Pharmacy Technician
Program Registration
*Registration information for the Pharmacy Technician training program will only appear if there is a course session currently open. If no courses are currently available contact the program manager for more information.
Pharmacy Technician Program Information
- Connect patients to their medication
- Speak to patients and help them get information they need
- Interpret prescriptions and data entry
Bill insurance - Prepare, package, and label medications
- Deliver prescriptions to patients and hospital floors
- Maintain inventory
- Administer point-of-care tests
- Assist pharmacists with immunizations and medication monitoring
- Work as a team with other pharmacy technicians, pharmacists, nurses, and other healthcare team members as well as patients and their families
In order to work in a pharmacy and complete clinical rotations at experiential sites as part of this program, students must first register as a pharmacy technician with the SC Board of Pharmacy before or during the first term of the program.
To become Registered as a Pharmacy Technician with the SC Board of Pharmacy, you must:
- Complete the Pharmacy Technician Registration Application and pay the $56 application/ registration fee.
- Verify lawful presence in the United States.
- Submit a copy of your valid Driver's License, State Issued ID, Passport or Military ID AND a copy of your social security card to SC Board of Pharmacy.
- Answer personal history questions pertaining to physical, mental and/or emotional conditions that could impair your ability to serve as a pharmacy technician or any criminal or civil convictions (other than a minor traffic ticket).
Continuing education: 10 hours each year before license renewal by June 30 of each year.
- National certification requires passing one of the national certification exams and earns the credential of Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT)
- National certification exams:
- Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) OR
- ExCPT (Exam for Certification of Pharmacy Technicians).
- Exam Fee: ~$129 (subject to change)
- Passing grade on either exam will earn the credential of Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).
Achieving SC State Certification enables pharmacy technicians to perform additional higher-level pharmacy technician tasks, such as:
- Receiving prescription orders verbally via phone or voicemail
- Conducting transfers of prescription orders for non-controlled substances
- Checking another technician’s work for certain types of inpatient medications
- Performing routine inspections of certain types of permitted non-dispensing facilities
SC State Certified Pharmacy Technician Requirements
- SC Pharmacy Technician Registration
- Pass a national certification exam: Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) or ExCPT (Exam for Certification of Pharmacy Technicians)
- Completion of a Pharmacy Technician Training Program (such as TTC’s!)
- A minimum of 1,000 hours of experience working as a Pharmacy Technician is required before applying for State Certification.
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- A portion of those hours (at least 160) will be obtained through this training program.
- The graduate will have to obtain additional hours outside of this program
Visit the SC Board of Pharmacy website for additional details on becoming a SC State Certified Pharmacy Technician.
- Continuing education: required yearly for maintenance of licensure (regardless of
whether Registered or State Certified Pharmacy Technician).
- SC Board of Pharmacy: 10 hours per year.
- PTCB and NHA (once CPhT): 20 hours every 2 years + additional hours in pharmacy law
and patient safety
- MUST maintain status CPhT to maintain SC State Certification