Pharmacy Technician

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:

1. Complete the Pharmacy Technician Registration Application and pay the $56 application/ registration fee.
2. Verify lawful presence in the United States.
3. 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.
4. 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

1. SC Pharmacy Technician Registration
2. Pass a national certification exam: Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) or ExCPT (Exam for Certification of Pharmacy Technicians)
3. Completion of a Pharmacy Technician Training Program (such as TTC’s)
4. A minimum of 1,000 hours of experience working as a Pharmacy Technician is required before applying for State Certification.
   • 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.
5. 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

COVID-19 vaccines as well as other vaccines/immunizations/titers may be required for some health sciences programs in order to attend clinicals. Should immunizations and titers be required by a clinical affiliate and the student refuses to obtain the vaccines/immunizations/titers, this may impact the student’s ability to be assigned to certain clinical rotations, which may in turn impact the student’s ability to continue in the program.