Pharmacy Technician Certification Board Is Awarded Contract By Texas State Board Of Pharmacy For Provision Of Certification Services

WASHINGTON, June 26, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Texas State Board of Pharmacy (TSBP) has awarded the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) a contract designating PTCB as the only TSBP-recognized certifying body for pharmacy technicians. The four-year agreement will take effect on September 1 and replace a previous contract with PTCB due to expire on August 31.

PTCB welcomes the new TSBP contract and the opportunity to support the more than 42,000 active PTCB-Certified Pharmacy Technicians (CPhTs) in Texas. PTCB was selected for the contract after a rigorous bidding and evaluation process that included formal reviews and psychometric analysis. The thorough process allows TSBP to confidently continue to recognize PTCB as the single provider of an accredited certification examination for pharmacy technicians in Texas. PTCB's certification process includes passing PTCB's Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE), a nationally accredited certification examination that tests knowledge areas in all practice settings.

"Pharmacy technicians help manage pharmacy operations and provide essential support to pharmacists in the dispensing of medications," said PTCB Executive Director and CEO Everett B. McAllister, MPA, RPh. "PTCB applauds TSBP's commitment to patient safety and its leadership in requiring pharmacy technicians to meet a uniform standard for certification in Texas."

"The Texas State Board of Pharmacy is pleased that PTCB was again awarded this contract," said TSBP Executive Director/Secretary Gay Dodson, RPh. "We look forward to working with PTCB to advance patient care and safety in our state."

TSBP is the state agency responsible for registration of Texas pharmacy technicians, and for licensure and discipline of Texas pharmacists and pharmacies. In 1995, TSBP acted to make Texas the first state to require all pharmacy technicians to pass the PTCE before applying for registration. In 2001, the Texas legislature added this requirement to the Pharmacy Act and made passage of a TSBP-approved certification examination a prerequisite to technician registration.

About PTCB 
The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) advocates a single national standard for pharmacy technician certification that is recognized and supported by the profession. The goal of PTCB's national certification program, which services the more than 280,000 currently active certified pharmacy technicians (CPhTs) nationwide, is to enable pharmacy technicians to work more effectively with pharmacists to offer safe and effective patient care and service. PTCB was established in 1995 and is governed by five pharmacy organizations—the American Pharmacists Association, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists, the Michigan Pharmacists Association, and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Pharmacy technicians may apply for certification online at www.ptcb.org.

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SOURCE Pharmacy Technician Certification Board