Washington News: National Standardized Examination for Pharmacy Technician Certification

July 1, 2008 2:51 pm Topics: Pharmacy technicians

Published in the July 2008 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter

The Washington State Board of Pharmacy adopted rule changes at its public hearing on May 29, 2008. The amended rules result in new requirements for certification as a pharmacy technician. Effective January 1, 2009, all technician applicants must pass a national standardized examination. In addition, all applicants are still required to complete a Board-approved technician training program. Individuals who have obtained a pharmacy technician credential before January 1, 2009, will not be required to meet the new standards.

In the next few months, the Board will be developing the criteria for a Board-approved examination. The plan for applying the rule includes adopting examination standards and identifying which examination(s) are Board-approved. The rule changes also require updates to the basic standards for Board-approved training programs. It is expected that these activities will be further defined at the July 17, 2008, business meeting.

 For updates, please visit the Board’s Web page at https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/hpqa1/hps4/Pharmacy/default.htm. (WAC 246-901-030 & 060)