North Carolina Pharmacy Tech School – NC

Education Required for North Carolina Pharmacy Technicians

Within the state of North Carolina, pharmacy technicians are used in a variety of ways to support the work of a supervising pharmacist. Pharmacy technicians in the state have also been approved to receive and give out prescriptions to the public during pharmacists' breaks. They may also assemble prescriptions in a pharmacist's absence, but the pharmacist must check the medication before it is distributed to any patient. Pharmacy technicians in North Carolina are considered a valuable part of any pharmacy's team, and the state's Board of Pharmacy and the North Carolina Association of Pharmacists is always looking for more ways to expand the pharmacy technician's role.

Whether you receive your education from formal online programs or North Carolina pharmacy technician schools, there are a few areas the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy specifies that it must cover. These include: pharmacy laws and regulations, pharmacy calculations, pharmacy terminology, proper handling and storage of medications, dispensing systems, labeling requirements, and record-keeping and documentation. If training is conducted on-the-job, it must be completed within 180 days of hire, unless the technician has already registered with the Board.

Although the NC Board of Pharmacy does not require its pharmacy technicians to fulfill continuing education requirements, the national PTCB requires 20 hours of CE in pharmacy-related topics, with one hour in pharmacy law, to maintain certification every two years. 10 hours of CE can be earned at your pharmacy, doing additional duties besides your regular ones. One college course in life science or math is permitted every two years, and counts as 15 hours of CE.

Through campus based and online programs, aspiring Pharmacy Techs in Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Durham, Winston-Salem, Fayetteville, Cary, High Point and Wilmington, North Carolina may be able to prepare themselves for the possibility of employment in some of the largest hospitals and healthcare facilities in the state including the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Forsyth Medical Center, Rutherford Hospital and Pitt County Memorial Hospital.