Requirements to Become a Pharmacy Technician in Tennessee

As of June 1st, 2012, the state of Tennessee houses more than fourteen hundred hospital and retail pharmacies within its borders.  According to demographic employment data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Tennessee pharmacies currently support well over eleven thousand full time pharmacy technicians.  Pharmacy technicians are skilled healthcare professionals who assist licensed pharmacists with the preparation, processing and handling of various federally controlled substances.  However, despite federal laws prohibiting the handling of prescriptions by unlicensed assistants, more than a thousand technicians currently employed at Tennessee pharmacies do not hold valid, up-to-date licenses from the state Board of Pharmacy.  Rules and regulations regarding pharmacy technicians vary from state to state. 

Tennessee State Regulations for Pharmacy Technicians

Tennessee is not one of the fourteen U.S. states that requires Board certification and valid licensing for its locally employed pharmacy technicians.  Certification is strictly voluntary. However, all pharmacy technicians employed at Tennessee pharmacies are required to register with the state Pharmacy Board.  All candidates for registration must submit a statement attesting to their professional integrity, as well as an affidavit from an employer verifying the individual's knowledge of pharmaceuticals and state pharmacy regulations. Registrants must submit a fully completed application, along with a fifty dollar registration fee made payable to the Tennessee Board of Pharmacy.  Registration must be renewed every two years, no later than the day on which the license was initially granted.  A fifty dollar renewal fee will apply.  All fees associated with registration and renewal are the sole responsibility of the applying candidate.  The activities of pharmacy technicians are primarily regulated by existing state and federal laws.  For instance, Tennessee state law mandates that the maximum allowable ratio of pharmacy technicians to pharmacists is two to one (2:1), but may be increased to three to one (3:1) as long as at least one of the three is fully licensed and Board certified. 

Tennessee Training Programs for Pharmacy Technicians Include:

Tennessee residents interested in working as pharmacy technicians often acquire skills at accredited local colleges like High Tech Institute in Memphis, South College in Knoxville or Daymar Institute, located in Murfreesboro and Nashville.  Also popular is University of Phoenix, featuring facilities in Chattanooga, Cordova, Franklin and Nashville.  Some aspiring pharmacy technicians acquire skills online.  Popular accredited online colleges for pharmacy technicians include Eagle Gate College, Provo College, Sanford Brown College, Institute of Technology and Harris School of Business, to name only a few.