Texas State Board of Pharmacy Awards PTCB With Contract as Pharmacy Technician Certification Provider

WASHINGTON, May 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The Texas State Board of Pharmacy (TSBP) has awarded the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) with the Pharmacy Technician Certification Provider contract in Texas. PTCB has actively certified pharmacy technicians in Texas since 1995 and this new contract with the TSBP is effective immediately.

Gay Dodson, R.Ph., Executive Director of the TSBP, indicated that "In 1995, the TSBP became the first state to require all pharmacy technicians to have taken and passed the PTCB exam. In 2001, the Texas Legislature placed this requirement into the Pharmacy Act and made passing a board-approved certification examination a prerequisite to registration."  

PTCB was selected for the contract after a rigorous bidding and evaluation process that included formal reviews and evaluations from three independent psychometricians. The thorough evaluation process began in 2008 and allowed TSBP to confidently recognize PTCB as a single provider of accredited certification examinations for pharmacy technicians.

TSBP is the state agency responsible for the licensure and discipline of Texas pharmacists, pharmacies, and pharmacy technicians. PTCB will continue its longstanding relationship with TSBP to further support the more than 38,000 active PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technicians (CPhTs) currently working in various pharmacy settings throughout the state of Texas. To date, PTCB has certified over 60,000 pharmacy technicians in Texas and has certified more than 370,000 technicians nationwide.

"PTCB believes that patients expect and deserve a high standard of safety when it comes to how their prescription medications are dispensed and consistent requirements for pharmacy technician certification in every state is an important first step towards meeting those standards," said Melissa Murer Corrigan, RPh, Executive Director and CEO of PTCB. "PTCB is excited to continue our work in Texas and we applaud TSBP's leadership."

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) Model Practice Act recommends that states that certify technicians recognize certification by PTCB and that all pharmacy technicians be PTCB certified by 2015.  

About the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB)

PTCB was established in January 1995 and is governed by five pharmacy organizations - the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists (ICHP), the Michigan Pharmacists Association (MPA) and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). The goal of the PTCB national certification program is to enable pharmacy technicians to work more effectively with pharmacists to offer safe and effective patient care and service. PTCB contracts with Pearson VUE, the industry's technology leader, as its computer-based testing vendor. PTCB draws upon the experience and expertise of its 13-year partner, Professional Examination Service (PES) for test development.

SOURCE Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB)