Minnesota Pharmacy Technician Info

Looking for Minnesota pharmacy technician information? Following are the important facts you need to know about the requirements for pharmacy technicians in Minnesota.

Vital Info for Minnesota Pharmacy Technicians

Minnesota State Flag

Does Minnesota regulate pharmacy technicians?
Yes.

Is certification required to practice in Minnesota?
No.

What certification exam(s) is/are approved by the state?
PTCB (PTCE) and ICPT (ExCPT).

When is registration required?
Before beginning employment.

Is licensure required? Yes.

Minnesota Board of Pharmacy
www.phcybrd.state.mn.us
Office: 2829 University Ave. SE #530
Minneapolis, MN 55414-3251
Telephone: 651-201-2825 Fax: 651-201-2837

Professional Association for Minnesota Pharmacy Technicians:
Minnesota Pharmacists Association (MPhA)
www.mpha.org 

What do I have to do to become licensed?

• Be 16 years old or older (after January 2012, you must be 18 or older).
• Effective January 2013: Have a high school diploma or equivalent.
• Have knowledge and understanding of Minnesota’s pharmacy laws and rules that govern what pharmacy technicians can and cannot do on the job.
• Submit a written pharmacy technician application to the Minnesota State Board of Pharmacy requesting registration as a pharmacy technician. You may also apply online. Information on both is here).
• Include the nonrefundable application fee of $35.

 At this time, training is provided by the supervising pharmacist where you are employed. Effective January 1, 2013, renewals for any technicians initially registered after January 1, 2012 must demonstrate training by one of the board approved methods: accredited vocational/technical institution or college; PTCB or ICPT; employer-based program consisting of 480 or more hours of training; U.S. military or Public Health Service training.

Are there Continuing Education (CE) requirements? Not at this time, however, that may change. It has been proposed but not yet approved, to require 20 hours of CE over a 2-year period.

How often is renewal required? Annually, on or before January 1 of each year. The renewal fee is $20.). A renewal form is available online and will also be mailed to you by the Board.

What should I do if I change jobs or change my home address? Report the change to the Board within 10 days.

Other good info to know about Minnesota pharmacy technician requirements:

• A technician must wear a name tag identifying him- or herself as a pharmacy technician at all times while working and display his or her certification in the pharmacy.
• A technician must identify him- or herself as a pharmacy technician in any electronic or telephone communication and never represent him- or herself as a pharmacist.
• Written procedures outlining the duties of pharmacy technicians in a pharmacy shall be prepared by the pharmacist-in-charge. A copy of the procedures must be given to each technician and a copy kept on file in the pharmacy.
• A technician may only perform pharmacy functions that do not require professional judgment.
• The supervising pharmacist (or pharmacist-in-charge) is responsible for all actions of the pharmacy technician.
• The supervising pharmacist may supervise a limit of two pharmacy technicians in the pharmacy; if there is a nationally certified pharmacy technician on duty, the ratio rises to one pharmacist to three technicians.

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