A pharmacy technician is an individual whose line of work lies within health care functions that pertain to pharmacy under the direction and supervision of a health care provider or pharmacist. These technicians aren’t limited to tapping away at a computer in a small pharmacy, however- those who withhold this occupation are known to work in long-term environments supplemented with health care services (such as nursing homes), online pharmacies, hospitals, medicine retail centers, insurance companies, working for or within the federal government, or for simply involved in education.
Pharmacy Technician Certification Requirements & Eligibility
Pharmacy technicians are often in charge of organizing, reviewing, distributing, and receiving pay for prescriptions of medication for a client of the pharmacy or office being worked for. In order to become a pharmacy technician, however, one must become specifically certified to work in such a field. Referred to commonly in the medical world as a CPhT, a certified pharmacy technician must undergo specific educational and training steps according to differently applied statewide rules across the country, as set by a Pharmacy Technician Certification Board.
Usually, however, a background in technical school is required in order to be eligible to take the exam- this work certificate does not hold a wide range of opportunity other than the job whose name it belongs to, however is very much worth learning about in terms of what it takes to become a pharmaceutical worker.
Pharmacy Technician Certification Board
The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board, abbreviated as the PTCB, serves the State Boards of Pharmacy in distributing, maintaining, administering and promoting pharmacy technician certification and evaluations pertaining to such nationwide. The certificates managed and distributed in the PTCB are recognized in all 50 states of the United States of America.
As with increasing population and medicinal demand in our modern world, the PTCB encourages aspiring health care workers to pursue jobs in pharmaceutical positions as it projects that the job employment will increase by 31% by the year 2018. Furthermore, out of 100, it is the 60th fastest growing job in the country. Therefore, PTCB takes a stance of friendly endorsement of pursuing these careers. This organization mandates that a pharmacy technician certification must be renewed every two years in order to hold proper maintenance. The official website for the board provides an extensive collection of resources, links, and other forms of useful information regarding pharmaceutical occupations, how to pursue them and where, what to expect, and how to prepare for the evaluation in order to earn the PT certificate. The PTCB ranks the top schools and resources in regards to training for becoming a pharmacy technician, amongst these include recommendations of Phoenix University, Kaplan University, Penn Foster Career School.
Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam
The Pharmacy Technician Certification exam consists of ninety multiple choice questions to test the aptitude of examiners’ knowledge and ability to efficiently work with pharmacists and express sufficient knowledge of computing, computations, maintaining inventory, and serving clients. PTCE content is comprised of the following three categories in which one must be well-versed in in order to pass the exam:
- Assisting the Pharmacist in Serving Patients, which serves as 66% credit for the entire exam
- Maintaining Medication and Inventory Control Systems comprising 22% credit
- Participating in the Administration and Management of Pharmacy Practice which makes up the last 12%. 110 minutes is allotted for completing all 90 questions, however tutorials and exit surveys will bring your entire examination experience to 120 minutes (two hours). The fee for taking this examination is $129, delivered as needed through services of the Pearson VUE testing areas which are distributed around the nation.
Over the years, 400,000 pharmacy technicians have been certified through this exam- you can bet it’s not impossible, and certainly not of bank breaking costs considering that the profession often serves as a rewarding, long-term medical occupation. They are administered once a year and candidates must apply to take the exam online through registration at PCTB.org.
Pharmacy Technician Certification Practice Test
Hunting for assistance and having to put trust forth in an organization you’ve never heard of isn’t directly necessary for preparing for the PTCE. The board itself offers practice examinations for a cost of $29 each. Available for purchase are the The Official PTCB Practice Exam, and The Official PTCB Practice Calculations Exam, and The Official PTCB Practice Medication Usage and Administration Exam.
The calculations and medicinal usage exams, in particular, are emphasized as including content that focus on specific content areas in which feedback and reasoning is provided upon each given answer. Meanwhile, the official practice exam distributed by the board covers the basic format of the pharmacy technician certification exam. At the end of the official practice examination, an individual report of predicted preparedness for every candidate is given. This practice exam is similar in many ways to the official PTCE, being available in two versions and harboring the same blueprint specifications as the actual certification test.
There is a direct correlation between passing the practice examination and the actual PTCE, however such results are not guaranteed by any means- one’s needs in terms of self-study and education should come into play when considering whether or not the purchase will be beneficial to one’s score. For all practice tests, 60 minutes are given to complete the questions and review the answers.
Pharmacy Technician Certification Online
Through the PCTB official website, all of the resources needed are available online. This includes an option for easy registration on the website for hopefuls, candidates, existing pharmacy technicians, educators, and employers. A MyPTCB feature allows users to customize and manage their certifications and track continual education credits through a helpful organizational system for employees and those who are working towards their pharmacy technician certification. Many supplements outside of the PCTB official board are available for those who want to seek alternate methods of self-education in preparation for the exam.
One must apply and/or register online when seeking to take courses or the examination so that the process is altogether easier. You may not, however, complete the actual examination online as mentioned above and take it at a specific pre-approved testing location under supervision. The examination preparation materials provided online are affordable, easy to come by, and easy to learn- with self-determination and an earnest effort, the PT certification far from an impossible occupational achievement to come by.