Requirements to Become a Pharmacy Technician in Arkansas

The state of Arkansas is home to more than seven hundred hospital and retail pharmacies.  In total, they employ approximately 3,680 registered pharmacy technicians.  Pharmacy technicians are assistants to licensed pharmacists.  They are often responsible for the preparation, distribution or transfer of prescription medications, in addition to other duties such as filing, ordering, record keeping, insurance processing, restocking, database management and customer service.  The tasks of a typical pharmaceutical assistant include counting tablets, attaching labels to containers and frequently checking printed matter for compliance.  Despite the job's critical nature, less than one third of the pharmacy technicians employed in the state of Arkansas are licensed by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB).  It is, however, a fairly safe guess that more job opportunities and higher salaries are available to Board Certified pharmacy technicians.

Arkansas State Regulations for Pharmacy Technicians

Board certification in the form of a license is not currently required in Arkansas, nor is any particular type of training.  Continuing education is similarly voluntary.  However, pharmacy technicians have access to many controlled substances, so state laws and specific regulations do apply.  Written state laws pertaining to Arkansas pharmacy technicians deal with topics such as product labeling, record keeping, prescription transfer and other professional pharmaceutical activities.   Employment as a pharmacy technician requires a permit from the state board.  Registration for a permit involves paying various fees for administration services and background checks.  State Board registration expires on December 31st and must be renewed every two years.  A pharmacy technician permit applicant must be a high school graduate of at least 18 years of age with no felony convictions.  A permit is not to be confused with a license, which would involve detailed testing, employment internships and continuing education.  The Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy provides detailed, up-to-date information pertaining to testing, regulations and licensing for pharmacy technicians.

Arkansas Training Programs for Pharmacy Technicians Include:

Pre-med students, neighborhood job hunters and other Arkansas residents seeking employment as pharmaceutical technicians sometimes earn diplomas at accredited local colleges.  Popular schools with certificate programs for pharmacy technicians include Arkansas State University in Beebe and University of Phoenix, which maintains campuses in Rogers and Little Rock.  Accredited training is also available through participating local pharmacies.  Meanwhile, other aspiring pharmacy technicians opt for online training programs.  Successful accredited online colleges for pharmacy technicians include Ashworth College, Santa Barbara Business College, Florida Career Institute, BioHealth College and Ayers Career College, to name only a few.