Please provide a brief description of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB).

Formed by a collaboration of leading pharmacy societies and associations, PTCB became the first certification organization for pharmacy technicians in the U.S. in 1995. And with a history spanning nearly 30 years, PTCB is still the undisputed leader in credentialing pharmacy technicians across the country. We maintain transparency and are the only nonprofit pharmacy credentialing organization in the U.S. Our mission is to advance medication safety by credentialing technicians who are qualified to support pharmacists and patient care teams in all practice settings.

Approximately how many credential programs does PTCB offer?

PTCB offers three certification programs and 11 assessment-based certificate programs. The certifications we offer are Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT), Certified Compounded Sterile Preparation Technician® (CSPT) and Advanced Certified Pharmacy Technician™ (CPhT-Adv).

Did you intentionally seek a career with PTCB? If not, what caused your interest?

I was graduating college with a degree in public affairs and policy while working as a pharmacy technician at a local hospital. I briefly considered becoming a pharmacist but decided against it. As graduation approached and with zero prospects, I was feeling slightly down on my luck. Fortunately, a pharmacy intern I was training in the IV room suggested I look at jobs at PTCB. There was an opening; I interviewed, they made the offer and I’ve been here ever since. I firmly believe that things happen for a reason and I am extremely grateful for the pharmacy profession wanting me to stick around.

As Director of Professional Affairs at PTCB, what are your key responsibilities?

I am responsible for the development and maintenance of relationships with employers and educators of pharmacy technicians who advocate for and/or require PTCB certification and credentialing programs. I am also responsible for advising senior leadership on business development opportunities with employers and educators, assisting with account management of PTCB partnerships, and creating materials and infrastructure to develop new partnerships. I travel to state and national pharmacy and health career education-related meetings to advance the PCTB mission. I also serve as the Director of Pharmacy Technician Educators Council (PTEC), a division of PTCB.

Can you briefly explain PTEC and how it impacts/influences technician education? Please also include who can join PTEC.

The Pharmacy Technician Educators Council (PTEC) is a volunteer membership association for pharmacy technician educators and trainers. Our mission is to unite, support and empower educators in teaching and training pharmacy technicians. Membership is available to anyone who trains and/or educates pharmacy technicians. This includes, but is not limited to, pharmacy technicians, pharmacists, community and health system trainers, and secondary and post-secondary health science educators. Members have access to benefits, including continuing education, peer-to-peer networking, Leadership Committee Town Halls and Membership Labs.

PTEC has been around since 1989 and became part of PTCB in December 2022. I facilitate and serve as the staff liaison for PTEC, assisting with educating and training pharmacy technicians to adhere to best professional practices and promote the pharmacy technician's profession.

The PTEC annual conference will make its long awaited return this July 11-13 in Charleston, South Carolina. This will be the first time the membership has met since the last in-person conference in 2019. The conference will be a great opportunity for members to meet with curriculum providers, textbook publishers and other industry experts, as well as enjoy networking opportunities with their peers.

You’ve been with PTCB for more than 10 years. What changes have you witnessed throughout those years?

When I started at PTCB in 2013, there was one certification. We now offer three certifications and 11 assessment-based certificate programs to support the work that pharmacy technicians are doing in practice areas across the country. It has been an honor to be a part of that growth. We’ve also seen the pharmacy profession grow extensively in a relatively short period of time. Employers have started to empower pharmacy technicians to advance and develop their careers. For example, in 2013, I wasn’t aware of any mention of pharmacy technicians administering immunizations. The COVID-19 pandemic, albeit irrefutably terrible, pushed our profession to innovate and utilize our workforce to its full potential, allowing pharmacy technicians to administer COVID vaccinations. Another great change throughout the country is the inclusion of pharmacy technicians on state boards of pharmacy. It seems like common sense to include a pharmacy technician on a state board of pharmacy, but it is still relatively new. From administering vaccinations to managing hazardous drugs, technicians now have more opportunities for growth than ever before.

Do you see a common thread in employers (pharmacies and health systems) who require PTCB credentials?

PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technicians (CPhTs) have an increased level of job satisfaction as compared to their non-PTCB-certified colleagues. Our recent workforce survey observed that nearly 60 percent of PTCB CPhTs consider the profession as their career — 14 percent more than non-certified technicians. Half of the PTCB CPhTs surveyed have worked in the field for at least 10 years compared to just 8 percent of non-certified techs. This career longevity, coupled with employers recognizing advanced roles for certified technicians, further increases job satisfaction. Of course, certification is often seen as a must-do for employment, either according to state board of pharmacy rules or as a condition of employment.

What advice would you offer to a technician who’s interested in obtaining credentials?

For a technician interested in earning their CPhT for the first time, I would definitely recommend the practice tools available from PTCB prior to sitting for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam® (PTCE). We recently launched a new Pre-PTCE® practice exam that mimics the PTCE; it’s made up of retired PTCE questions. The Pre-PTCE also provides feedback to candidates on how they performed in each of the four knowledge areas.

For a CPhT interested in advancing their career, I would encourage them to explore the 11 assessment-based certificate programs. Some CPhTs are currently working in these advanced areas without certification. It’s also important to not let current day-to-day tasks limit a CPhT who is interested in advancing their career. These assessment certificates are available to anyone who meets the eligibility requirements.

What does the future hold for compounding technicians and PTCB?

Pharmacy technicians have always played an important part in compounding. PTCB recently launched a Nonsterile Compounding certificate program which, while important on its own, can also be a step on the pathway to earn CPhT-Adv certification. CSPT certification has been offered since 2017, and because sterile compounding best practices and standards change, it now requires recertification similar to the CPhT certification. It also may be used as a step toward the CPhT-Adv certification. One exciting way we’ve seen these credentials being used is by employers creating career paths, using PTCB credentials as requirements for certain job codes or by offering other incentivization for earning these credentials.

Our 2024 Profiles in Personalized Medicine theme is “Compounding: It’s Personal.” How does obtaining PTCB credentials reflect this theme?

My past experience in sterile and nonsterile compounding taught me that at every point in the process, there’s an opportunity to make someone’s life a bit better. The personal effect my work had on people’s wellness will always stay with me. From more recent experience, I’ve seen how earning PTCB credentials can truly improve someone’s life — whether by building self-confidence, receiving that big promotion or earning higher wages. If these credentials existed when I was practicing, I would have liked to earn CSPT certification and the Nonsterile Compounding certificate, not just to advance my own pharmacy technician career but also to demonstrate the commitment I will always have to advancing patient safety.

Listen to Zach discuss his experience in The Mortar & Pestle production of Tech Talk, hosted by PCCA Director of Member Engagement Erin Michael. You can access more information about PTCB certifications and certificate programs at ptcb.org.