Looking for pharmacy technician Illinois license info? Following are the important facts you need to know about the requirements for obtaining an Illinois pharmacy tech license.
Updated in 2022!
Does Illinois regulate pharmacy technicians?
Yes.
Is certification required to practice in Illinois?
Yes.
What certification exam(s) is/are approved by the state?
PTCB (PTCE) and ICPT (ExCPT).
Is an Illinois pharmacy technician license required?
Yes. However, you may work in a pharmacy assisting a pharmacist for up to 60 days while your application is being processed. A copy of your application must be kept at the pharmacy where you are working during this period.
What do I have to do to become licensed?
- Be 16 years of age or older.
- Have a high school diploma or its equivalent or be in the process of completing it.
- Submit a pharmacy technician application to the Illinois State Board of Pharmacy requesting registration as a pharmacy technician (view the application here).
- Include the nonrefundable application fee of $40.
- If you are already certified, you may apply to be a certified pharmacy technician by including proof of your graduation from a pharmacy technician training program or documentation by the Illinois-licensed pharmacist-in-charge under whom you have been trained, plus proof of your having passed one of the nationally recognized certification exams (PTCE or ExCPT). View the certification application here.
Is training required?
Yes. You must complete the training required by the pharmacist-in-charge in the following areas:
- Duties and responsibilities of technicians and pharmacists.
- Tasks, technical skills, policies, and procedures.
- Compounding, packaging, labeling, and storage.
- Pharmaceutical and medical terminology.
- Record keeping requirements.
- Perform and apply mathematical calculations.
Are there Continuing Education (CE) requirements?
No.
How often is renewal required?
Annually. Pharmacy technician licenses expire on March 31 regardless of the date of issuance.
What should I do if I change jobs or change my home address?
Submit a written request within 30 days to:
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation 320 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor Springfield, Illinois 62786
Other good info to know about Illinois pharmacy tech requirements
- The pharmacy technician’s certificate of registration must be displayed and visible to the public in the pharmacy where the technician is employed.
- No pharmacist whose license has been denied, revoked, suspended or restricted for disciplinary purposes can be registered or employed as a Pharmacy Technician.
Contact Info for Associations for the Pharmacy Technicians in Illinois
IL Division of Professional Regulation: Board of Pharmacy
https://www.idfpr.com/profs/pharm.asp Office: 320 West Washington Street, Suite 312 Springfield, IL Telephone: 217-782-8556 Fax: (217)782-7645 Mail: P.O. Box 7007 Springfield, Illinois 62791
Professional Association for Pharmacy Technician Illinois residents
The Illinois Pharmacists Association
www.ipha.org
Illinois Q & A
Pharm tech renewal
by Trina
(Chicago)
How much does it cost to get a pharmacy technician renewal in Illinois?
Response from PharmacyTechPros: The Illinois Board of Pharmacy website makes this information very hard to find, and the fee seems to differ on a case-by-case basis. They don’t publish a fee on the website, for some reason. We recommend contacting them at 217-782-8556 for further information. Wishing you all the best!
Updated response from PharmacyTechPros: In 2022, the fees for renewing your pharmacy technician have been waived and the deadline to renew has been extended to July 31.
Lapsed License
If a resident of Illinois has not renewed their license since 2009, do they have to be certified before renewal?
Response from PharmacyTechPros: You would need to contact the state board of pharmacy. Contact information for the board can be found in the post above. Wishing you all the best.
Online Renewals Aren’t Working
Don’t bother renewing your Pharmacy Technician license online. It won’t work. The department is aware of it, but apparently isn’t doing anything about it. I’m not going to be allowed to work or participate in school.
Thanks, Illinois! Keep up the great work. “Illinois, embarrassing its citizens for the past 20 years!”
Response from PharmacyTechPros: Thanks for the feedback. If you can’t get the online renewal form to work for you, you can download the pdf (click here) and fill it out manually. Good luck.
For a certified pharmacy tech in Illinois, does certification with NHA have to be maintained once the test has been successfully passed for the CPTech?
Sally, thanks for your question.
As far as we understand the NHA certification does not need to be maintained to keep your certification valid in Illinois. However, maintaining a national certification is recommended. In that case, you’d be bound by the continuing education requirements of 20 hours every two years.
For specifics we’d contact the State of Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation through this link:
https://www.idfpr.com/profs/Email/prfGrp10.asp
My pharmacy tech license expired 6 years ago. I’ve since moved states, got married and changed my name. However my license still shows up as not renewed. I still have the physical copy of my license. Is there any way I can still renew the license without having to go back to school?