From January 1 to June 30, 2019, 142 West Virginia pharmacy technicians successfully passed the national Pharmacy Technician Certification exam. A total 213 candidates took the exam. West Virginia techs had a 67% pass rate, while an average of 57% of candidates nationwide passed the exam.
The exam included the following subjects: medication order entry and fill process; medication safety; pharmacology for technicians; pharmacy billing and reimbursement; pharmacy information system usage and applications; pharmacy inventory management; pharmacy law and regulations; pharmacy quality assurance; and sterile and non-sterile compounding.
Below are new West Virginia legislative rules for pharmacy technicians.
- A pharmacy technician who has obtained a national certification and practiced in another jurisdiction for at least a year is eligible for reciprocity in West Virginia. He or she must still apply as a pharmacy technician trainee and complete the 20 hour site-specific training program.
- Pharmacy technician trainees are required to have a minimum of 500 hours employment within a 12-month period under the direct supervision of a pharmacist to complete the on-the-job, competency-based pharmacy technician training program. This is a reduction in hours required from the 960 hours in 15 months.
- A pharmacy technician trainee has 90 days to pass the national test and get registered as a pharmacy technician after obtaining the required hours.
- A person who handles the prescription drug only during the point of sale to provide the prescription drug to a patient and accept payment is NOT subject to the licensure requirements of a pharmacy tech. This handling process includes the cashier having access to the pharmacy’s operating system to view unique information for each patient.
- A pharmacy may require an individual to complete a criminal background check before he or she is hired.
