Texas State Board of Pharmacy Awards PTCB with Contract As Pharmacy Technician Certification Provider

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 pre-requisite 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."