2 credential programs ladder toward this occupation. Median wage on completion: $37,000. See full occupation profile →
Certification
Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT)
Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB)
$129 cost
Identify medications by generic name, brand name, classification, indication, dosage form, route of administration, strength, dose, and duration of therapy for accurate prescription processing and patient safetyRecognize and manage drug interactions, contraindications, therapeutic duplications, side effects, adverse effects, and allergies including drug-drug, drug-dietary supplement, drug-laboratory, and drug-disease interactionsApply drug stability and proper storage requirements including temperature ranges, light sensitivity, restricted access, and handling instructions for oral suspensions, insulins, reconstitutables, injectables, and vaccinationsApply federal requirements for storage, handling, ordering, dispensing, labeling, returning, and disposing of non-hazardous, hazardous, and pharmacological substances and wastes in compliance with DEA and EPA regulationsProcess controlled substance prescriptions in compliance with federal requirements including new, refill, and transfer procedures, DEA scheduling, loss or theft reporting, take-back programs, and destruction protocolsApply federal restricted drug program requirements including pseudoephedrine sales restrictions and Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) medication-processing requirements
Certification
Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT)
National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
Apply pharmacy laws and regulations in compliance with federal, state, and DEA requirementsManage controlled substances according to scheduling, ordering, storing, and tracking proceduresClassify drugs and identify frequently prescribed medications by therapeutic category and brand/generic nameProcess prescription and medication orders during intake, verification, and entry into pharmacy systemsPrepare and dispense prescriptions following established dispensing and patient safety protocolsPerform pharmaceutical calculations to support accurate dosing and dispensing