Working in the healthcare industry as a pharmacy technician has different requirements for candidates for this position. In particular, an employee is to provide confirmed training in this profile, have the necessary documents allowing him or her to do this type of activity, and be registered in the state database. At the same time, the procedures for obtaining confirmations and their purpose differ from one another, even though each of the stages is essential for applying for this position. The rules for certification, licensure and registration of pharmacy technicians will be discussed in terms of the differences among these procedures with a focus on Texas laws.
Certification Requirements
The first stage that marks the path to work as a pharmacy technician is to undergo special training. According to Mattingly (2018), after completing all the necessary stages of education, an individual is obliged to pass “the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) offered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB)” (p. 1057). This exam is a screening test that determines whether a specialist meets the expected qualifications and can perform intermediate duties by the state-regulated norms. The successful completion of this exam means obtaining a certificate confirming the availability of professional training and the ability to work as a pharmacy technician. Today, this test is available online, which simplifies the procedure (“How to register as a pharmacy technician in Texas,” 2020). Thus, certification is the initial stage that gives the right to continue professional activities in the industry.
Employment conditions may differ from state to state, which, however, is not a prerequisite for differences in the grading of pharmacy technicians by their individual classifications. As Mattingly (2018) notes, in Texas, training is optional as an entry-
level requirement, but certification is required. Moreover, according to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy (2014), when submitting the documents for registration, a candidate should ensure that his or her certification is current (“future expiration date”) (para. 2). Therefore, the key difference between certification and other procedures is that this is the initial stage to confirm the professional qualifications of a candidate for the position of a pharmacy technician.
Registration Procedure
Before obtaining a license to work as a pharmacy technician, the registration procedure need to be completed. With a focus on Texas, one can highlight that this requirement is mandatory in all the state pharmacies. Therefore, “one must have an active registration with the Texas State Board of Pharmacy” to start professional activities (“How to register as a pharmacy technician in Texas,” 2020, para. 11). The difference between registration and certification is that the latter confirms an individual’s qualifications and ability to work in the given industry, while the first procedure is essential as a tool of access to direct responsibilities. These steps cannot be reversed or substituted for each other, although Texas, as Mattingly (2018) remarks, is one of five states that do not require training confirmation to gain access to the pharmacy technician position. However, there are conventions for each of these procedures, which explains the uniqueness of the working access system.
The Texas rules of pharmacy technician registration allow obtaining the required documents online. According to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy (2014), certification is sufficient to apply for the registration in the state registry. Apart from paying tax and depositing funds for the fingerprint procedure, there are no additional costs, and an applicant receives registration documents in four-six weeks (“How to register as a pharmacy technician in Texas,” 2020). Thus, the whole procedure is easy and, at the same time, individual.
Licensure Features
The key difference between licensure and certificate and registration is the level of regulation. Mattingly (2018) argues that access to work as a pharmacy technician is regulated not only at the federal but also at the state level, and the main procedure governing this permit is licensure. At the same time, depending on the legislation, this condition is optional. The author notes that in Texas, the key document that determines an opportunity to start working as a pharmacy technician is the confirmation of registration, and no additional licenses are required. In case registration has expired, an employee has a chance to renew this permission by following the aforementioned scheme and indicating that the application is resubmitted (Texas State Board of Pharmacy, 2014). Thus, for Texas, certification and registration are the key procedures that validate an individual’s eligibility to apply for professional practice as a pharmacy technician.
Conclusion
The procedures of the certification, licensure, and registration of pharmacy technicians have a general focus on regulating access to professional activities but reflect distinctive stages. Certification is the initial step that implies confirming an individual’s qualifications, and registration and licensure differ in their degree of regulation – federal and state, respectively. For Texas, the procedure of licensure is irrelevant since certification and registration are required to start working as a pharmacy technician. In addition, Texas is one of the states where an applicant does not need to prove one’s training, which speeds up the receipt of the relevant documents.
References
How to register as a pharmacy technician in Texas. (2020). Southern Careers Institute.
Mattingly, A. N. (2018). Entry-level practice requirements of pharmacy technicians across the United States: A review. The Bulletin of the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists, 75(14), 1057-1063.
Texas State Board of Pharmacy. (2014). Pharmacy technician registration.