PTCB® Mission PTCB develops, maintains, promotes, and administers a nationally accredited certification and recertification program for pharmacy technicians to enable the most effective support of pharmacists to advance patient safety.
Take the next step and become a PTCB‰ Certified Pharmacy Technician.
Hannah Peabody, CPhT2014 PTCB CertifiedPharmacy Technicianof the Year
Pharmacy Technician Certification ProgramQuick Facts:• Priced at $129
• Endorsed by the American Pharmacists Association, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
• More than 555,000 pharmacy technician certifications have been granted by PTCB nationwide
• The PTCE is offered at 260 Pearson test centers, as well as 120 military on-base sites
www.ptcb.org
March 2015
Preparing Pharmacy Technicians for SuccessEstablished in 1995, the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) is the largest certification body for pharmacy technicians and offers the only nationally accepted certification program for pharmacy technicians. More than 555,000 certifications have been granted by PTCB. PTCB’s Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) is the only competency-based exam endorsed by major pharmacy organizations, including the American Pharmacists Association, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.
What is a Certified Pharmacy Technician?Certification is the process by which a non-governmental organization grants recognition to an individual who has met predetermined qualifications specified by that organization. In PTCB’s case, certification and use of the Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) credential is granted to individuals who meet eligibility requirements, complete the program, and pass the PTCE.
PTCB Certification is accepted in all 50 states, DC, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Of the 45 states that regulate pharmacy technicians, 22 require national certification. Pharmacy technicians should contact the State Board of Pharmacy in the state where they wish to gain employment to ensure they meet state regulatory requirements.
Active PTCB® Certified Pharmacy Technicians
as of December 31, 2014
PHARMACY TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION BOARD *Source: 2014 NABP Survey of Pharmacy Law and independent research
This map represents 279,852 active PTCB CPhTs.
WASHINGTON3,772
CALIFORNIA22658
GUAM107�
HAWAII980�
ARIZONA11796
UTAH3570�
IDAHO1444
NEW�MEXICO
2878
MONTANA1138
WYOMING618
COLORADO5174
OKLAHOMA2168
MISSOURI4343�
KANSAS2306�
NEBRASKA1102
SOUTH DAKOTA1157�
NORTH DAKOTA732�
MINNESOTA5330�
ARKANSAS�1181
LOUISIANA4751�
PUERTO RICO103
MISSISSIPPI2263
TENNESSEE10601
ILLINOIS12258
MICHIGAN**8254
INDIANA4769�
KENTUCKY4717�
FLORIDA18872�
GEORGIA8394�
MARYLAND4528
DELAWARE890�
NEW JERSEY4452
CONNECTICUT1990�
NEW YORK�7085
MASSACHUSETTS5307
NEW HAMPSHIRE775
VERMONT330�
MAINE1010�
RHODE ISLAND1135
OHIO11409
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
210�
VIRGINIA8282
SOUTH�CAROLINA
4760�
NORTH �CAROLINA
10674
WEST VIRGINIA1407
IOWA3506
OREGON4008
WISCONSIN4611
ALABAMA�3,236
TEXAS40778
ALABAMA4391
ALASKA390�
PENNSYLVANIA6686
WASHINGTON4975
NEVADA2168
DON’T DREAM IT, ACHIEVE IT.
The PTCB® AdvantageWhy become certified? Pharmacy technicians play an important role in supporting pharmacists in hospitals, health-systems, and community pharmacies. Pharmacists’ responsibilities are expanding to include more direct patient care. PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technicians are increasingly relied on to support new pharmacy information systems and help run pharmacy operations. Through PTCB’s Certification Program, pharmacy technicians are prepared to serve the profession by working with pharmacists to offer safe and effective patient care. PTCB certification: • May be required by employers
and/or State Boards of Pharmacy for employment
• Provides pharmacy technicians with a sense of accomplishment that benefits themselves, employers, and patients
• Allows pharmacy technicians to keep up with the latest advances in the field through Continuing Education (CE)
• Positions pharmacy technicians for career advancement
Select Pearson Test Centers
ALABAMA Birmingham Decatur Dothan Mobile Montgomery ALASKA Anchorage Fairbanks JuneauARIZONA Chandler Phoenix Tucson ARKANSAS Fort Smith Little Rock Texarkana CALIFORNIA Anaheim Daly City Fairfield Fresno (2) Gardena Los Angeles (2) Milpitas Oakland Ontario Pasadena Redding Redlands Roseville Sacramento San Diego (2) San Dimas San Francisco (2) San Marcos Santa Maria Visalia Westlake VillageCOLORADO Durango Grand Junction Greenwood Village Pueblo WestminsterCONNECTICUT Norwalk Wallingford Wethersfield
DELAWARE Dover Newark
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Washington, DC FLORIDA Altamonte Springs Deerfield Beach Gainesville Jacksonville Miami Orlando Plantation Port Charlotte St. Petersburg Tallahassee TampaGEORGIA Albany Atlanta Augusta Macon Savannah Stockbridge HAWAII HonoluluIDAHO Boise PocatelloILLINOIS Buffalo Grove Chicago (2) Marion Peoria Schaumburg Springfield INDIANA Evansville Fort Wayne Indianapolis (2) Merrillville Terre Haute IOWA Coralville Davenport Sioux City West Des Moines
KANSAS Hays Overland Park Topeka Wichita KENTUCKY Bowling Green Lexington Louisville LOUISIANA Baton Rouge Metairie Shreveport MAINE Bangor Westbrook MARY LAND Baltimore Bethesda Columbia Salisbury MASSACHUSETTS Boston (2) Springfield Waltham Wellesley Worcester MICHIGAN Ann Arbor Grand Rapids Lansing Marquette Southfield Troy MINNESOTA Bloomington Brooklyn Park Eagan Hermantown Rochester St. Paul MISSISSIPPI Jackson TupeloMISSOURI Columbia Joplin Kansas City (2) Springfield St. Louis (2)
MONTANA Billings Helena MissoulaNEBRASKA Lincoln North Platte Omaha NEVADA Las Vegas Reno NEW HAMPSHIRE Concord NEW JERSEY Atlantic City Jersey City Lyndhurst Princeton Somerset NEW MEXICO AlbuquerqueNEW YORK Albany Brooklyn East Syracuse Endicott Islandia Jamaica Manhattan (4) Queens (2) Rego Park Rochester Staten Island Utica Watertown White Plains Williamsville NORTH CAROLINA Asheville Charlotte (2) Durham Greenville Raleigh (2) Wilmington Winston-Salem NORTH DAKOTA Bismarck Fargo
OHIO Akron Beachwood Cincinnati Cleveland Columbus Dayton Gahanna Mason Maumee Westlake OKLAHOMA Norman Oklahoma City (2) TulsaOREGON Beaverton Medford Portland Salem PENNSYLVANIA Allentown Erie Harrisburg Horsham King of Prussia Lancaster Philadelphia Pittsburgh (2) Plymouth Meeting Scranton St. Marys WashingtonRHODE ISLAND Warwick SOUTH CAROLINA Columbia Greenville North Charleston SpartanburgSOUTH DAKOTA Sioux FallsTENNESSEE Chattanooga Johnson City Knoxville Memphis (2) Nashville
TEXAS Abilene Amarillo Austin (2) Bellaire Christi Corpus Dallas El Paso Harlengen Houston (2) Hurst LubbockUTAH Bountiful Draper OgdenVERMONT
South Burlington
VIRGINIA Alexandria Chesapeake Glen Allen Lynchburg Newport News Richmond Roanoke ViennaWASHINGTON Renton Seattle Spokane Valley YakimaWEST VIRGINIA Charleston MorgantownWISCONSIN Brookfield Eau Claire Kenosha Madison Milwaukee WYOMING Casper
U.S. Territories
GUAM Tamuning PUERTO RICO San Juan
How do I become certified? To become a PTCB CPhT, a candidate will need:
• A high school diploma or its equivalent• A record free of felony and/or criminal convictions• A passing score on the PTCE
Once a candidate has applied to take the PTCE, met eligibility requirements, and been approved, he or she will be authorized to schedule and take the PTCE. Candidates may schedule exam appointments online. The PTCE is conveniently delivered at 260 Pearson test centers nationwide, as well as select military on-base test sites. (Please note: To gain access to military test sites you must have valid Federal ID.) Test centers are continually opening in new locations. Visit www.pearsonvue.com/ptcb to find the most convenient center for you.
RecertificationCPhTs are required to recertify every two years to maintain certification. The purpose of recertification is to ensure that pharmacy technicians stay up-to-date in pharmacy practice. Many employers and/or State Boards of Pharmacy require that pharmacy technicians maintain certification for employment.
Continuing EducationRecertification candidates must complete 20 hours of pharmacy technician-specific (T-specific) CE. One of the 20 hours must be in pharmacy law and one hour must be in patient safety.*
Employment OutlookAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of pharmacy technicians is expected to increase more than 20% by 2022.** The BLS also suggests that pharmacy technicians with formal education or training, previous work experience, and national certification will be specifically sought after to meet these demands.
*Visit www.ptcb.org for details of recertification requirements.**Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Handbook, 2012 Edition.
Visit www.pearsonvue.com/ptcb for a current searchable listing.