Requirements to Become a Pharmacy Technician in Ohio

The state of Ohio features many local employment opportunities for qualified pharmaceutical technicians.  Pharmacy technicians are health professionals who assist licensed pharmacists in the preparation of prescription medications.  They also provide customer service and perform administrative tasks such as record keeping and database management.  The responsibilities of pharmacy technicians include counting tablets, labeling prescription containers, filing records, updating patient profiles and preparing insurance forms, as well as (sometimes) answering phones, stocking shelves, sending faxes and handling money.  Since pharmacy technicians also handle controlled substances, various state-specific regulations often may apply.

Ohio State Regulations for Pharmacy Technicians
The Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam is included in the list of regulations for 42 states. However, some states, including Ohio, do not require any professional certification for pharmacy technicians.  In spite of this, it seems reasonable to imagine that licensed pharmaceutical technicians have a broader range of local employment opportunities and may earn higher starting salaries than their skilled-but-unlicensed colleagues.  

The standard practices of local pharmacy technicians are largely covered by state laws. Accredited certification is not currently a legal requirement in Ohio.  Hiring decisions are at the sole discretion of the pharmacist, provided the employee is at least 18 years of age and produces a clean criminal background check.

Written state laws pertaining to Ohio pharmacy technicians detail topics like drug labeling, record keeping, prescription transfer and other highly regulated pharmacy-related activities. For instance, current Ohio state law dictates that unlicensed pharmaceutical technicians CANNOT mix, label or package any controlled substances, nor can they prepare any intravenous solution for human use.  Exceptions are limited to supervised interns, pharmacists and certain other health care professionals.   

However, pharmacy technicians are often responsible for checking labels for compliance.  In the case of Ohio, state law requires that all labels for controlled substances must contain the pharmacy name, patient name, pharmacist name, drug name, serial number, strength, quantity, dosage, directions and date dispensed, as well as any specific cautionary notes.  What's more, the label must be affixed to the container of the drug.

The Ohio State Board of Pharmacy provides complete and current information regarding exams, regulations and licensing for pharmacy technicians. Those seeking information can contact Kyle W. Parker, the Executive Director of the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy, located at 77 South High Street in Columbus.  Mr. Parker can be reached by phone at 614-466-4143, by fax at 614-752-4836 or by email at exec@bop.ohio.gov.

Ohio Educational Options for Pharmacy Technicians Include:

Ohio residents interested in working as pharmaceutical technicians can acquire skills at accredited local colleges.  National College maintains facilities in Akron, Columbus, Canton, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Youngstown.  Brown Mackie College has campuses in Akron, Cincinnati, Findlay and North Canton.  Daymar College is located in Jackson, New Boston and Bellevue.  Other nationally accredited local schools for aspiring pharmacy technicians are Everest Institute in Gahanna, Heritage College in Columbus, Kaplan College in Dayton and Sanford Brown College or Remington College, both located in Cleveland.

Some aspiring pharmacy technicians acquire skills online.  Popular accredited online colleges for pharmacy technicians include Ultimate Medical Academy, Keiser University, Ashworth College, Southern Careers Institute and All-State Career Health Division, to name only a few.