Your Guide to Becoming a Certified Pharmacy Technician

The people who typically greet you at a pharmacy like CVS or Walgreen's are called pharmacy technicians. Pharmacy technicians help fill prescriptions, interact with customers, and fulfill other tasks in a pharmaceutical setting.

This profession can be a rewarding one, because you are helping them access the medicine they need for an illness or condition.

What does it take to become a certified pharmacy technician? Read on to learn what they do and how to get started in this healthcare path.

What is a certified pharmacy technician?

A certified pharmacy technician (CPhT) is a health care professional who works with pharmacists to give patients their medication with the correct dosage when needed. They can work in a variety of pharmaceutical settings like retail pharmacies, hospitals, and nursing homes. Unlike other pharmacy technicians, CPhTs go through a certification process that requires education or experience and passing an exam.

Generally, a certified pharmacy technician has passed an examination administered by either the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) or the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).  

The job generally involves a mix of basic health care, administrative, and organizational work, like keeping shelves stocked. Depending on the setting (and the laws in the state you’re in), pharmacy technicians may receive prescription requests, maintain patient profiles, manage insurance claims, or operate dispensing systems.

Read more: Pharmacy Technicians: What They Do and How to Become One

Licensed vs. certified pharmacy technicians: What’s the difference?‎

Many states will require pharmacy technicians to have a license before they can start work. Certifications, on the other hand, aren’t usually required to start work but can boost your income and show employers that you have met industry standards.

Certified pharmacy technician salary

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, a pharmacy technician in the United States makes an average base salary of $36,740 as of 2021 [1]. Your salary can vary depending on where you’re located and your level of experience. Typically, you can expect to earn more once you're certified. 

The job outlook for a pharmacy technician is 5 percent growth in jobs between 2021 and 2031, which indicates as much growth as the average for all jobs (5.3 percent) [1].

What does a certified pharmacy technician do?

Certified pharmacy technicians generally work in retail pharmacies, hospitals, or other health care facilities. A pharmacy technician’s tasks can include:

• Counting pills or taking other measurements to fulfill prescriptions

• Labeling, packaging, and preparing prescriptions to ensure patient safety

• Interacting with customers by phone or in person

• Accepting payments from customers

• Organizing and maintaining a work area

• Using a computer to confirm patient information or process insurance claims

Depending on the state, pharmacy technicians may also take care of basic medical tasks, like vaccinations. 

Certified pharmacy technicians work behind the scenes to support patients and other members of the health care team. The job can be a gateway to other medical fields as well.

(Medical) terms you should know

As a pharmacy technician, you should be familiar with all types of medical terminology, from types of diseases, illnesses, and conditions, to active ingredients in prescription medicine. Enroll in Rice University's Medical Terminology class to learn all this and more.

How to become a certified pharmacy technician

If you’re looking to start working as a pharmacy technician and becoming certified, here's how you can break into the field:

1. Get your license.

Some retail pharmacies may provide on-the-job training that can lead up to your getting a technician license. Others will require that you have it before you can get hired. Check your state’s pharmacy technician licensing requirements to get started.

2. Gain customer service experience.

Having professional experience interacting with customers can look good to hiring managers looking for pharmacy technicians. Working as a retail associate or volunteering at an organization can give you experience working with other people.

Read more: 10 Customer Service Skills for Success in Any Job

Look for similar job titles

Titles like “pharmacy assistant” can imply job roles similar to pharmacy technicians. Though working as a pharmacy assistant or associate might mean you won’t be able to complete certain tasks reserved for technicians, you’ll be able to gain experience working in a pharmacy.

3. Complete an associate degree.

Some community colleges offer pharmacy technician degree programs that are designed to train you to be job-ready. Though many pharmacy technician positions only require you to have a high school diploma, an associate degree can make you a more competitive job candidate.

4. Get certified.

To become a certified pharmacy technician, candidates must pass a certification exam. Common national certifications include:

• Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE): The PTCE is administered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). You can take the exam after completing an education program recognized by the PTCB or a minimum of 500 hours of work as a pharmacy technician. 

• Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ExCPT): The ExCPT is administered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA). To take the exam, you’ll need to have completed an approved training program or have completed at least 1,200 hours of supervised pharmacy-related work.

Career paths for certified pharmacy technicians

You can take your experience as a pharmacy technician into other paths. Pharmacy technicians can go on to do office-based jobs such as insurance claims processing; they may also opt to become pharmacists, laboratory technicians, or physician assistants. Some pharmacy technicians can also choose to specialize in a field of medicine, like oncology (cancer treatment).

Next steps

Working as a pharmacy technician can expose you to an important part of the health care system and give you hands-on experience in the industry. If you’re ready to learn more about the health care industry in the United States, enroll for free in Introduction to Healthcare from Stanford, the first course in the AI in Healthcare Specialization.