Do Pharmacy Technicians get regulated in Iowa?
Yes, Pharmacy Technicians do get regulated in Iowa.
Is certification required for one to practice as Pharmacy Technician in Iowa?
Yes, the State Board of Pharmacy in Iowa requires Pharmacy Technicians to obtain certification as of January 1, 2010. If you are not yet certified and registered as a pharmacy technician trainee, you are given 1 year to obtain certification.
What are the approved certification exams required by the State Board of Pharmacy in Iowa?
The approved certification exams include PTCB (PTCE) and/or ICPT (ExCPT).
When does Pharmacy Technician registration starts?
Pharmacy Technician registration starts within 30 days upon employment.
Is Pharmacy Technician licensure required in Iowa?
Yes, the registration application for Pharmacy Technician license must be submitted within 30 days upon employment acceptance in a pharmacy as a certified pharmacy technician or technician-in-training.
What should I do to become a License Pharmacy Technician?
- For certified pharmacy technicians in the State of Iowa, you must submit an application to the State Board of Pharmacy requesting registration as a Certified Pharmacy Technician. You may download the form here. If you are a technician trainee, do the same thing but use the technician trainee registration form instead. Download the application here.
- Include the $55 registration fee for certified pharmacy technician and $22 for technician trainees.
Is training required for Pharmacy Technicians in Iowa?
No, however, the pharmacy is responsible to provide training to their hired technicians and keep accurate records of their training.
Are Pharmacy Technicians required to have a Continuing Education or CE?
No, Pharmacy Technicians who practice in Iowa are not required to have continuing education unless you want to maintain your certification.
How often is the Pharmacy Technician License renewal required?
Iowa License for Pharmacy Technicians must be renewed on the last day of the registrant€™s birth month every 2 years. Your renewal application is usually sent 2 months before the expiration of the current registration. Renewal fee is $55.
What must be done if I change jobs or change my home address?
The Iowa State Board of Pharmacy must be notified within 10 days.
Other good to know Iowa Pharmacy Technician requirements:
- Pharmacy technician€™s certificate of registration must be visible and displayed at a designated place in the pharmacy at all times where he is currently employed.
- Technicians must wear their nametag at all times during working hours to identify him or her as a pharmacy technician.
- The supervising pharmacist takes full responsibility of all actions of the pharmacy technician.
- Those pharmacy technicians who are still uncertified but have registered with the State Board of Pharmacy in Iowa before January 1, 2010 and have worked as a technician with a minimum of 2,000 work-hours during the 18-month period before the registration renewal and continued to work as a pharmacy technician for a minimum of 2,000 work hours during any period until December 31, 2013 are qualified for an extension of the deadline for the national certification. The pharmacist in charge of the technician must be able to provide an affidavit to certify the technician€™s length of employment and the number of hours he or she have worked as a pharmacy technician of a particular pharmacy. The affidavit must be submitted together with the application registration renewal form. They are still identified as uncertified on the certificate of registration. They are given until December 31, 2013 to become certified.
Resources:
Iowa Board of Pharmacy
www.state.ia.us/ibpe/pharmacy_technician/index.html
Office: 400 SW Eighth Street, Suite E. Des Moines, Iowa 50309-4688
Telephone: 515-281-5944 Fax: 515-281-4609
Professional Association for an Iowa Pharmacy Technician:
Iowa Pharmacy Association
www.iarx.org