Requirements For Pharmacy Technicians

As you’re considering whether to become a pharmacy tech, you may be curious about pharmacy technician requirements. While there is a certain amount of on the job training, there is also a need for formal pharmacy tech training, and you will find that there are other pharmacy technician requirements.
These pharmacy technician requirements include the ability to focus on details, a clear criminal history in relation to drug-related offenses, strong math and reading skills, a clear felony conviction record over the last five years, and a high school diploma or equivalent.
You will need to complete a pharmacy technician training program as one of your pharmacy technician requirements. Programs are accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and their website lists a directory of all the accredited pharmacy technician training programs, which are located in these 37 states: Alabama and Arkansas, Maryland and Michigan, California and Colorado,
Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and North Dakota, Illinois, Nebraska, Montana, Massachusetts, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, , Minnesota, Kentucky, Nevada, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, , Oregon South Carolina, Tennessee, South Dakota, Utah, Texas, West Virginia, Washington, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Training programs that meet pharmacy technician requirements are mainly located in technical colleges, community colleges and vocational schools but some universities and colleges offer pharmacy technician training programs as well. These programs teach the skills and knowledge that meet the pharmacy technician requirements, including information on medications, calculations, law and ethical considerations, pharmaceutical techniques and terminology, and record keeping.
In most states you are not required to be certified to work as a pharmacy technician, but employers prefer a certification even though it is not one of the pharmacy technician requirements. To become certified you must take the certification examination proctored by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board or the Institution for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians. This certification is not a requirement, but does make you more marketable.
Other certified pharmacy technician requirements include completing 20 hours of continuing education every two years to keep your certification current. You must have a high school diploma, no drug convictions, no felony convictions in the past five years, and have passed the certification exam.