PHARMACY TECHNICIAN

Eligibility

A pharmacy technician is a person who may, under the supervision of a pharmacist, perform technical functions to assist the pharmacist in preparing and dispensing medications. GS 90-85.3(q2).

All pharmacy technicians must register with the Board by completing an application and paying the required fee.
GS 90-85.15A(a).

Non-certified technicians must hold a high school diploma, its equivalent, or be enrolled in a program that leads to a high school diploma or its equivalent. GS 90-85.15A(b). A non-certified technician must register with the Board within 30 days of completing a required training program provided by the supervising pharmacist-manager. 90-85.15A(a1). NOTE: The supervising pharmacist-manager must notify the Board of a non-certified technician within 21 days of the technician’s employment start date. GS 90-85.15A(b). As a practical matter, registration of a non-certified technician should occur within 21 days of employment.

Certified technicians may register with the Board regardless of whether they are currently employed in a pharmacy. GS 90-85.15A(a2). The certified technician must be registered at the time of employment in a pharmacy and must notify the Board within ten (10) days of beginning employment in a pharmacy. 90-85.15A(b1). The Board recognizes two national certifications – Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) and the National Healthcare Association’s (NHA) ExCPT certification.

The technician must not have committed any act or omission that is grounds to deny a registration. GS 90-85.15A(d).

Instructions / Information

Step 1:
Navigate to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy’s website and create your NABP e-profile number. You will need this number to complete the registration application.

Step 2:
Navigate to the Board's Licensure Gateway and create a profile by clicking REGISTER NOW. Make sure you save your username and password. You will need them for all licensing processes moving forward. Please watch the video demo about how to create a profile if you have questions.

Step 3:
Log into your profile on the Board's Licensure Gateway and submit the Technician Registration application. There is a $30 NON-REFUNDABLE/NON-TRANSFERABLE application fee.

You will need the following items to complete the application: a current photo, a verification of your PTCB or ExCPT Certification, and the pharmacy permit number of the pharmacy where you work. Please allow 3-5 business days for Board staff to review and process your application.

Step 4:
Board staff will confirm that all registration requirements have been met. If so, Board staff issues the license. You will be notified via the email address you have recorded in your profile once your license has been issued. Make sure you follow all instructions provided to you in that email.

If Board staff needs additional or clarifying information about your application, you will be notified via the email address you have recorded in your profile. Prompt, complete responses to any requests for additional information will ensure that the application review continues in a timely manner.

PHARMACY TECHNICIAN FAQs

Application

A pharmacist-manager “accepts responsibility for the operation of a pharmacy in conformance with all statutes and rules pertinent to the practice of pharmacy.” 21 NCAC 46.1317(15). That includes ensuring that all technicians are qualified, trained, and registered.

Moreover, the North Carolina Pharmacy Practice Act specifies that the “pharmacist-manager may hire” non-certified and certified technicians. 90-85.15A(b) & (b1). Accordingly, the decision on whether and who to hire as a technician lies with the pharmacist-manager as a matter of law. The pharmacist-manager must do appropriate due diligence on a would-be technician’s qualifications and background.

No. A technician registration in another state may not be transferred to North Carolina.

Yes. Board Rule .3301(c) specifies that pharmacy technicians who provide services solely at a free clinic (as defined at GS § 90-85.44) are required to register as technicians but are exempt from the registration fee. Accordingly, technicians practicing solely at free clinics should complete the online registration application. The registration fee will be waived upon verification of the free clinic site.

Probably not. Students enrolled in some technician training programs spend some time at pharmacy practice sites as part of their education. Such students, when present in a pharmacy solely for educational purposes as part of the technician training curriculum, do not need to register with the Board as pharmacy technician, nor do these students count toward the permissible pharmacist: technician ratio. The Board emphasizes, however, that the student must be present in the pharmacy solely for educational purposes. A student who is employed by a pharmacy must register as a technician and does count toward the permissible pharmacist: technician ratio, notwithstanding that the student is also enrolled in a technician training program.

No. GS 90-85.15A(e) exempts students enrolled in an approved school of pharmacy from the technician registration requirements. These students must, however, be registered with the Board as pharmacy interns. 21 NCAC 46.1503.

Training

The supervising pharmacist-manager is responsible for providing a non-certified technician with training. The requirements of the training program may differ depending upon the type of employment, but must include training in pharmacy terminology, pharmacy calculations, dispensing systems and labeling requirements, pharmacy laws and regulations, record keeping and documentation, and the proper handling and storage of medications. The training must be completed within 180 days of the date the technician began employment. GS 90-85.15A(b)

A certified technician is deemed to have satisfied the technician training requirements stated above. GS 90-85.15A(b1).

Reinstatement / Renewal

A lapsed technician registration may be reinstated by completing the Technician Reinstatement Application via the Board's Licensure Gateway. The reinstatement fee is $60. Allow 3-5 business days to review and process the application.

For questions about technician registration requirements, please contact Lisa Parker-Hawkins at 919.246.1050 or by email at lhawkins@ncbop.org.