Looking for Louisiana pharmacy tech license information? Following are the important facts you need to know about the requirements for pharmacy technicians in Louisiana.
Fact-checked against the state board, September 2026
Does Louisiana regulate pharmacy technicians?
Yes.
Is certification required to practice in Louisiana?
Yes.
What certification exam(s) is/are approved by the state?
The Louisiana Board of Pharmacy accepts two exams: the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) from the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), and the Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ExCPT) from the National Healthcareer Association (NHA). ExCPT certificates must be dated January 1, 2018 or later.
When is registration required?
Prior to working in or earning any practical experience in a pharmacy.
Is licensure required?
Yes. Louisiana uses a two-step process. You first register as a Pharmacy Technician Candidate, a training credential that lets you work under a pharmacist while you train. It expires 24 months after it is issued and cannot be renewed, so you must finish your training and pass the exam within that time. Then you apply for your Pharmacy Technician Certificate.
What do I have to do to become licensed?
Step 1: Pharmacy Technician Candidate registration ($50). Apply online through the Board’s Online Services Portal and meet one of these options: You must also complete a state and FBI criminal background check.
- Option A: Be at least 18 and enrolled in a nationally accredited, Board-approved pharmacy technician training program.
- Option B: Be at least 16 and enrolled in a Louisiana Department of Education pharmacy technician career program.
- Option C: Be at least 18, with a Louisiana-licensed pharmacist certifying that they will train you (Form 034).
Step 2: Complete your training. Option A candidates finish their program. All other candidates must earn at least 600 hours of practical experience in a Louisiana pharmacy, with no more than 50 hours credited per week.
Step 3: Pass the PTCE or the ExCPT.
Step 4: Apply for the Pharmacy Technician Certificate ($100). You must be at least 18. Technicians who have held an active credential in another state for at least one year may apply for the certificate directly.
Is training required?
Yes.
Are there Continuing Education (CE) requirements?
Yes. You need at least 10 hours (one CPE unit) of technician-specific ACPE-accredited or Board-approved continuing education each year, earned in the 12 months before your certificate expires. Your CE must be recorded in NABP’s CPE Monitor, because the Board checks it automatically when you renew. Technicians renewing for the first time are exempt.
How often is renewal required?
Every year. All pharmacy technician certificates expire June 30, and online renewal is open from May 1 to June 30. The renewal fee is $60. The Board emails a renewal notice with your user ID before the cycle opens, or mails it if you have no email on file. If you miss the deadline, your certificate lapses and you must apply for reinstatement.
What should I do if I change jobs, training site, or my home address?
Notify the Board within 10 days of any change to your mailing address or place of employment. Address changes must be submitted through the Board’s Online Services Portal (log in, select Online Services, then Address Change). If you are a candidate and stop training before you finish, you must give up your registration within 10 days.
Other good info to know about Louisiana pharmacy tech requirements:
- Pharmacists may supervise up to four technician candidates, certified technicians and interns combined (4:1), but no more than two of them may be candidates.
- Candidates and technicians work under the direct and immediate supervision of a Louisiana-licensed pharmacist, who assigns their duties.
- Candidates may not take new verbal prescriptions, handle verbal transfers, interpret prescriptions, compound high-risk sterile preparations, counsel patients or give medications. Certified technicians also may not interpret prescriptions or counsel patients.
Essential Contact Info for Louisiana Pharmacy Techs
Louisiana Board of Pharmacy https://www.pharmacy.la.gov/ 3388 Brentwood Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70809-1700 Phone: (225) 925-6496 Email: [email protected]
Professional Association for Louisiana pharmacy techs Louisiana Pharmacists Association: https://www.louisianapharmacists.com/
Louisiana Q & A
Getting Paid as a Pharmacy Tech Candidate
by Mya
(Louisiana)
In Louisiana, does Pharmacy Technician candidates get paid during training? If so, how much?
Reply by PharmacyTechPros: Mya, thanks for your question. The answer is – it depends! If you’re employed as a pharm tech candidate, in Lousiana or otherwise, your employer will pay you as you get your education. How much depends on a lot of factors, but you will definitely be able to get a pay raise once you finish your training.
Good luck!