The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board is a United States organization that administers a program through which pharmacy technicians can be certified. Located in Washington, D.C., it provides both certification and re-certification for pharmacy technicians. The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board is under the control of five different pharmaceutical and health organizations. In addition to certification and re-certification services, the board works for the establishment of pharmacy technician standards and supports the employment of technicians as part of efficient pharmaceutical teams.
The goal of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board is to help keep patients safe through its certification program. By providing a national standard for the certification of pharmacy technicians, the board aims to help ensure that employers can hire well-trained pharmacy technicians instead of having to rely on qualifications listed on a resume. Certification also provides technicians with a way to demonstrate their skills and make themselves stand out among other job applicants.
The idea behind the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board is to help pharmacy technicians have a way to demonstrate the mastery of skills important to an efficient pharmaceutical team. The board's position is that the positive, efficient interaction of a pharmacy technician with the pharmacist he assists and other members of a pharmacy team is for the benefit not only of the pharmacist, but also of the patients the pharmacy serves. The board also takes the standpoint that a well-trained pharmacy technician provides a higher quality of care, which benefits the patient and the pharmacy in general.
Depending on the jurisdiction in question, there may be various supportive personnel in a pharmacy as well. The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board asserts that the best support person for a pharmacist is a certified pharmacy technician. A person with this credential is said to be qualified to assist with the preparation of prescriptions by performing a range of tasks that don't need to be performed by a licensed pharmacist.
To the end of helping to keep patients safe when they patronize pharmacies, the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board has a number of objectives. Among them are to set standards for credentials for pharmacy technicians and encourage the progression of quality patient care by supporting the development of effective pharmaceutical teams, including certified pharmacy technicians. The organization also seeks to provide information about certification and helps to foster agreement on industry issues that pertain to the pharmacy technician job.
Many aspiring pharmacy technicians seek certification through the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. To be eligible to take the exam and receive certification, a person must hold a high school diploma or its equivalent and pass a multiple-choice examination. He must be free of drug-related or felony convictions as well. To maintain certification, a pharmacy technician must participate in 20 hours of continuing education within two years of earning certification.