam preparation should involve taking plenty of multiple choice practice exams. Some students can become flustered when faced with computer based tests particularly those involving the four answer format. Some of the answers can be similar and it is easy to become confused especially if already suffering from exam stress.

To make sure you are fully prepared, you should read the course outline and test blueprint that the PTCB have put together. Then you should complete as many model exam papers as you can get your hands on. The PTCB sell three online practice exams but the current cost to take each exam is $29. You may also find that the pharmacy technician school you attend offers some model exam papers too.