In the ever-changing society, pharmacy and healthcare professions in particular, the position of a pharmacy technician is indispensable in assisting pharmacists and managing the functioning of pharmacy services. Certification is crucial in the field to improve the professional skills, employability, and potential wages of pharmacy technicians. This article provides an overview of the certifications that a pharmacy technician should possess, and the author underscores the significance of acquiring additional certifications in a career that specializes in pharmacy.
Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT)
Overview:
The PTCB issues the CPhT credential, which is currently one of the most popular certifications within the profession. This certification is obtained once the candidates have passed the PTCB examination through the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board, which seeks to assess the candidate’s knowledge and competency on issues related to the practice of pharmacy.
Benefits:
The CPhT certification proves that the holder has the necessary knowledge and is a dedicated member of the pharmacy technician workforce. It is usually a standard procedure for attaining a job in most pharmacy practices, including hospitals, retail pharmacies, and extended care facilities. Furthermore, holders of certification often have better employment opportunities and are better paid than uncertified technicians.
National Healthcareer Association (NHA) Certification
Overview:
Another highly sought-after pharmacy technician certification is the ExCPT, which stands for the Exam for Certification of Pharmacy Technicians, administered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA). This certification ensures that a technician possesses knowledge and relevant skills in helping pharmacists, compounding drugs, and engaging customers.
Benefits:
The NHA certification is well recognized in different settings of pharmacy. It means that technicians who are ready for the job will fully cover the technical side of practice, including medication administration and communication with patients and other healthcare professionals. This certification can be helpful when a technician wants to get a new job, as it will add to his resume and increase his chances of getting a better job.
Compounded Sterile Preparation Technician (CSPT)
Overview:
The Next is compounded Sterile Preparation Technician (CSPT) certification, which, the PTCB also gives is for specialists in preparing sterile medications. This certification is only applicable to those who have a CPhT certification first, and who pass the CSPT exam that centers on the safe and accurate compounding of sterile medications.
Benefits:
This specialty, as a CSPT, unveils more opportunities for an advanced career in hospitals and specialty pharmacies that require sterile compounding. This certification ensures that a technician has adequate skills in this niche market, making him or her a great addition to a pharmacy team.
Advanced Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT-Adv)
Overview:
The CCPhT—Advis is designed to show employers and the public that technicians possess more than the basic level of proficiency. To be employed, technicians must have the CPhT certification and further education or certification in specific service lines such as medication therapy management, immunization services, or hazardous drug service.
Benefits:
The CPhT-Adv certification program recognizes one’s higher competency and commitment to a career as a pharmacy technician. It can act as a gateway to promotions to other senior positions, better-paid positions, and more secure positions. Technicians with such certifications are more capable of assuming additional duties within the scope of their practice and becoming valuable assets to their respective pharmacy organizations.
Medication Therapy Management (MTM) Certification
Overview:
The MTM certification aims to improve medication use outcomes for customers. This certification entails nurturing overall medication therapy management, patient education, and coordination with other clinicians in managing medication therapies.
Benefits:
MTM-certified technicians have a great responsibility to contribute to better patient outcomes because they are responsible for the medications’ appropriate utilization. This certification is more useful in areas that involve direct engagement with the patient and handling medicines and drugs, such as the community pharmacy and outpatient clinics.
Conclusion
In this context, it is crucial to acquire certifications when pursuing a career as a pharmacy technician or seeking to become a pharmacy specialist. Certifications like CPhT, NHA, CSPT, CPhT-Adv, and MTM not only attest to a technician’s practical and theoretical competency but also increase his professional status, employment prospects, and pay package. As such, pharmacy technicians who invest in these must-have certifications can play a huge role in enhancing the functionality of pharmacy operations and, therefore, the well-being of patients.
