Commonly Asked Questions and Answers Regarding the Pharmacy Technician Registration Process
E-Mail questions regarding Technicians to: tech@pharmacy.texas.gov

How do I renew if I have a delinquent status?
A technician registration must be renewed every 2 years. Renewals are available online 75 days prior to expiration.  A person shall not perform the duties of a pharmacy technician unless they have and ACTIVE registration.
If a pharmacy technician registration is not renewed on or before the last day of the assigned expiration month, the technician’s registration is considered DELINQUENT.
DELINQUENT pharmacy technician registration may be renewed online but requires the payment of the renewal fee plus a delinquent penalty. See board rule 297.4
Allow 3 to 4 business days from the date renewal is submitted for the status to update to ACTIVE. Once ACTIVE, the registered pharmacy technician’s current certificate and wallet card will be available for printing.
Once the registration has been issued, allow a minimum of 48 hours for a certificate to be available for online printing.  ACTIVE registrations are verifiable online at: http://www.pharmacy.texas.gov/dbsearch/tech_search.asp

How do I change my address or employment?
Pharmacy Technicians are required to notify TSBP electronically or in writing within 10 days of a change of address or employment. A technician’s address must be kept current in order to receive correspondence from TSBP in a timely manner. If you prefer to see a video tutorial select one of the following:  Change of Address or Change of Employment
If you are a registered technician, you may make changes online by logging in.
If you are unable to make your changes online, complete the Change of Address Form email mailing@pharmacy.texas.gov
How do I change my name (official name change)?
The Board’s records and a technician’s certificate must accurately reflect their legal name. Technicians who change their name, through a legal name change, e.g., marriage or divorce, must notify the Board of the change within 10 days of receipt of the legal document effecting the change.
The following must be included when submitting a request to obtain a new registration card/pocket card showing the technician’s new name:

• a signed letter of explanation which includes the new name, clearly printed or typed exactly as it is to appear on the certificate and in the Board records;
• a copy of the legal document that changed the name, e.g., marriage license, divorce decree, or court order;

Mail all information above to:
Texas State Board of Pharmacy
333 Guadalupe Street, Suite 3-500
Austin, Texas 78701
A new certificate will be available for printing within 48 hours after receipt of a request meeting all requirements as stated above.  If you need to verify that the name has been updated prior to printing your registration certification, please go here.

How do I obtain a duplicate (replacement) Technician Registration card)?
A new certificate is available for printing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week going to https://www.pharmacy.texas.gov/certificates/printing/ and selecting the appropriate certificate type.

Can I transfer my registration from another state to Texas?
A pharmacy technician license in another state cannot be transferred to Texas.  In order to work as a pharmacy technician the state of Texas, an individual must first become nationally certified through the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) or The Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ExCPT). PTCB is the agency which administers the national examination and can be reached at 1-800-363-8012 or via their website at http://www.ptcb.org/.  ExCPT is a nationally accredited certification exam for pharmacy technicians offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) and can be reached at (800) 499-9092 or by via website at http://www.nhanow.com/certifications/pharmacy-technician.
Once a technician has obtained their national certification, the technician may then register with the Texas State Board of Pharmacy (TSBP). The TSBP Pharmacy Technician Registration Application Form can be found at http://www.pharmacy.texas.gov/Pharmacytechs.asp  

Are pharmacy technicians required to attend a special training course or obtain a formal education?
The laws and rules governing the practice of pharmacy allows TSBP to set standards for approval of pharmacy technician training programs. However, pharmacy technician training programs are not required to be approved by the Board. Currently, programs approved by the Board are programs currently accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). A list of programs that are accredited by ASHP can be found at the following link. http://www.ashp.org/menu/Technicians/Technician-Training-Directory
Although the Board sets standards for the approval of pharmacy technician training programs, the Board rules do not require individuals seeking to become registered as a pharmacy technician to take a formal training course. Completion of such a course would not change any on-site training requirements required for pharmacy technicians.

Are pharmacy technicians required to maintain both their PTCB certification or ExCPT certification AND state registration?
Board rules require pharmacy technicians to have a current PTCB certification or ExCPT certification in order to complete the initial registration. Once a technician is registered with TSBP, they may choose whether or not to maintain their PTCB certification or ExCPT certification. Although maintaining national certification is not necessary to practice as a pharmacy technician in Texas, many pharmacy technicians choose to maintain their PTCB or ExCPT certifications because (1) several large employers require national certification in addition to state registration and (2) it can assist in technician registration in other states, should the technician choose to move outside of Texas.

Are pharmacy technicians required to obtain continuing education (CE)?
Yes. Pharmacy technicians are required to obtain CE as outlined by Board Rule 297.8, and are subject to random audit by TSBP. National certification through PTCB or NHA (ExCPT) no longer exempts pharmacy technicians from TSBP CE requirements or random audit by the Board. Pharmacy technicians may count CE obtained for national certification toward their TSBP CE requirement as long as the CE meets TSBP requirements and falls within the current TSBP renewal period.