Requirements to Become a Pharmacy Technician in Massachusetts

As of June 1st, 2012, more than seven thousand pharmacy technicians are employed full time at more than a thousand hospital and retail pharmacies scattered throughout the state of Massachusetts.  Massachusetts is one of fourteen states that require Board certification for all pharmacy technicians.  Nonetheless, only about sixty percent of pharmacy technicians working in Massachusetts pharmacies are technically licensed to do so.  For Massachusetts pharmacy technicians, registration and renewal are more a question of paperwork than an indication of job performance.  In any case, guidelines and regulations regarding pharmacy technicians vary from state to state. 

Massachusetts State Regulations for Pharmacy Technicians

As mentioned, Board certification is mandatory for all pharmacy technicians employed in Massachusetts.  All applicants for state licensing must register with the Massachusetts Board of Pharmacy.  Qualified registrants are Massachusetts residents who are eighteen years of age or older with a minimum educational achievement of a high school diploma or GED.  Successful applicants also produce a “clean” background check free of prior drug felonies.  Registrants must submit a fully completed application form with a $136 registration fee enclosed.  A state-approved training program must be completed prior to registration.  Renewal is due every two years, no later than the birthday of the registrant.  The renewal fee is $51.  All fees associated with registration are the sole responsibility of the applicant.  Massachusetts pharmacy technicians must also pass a Board-approved exam to acquire a valid license.  The state of Massachusetts approves either of two standardized tests.  The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) test and the Exam for Certified Pharmacy Technicians (ExCPT) are both valid.  The activities of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Massachusetts are regulated by local pharmacists, the state Pharmacy Board and federal laws.  For example, the maximum allowable technician to pharmacist ratio is three to one (3:1), but can be increased to 4:1 if (and only if) at least two of them are fully Board certified with up-to-date licenses.

Massachusetts Training Programs for Pharmacy Technicians Include:

Massachusetts residents interested in working as pharmaceutical technicians can acquire skills at accredited local colleges like Lincoln Technical Institute in Lowell or University of Phoenix, located in Braintree, Burlington and Westborough. Some aspiring pharmacy technicians acquire skills online.  Popular accredited online colleges for pharmacy technicians include Pioneer Pacific College, Institute of Technology, Newbridge College, Landsdale School of Business and Anthem College, to name only a few.