Minnesota Pharmacy Technician Certification Requirements

Requirements: [MN Board Reg. 6800.3850]

• Applicant must be at least 16 years old. After January 2, 2012, it is proposed that applicants be 18 years of age.
  
  
• Effective January 1, 2013, new applicants must present board with evidence of high school diploma or equivalent.

• Applicant must submit an application  and payment to the pharmacy board.

Applicant must submit a renewal application with payment annually by December 31st.  Applicants may renew online and should be submitted by December 1st.

Effective January 1, 2013, renewals for any technicians initially registered after January 1, 2012 must demonstrate training by one of the board approved methods: 

• Program offered by a board-approved, accredited vocationa/technical institution or college
• Program offered by an accredited board-approved, national organization that accredited pharmacy technician training programs
• Program offered by a brand of the United Stated armed forces or Public Health Service
• Employer-based program with a minimum of 480 hours

The technician-to-pharmacist ratio is 2:1. It can be increased to 3:1 if one of the three technicians is certified by a board-approved program. Minnesota rules and regulations allow an automatic increase in technician-to-pharmacist ratio in specific pharmacy settings such as:

• Intravenous admixture preparation, 3:1
• Setting up or preparing patient specific prescriptions in unit-dose or modified unit-dose packaging, 3:1
• Pre-packing, 3:1
• Bulk compounding, 3:1

A proposed rule would require technicians participate in 20 hours continuing education per two-year renewal cycle.

The ExCPT has been approved by the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy.

Click here for a list of duties and responsibilities.