It is expected that the need for pharmacy technicians will continue to rise. There is no better time than the present to consider pharmacy technician training. Pharmacy technician certification is voluntary in most states. However, many employers require the certification. Others hire with the expectation that certification will be obtained within a certain time period. Pharmacy's who do not have the time and resources to do on site training are more apt to hire a pharmacy technician who has already been trained and certified.

National certification exams are given by the "Pharmacy Technician Certification Board" and the "Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians." In order to be eligible to take the exam applicants must have a high school diploma or GED. Applicants must also have not had any felony convictions of any type within 5 years of applying to take the exam. They must also have not had any history of drug or pharmacy related felony convictions during their lifetime.

In order to prepare to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification test, it is recommended that one attend a pharmacy technician school. Most pharmacy technician training programs may be completed in one year or less. When choosing a program that is less than a year it is important to make sure that the program will cover all of the information that is needed to successfully pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification exam. Pharmacy technician training courses are offered at many colleges and universities. Most programs will allow the option of studying full or part time. Many schools also offer the option of training online. It is important to make sure that the school that you chose is fully accredited.

The pharmacy technician certification test is a computerized test consisting of 100 multiple choice questions. Applicants must receive a score of 75 percent or greater to pass. The exam is given in all states and is given as many as four times per year in some states. There is a small fee to take the test which some employers may cover. If you do not pass the test the first time you may take the test as many times as necessary to pass. You will be required to pay the testing fee each time that you take the test.

Pharmacy technicians must be recertified every 2 years. In order to be recertified the technician must take 20 hours of continuing education courses within the 2 years of certification. It is required that one hour be a pharmacy law course. Continuing education training may be done at colleges or pharmacy training schools. There are also pharmacy associations that may offer the courses. Pharmacy technicians may even have the option of earning up to 10 hours on the job if they work closely with a pharmacist.

If you believe that a career as a pharmacy technician is for you, why not give yourself an advantage by attending school and becoming certified? Certified technicians are likely to be hired at higher salaries than those technicians who lack certification.