Looking for information about Florida pharmacy technician license requirements? Following are the important facts you need to know about the Florida pharmacy tech registration requirements.
Updated in 2022!
Does Florida regulate pharmacy technicians?
Yes.
Is certification required to practice in Florida?
No.
What certification exam(s) is/are approved by the state?
PTCB (PTCE); however, even if certified, you must complete a Board-approved training program.
When is Florida pharmacy tech registration required?
You must obtain your registration certificate BEFORE working in a pharmacy.
Is licensure required?
Yes.
What do I have to do to become licensed?
- Be 17 years of age or older.
- Submit a pharmacy technician application to the Florida State Board of Pharmacy requesting registration as a pharmacy technician. Instructions and application information here. This page will in detail describe the Initial Licensing Requirements, Process, Fees, Helpful Forms and Links, and Statutes and Administrative Rules.
- Submit proof of having completed a Board-approved pharmacy technician training program.
- Include a copy of your U.S. social security card.
- Include the biennial registration fee of $55 and the application fee of $50 ($105 total).
Is training required?
Yes. You must complete a Board-approved pharmacy technician training program. More information on programs is available here.
Are there Continuing Education (CE) requirements?
Yes. As a condition of registration renewal, a registered pharmacy technician must complete 20 hours biennially of continuing education courses approved by the board or the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, of which 4 hours must be via live presentation and 2 hours must be related to the prevention of medication errors and pharmacy law.
How often is renewal required?
Biennially. Licenses expire at midnight on December 31 of the expiring registration year. Renewal fee is $55 and you may renew online here.
What should I do if I change jobs or change my home address?
Notify the board immediately.
Other important Florida pharmacy tech requirements
- A pharmacy technician student who is enrolled in a pharmacy technician training program that is approved by the board may be placed in a pharmacy for the purpose of obtaining practical training, and registration as described above is not required.
- A pharmacy technician student shall wear identification that indicates his or her student status when performing the functions of a pharmacy technician.
- A person whose license to practice pharmacy has been denied, suspended, or restricted for disciplinary purposes is not eligible to register as a pharmacy technician.
- A person who is licensed by the state as a pharmacy intern may be employed as a registered pharmacy technician without paying a registration fee or filing an application with the board to register as a pharmacy technician.
- A Florida pharmacy technician’s registration certificate must be displayed in the pharmacy at all times.
- A Florida pharmacist may supervise one technician unless given permission by the Board to supervise no more than three.
- A pharmacy technician registered prior to January 1, 2011, who has worked as a pharmacy technician for a minimum of 1,500 hours under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist or received certification as a pharmacy technician by certification program accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies is exempt from the requirement to complete an initial training program for purposes of registration.
Contact Info for Associations for Florida Pharmacy Technicians
Florida Department of Health: Board of Pharmacy
https://floridaspharmacy.gov/
Office: 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin #C-04
Tallahassee, FL 32399
850-245-4292
Professional Association for Florida pharmacy technicians
Florida Pharmacy Association https://www.floridapharmacy.org/
Read up on how to become a pharmacy technician if you live in Tampa.
Florida Q & A
Is my license transferable?
by Duane Beach-Barrow
(Palm Springs, CA)
I completed a Pharmacy Technician Training Course with a 3.9 GPA and was licensed in California. Is my valid and current license transferable to Florida, and if so, how do I do that?
Response from PharmacyTechPros.com:
You must apply for registration in Florida. If you have taken a pharmacy technician program which has been approved by the Board in accordance with 64B16-351, F.A.C. you will not have to take an additional course.
License Renewal in Florida
by Vina
(Tampa, FL)
I have completed 20 hrs of CE and obtained recertification from PTCB. Do I have to do more CE hours for renewal of license (with respect to Florida state board of pharmacy)?
Response from PharmacyTechPros.com:
Vina, you must contact the Florida Board of Pharmacy in order to answer your question. The website is http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/pharmacy/, and you can also reach them by phone at (850) 245-4292.
Pharmacy technician training programs: Question about registration?
by frozenforever
I am a certified pharmacy technician in Florida. Last month I applied for registration. They require proof of completing a board-approved pharmacy technician training program. What is that program?
PharmacyTechPros Response: Frozenforever, if you completed a training program already, you can check to see if it is on their list of approved programs by using the following information.
Florida’s board-approved pharmacy technician training programs include the following:
- Pharmacy technician training programs accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, which include the following schools in Florida: Everest, H.W. Brewster Technical Center, Keiser Career College, McFatter Vocational Technical Center, Orange County Schools, Pinallas Technical Education Center, Sanford Brown, and Technical Education Center Osceola. There are many other ASHP-approved programs throughout the country, and you can find that listing here.
- Training programs accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (those can be found here).
- Training programs approved by the FL Commission for Independent Education (find those here)
- Any program provided by a branch of the armed services and for which you possess a certificate of completion
- Programs accredited by the Council on Occupational Education (find those here)
- All programs that have been board-approved (find those here)
All these Florida Board of Pharmacy-approved pharmacy technician training programs meet certain standards, which provides you (the student) and your employer with assurance that it is a high-quality program.
For example, the Board’s content/curriculum requirements include topics such as pharmacy laws and ethics, medication safety and error prevention, handling controlled substances, communication, and calculations.
The board also has minimum standards of faculty qualifications and policies/procedures for the program.
Frozenforever, if you didn’t complete a training program yet, then we recommend searching through the resources listed above to find a program that can provide you with this training as quickly as possible. Some training programs are faster than others, which usually correlates to cost (the shorter the program, the cheaper the program).
Another advantage to going through a training program is that many of them offer externships and/or job placement assistance. This, of course, is your end goal. So be sure you find out about the program’s job assistance before you decide on which program you’ll spend your hard-earned money on. Ask to talk to other graduates, to find out exactly how good their job placement is. Don’t just believe the program’s marketing hype…find out from actual students.
So, before you even begin a pharmacy technician training program, you must do your homework!
RcPht
by Kathya
(Brooksville)
What needs to be regulated is the salary for Registered and Lic Pharmacy Technician, Retail Pharmacies like Walgreens, CVS and Publix are paying just above minimun wages.
So do your homework before you get certified and pay all that money to become a Pharm tech.
Response by PharmacyTechPros.com: Kathya, thank you for your input. Yes, we agree – do your own research on salaries in your area and act accordingly.
by: Jack Redford
Another advantage to going through a training program is that many of them offer externships and/or job placement assistance. This, of course, is your end goal. So be sure you find out about the program’s job assistance before you decide on which program you’ll spend your hard-earned money on.
by: Addison Melissa
Keeping in mind the end goal to be a pharmacy tech you must be no less than 18 yrs old. Once you’re employed they’ll repay you to get state authorized and they’ll train you in store to do a wide range of things.
by: Christina Do
I am a certified pharmacy technician in Michigan, with a PTCB certificate last year. I moved from Michigan to the South Florida.
I can not work as a pharmacy technician in Florida, if I am not registered. Most of employers did not give me a job as a pharmacy tech because I do not have a Florida State license.
However, when I registered to get a license on Feb 2014 , the Florida Pharmacy Board said, I need to work before they will give me a license.
Who can cope with this dilemma problem? I need help to escape this vicious circle of unemployment. Thanks.