Pharmacy Technician Continuing Education 2026

To start your PTCB Recertification, you need to have these requirements:  

• During your recertification period of 2 years, you need to complete a minimum of 20 hours of CE. It must include 1 hour of Pharmacy Law and 1 hour of Patient Safety. 
• For the CE hours that you have obtained, it must be in pharmacy technician-specific subject matter as outlined by the PTCE Blueprint. It can also be those offered by ACPE-accredited providers that have a target audience designation “T.”   

To track your PTCB CE hours, you can use the CPE Monitor. It is a service of the NABP or the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. You can apply for recertification or renewal of your pharmacy technician certification without manually entering your CE hours on your PTCB Account by using the service.  Practice with the free Pharmacy Technician practice test on PracticeTestGeeks (16 questions with answer explanations).

Take note that you also need to start your renewal application 60 days before the expiration date of your certificate. If you are not able to do this, then you are no longer certified. You should instead apply for reinstatement within 1 year of the expiration of your certification to reclaim your active status.

📚 CE Programs and Courses

There are many programs to choose from. Some even offer free CE for pharmacy technicians. If you have a difficult time looking for programs for your PTCB continuing education, you can check out some of the sample CE providers below as resourced by PTCB. 

Pharmacy candidates preparing for licensure can practice with our ExCPT pharmacy technician exam 2026, covering drug classifications, dosage calculations, and pharmacy law tested on the national certification exam.

Healthcare professionals preparing for certification should also practice with our MPJE pharmacy law exam 2026, which covers the clinical reasoning, patient care, and pharmacology sections of the official exam.

Pharmacy technicians working in sterile compounding can prepare for PTCB certification with our free CSPT Compounded Sterile Preparation Technician practice test — covering USP standards, aseptic technique, and quality assurance.

Healthcare professionals seeking additional clinical credentials may also find value in the Pharmacy Technician Practice Test 2026, which covers drug classifications and dispensing knowledge relevant to pharmaceutical careers.

• American Association of Pharmacy Technicians
• American College of Apothecaries
• American Pharmacists Association
• American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
• Ceimpact.com
• freeCE
• Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists
• Michigan Pharmacists Association Online CE
• Michigan Pharmacists Association Technician Membership
• National Pharmacy Technician Association
• PharmacistsSchools.org
• PharmacyTechCE
• Pharmacy Tech Topics™
• Pharmacy Technician's Letter
• Pharmacy Times
• Power-Pak C.E.®
• RxSchool ®
• U.S. Pharmacist
• State Pharmacy Associations

Free Pharmacy Technician Study Tools

Interactive Pharmacy Technician resources on PracticeTestGeeks, free to start:

• PTCB Practice Test 4 — 16 questions with instant scoring and answer explanations
• Pharmacy Technician flashcards — review key terms and concepts card by card
• Pharmacy Technician study guide — topic-by-topic overview of what the exam covers
• Pharmacy Technician cheat sheet — one-page printable summary for last-minute review

Pharmacy Technician Exam at a Glance

Facts verified Oct 20, 2026 against Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.

How much does it cost to renew your PTCB certification?

🙋 Pharmacy Technician Questions

According to PTCB’s official website, the renewal fees are broken down into the following amount:

• For CPhT recertification,  you are required every two years to pay an application fee of $49. 
• For CPhT reinstatement, you are required every two years to pay an application fee of $49 plus a reinstatement fee of $40, which means that you’ll have to pay a total of $89.

If you also want to consider other fees, then for the late application processing fee, you’ll have to pay $25.  For the reprocessing fee, it is $10.

How long to be a pharmacy tech?

It all depends on the pharmacy technician classes that you’ll choose. You can either take the pharmacy technician training or the pharmacy technician post-secondary education program. The former requires you to have on-the-job training at retail or hospital pharmacies that usually lasts for weeks. The latter is when you want to pursue formal education. It might take 9 months to 24 months, depending on which program you’ll choose, be it a certificate, diploma, or associate degree. 

How to get nationally certified to be a pharmacy technician?

To become a pharmacy technician nationally, you’ll have to take the CPhT exam to get your PTCB license. If you complete the required education and training, then you’ll have to pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination or PTCE for short. You need to review and prepare properly. You can use our pharmacy tech practice test. We have PTCB practice questions or pharmacy technician study guide. We at Practice Test Geeks offer free online practice tests that can help you get that certification in no time.     

What are the topics covered in a pharmacy technician school?

There are many topics included in the coursework for pharmacy technicians. It often involves the 9 knowledge domains that are the focus of the PTCE. These are Pharmacology, Pharmacy Law and Regulations, Sterile and Non-sterile Compounding, Medication Safety, Pharmacy Quality Assurance, Medication Order Entry and Fill Process, Pharmacy Inventory Management, Pharmacy Billing and Reimbursement, and Pharmacy Information Systems Usage and Application.

How many CE credits for pharmacy technicians need?

A minimum of 20 hours of continuing education must be completed, which must include the following: One hour of continuing education in pharmacy law. One hour of continuing education on patient safety.

Why is it important to become a member of pharmacy technician organizations?

Maintaining membership in an organization is necessary in order to take advantage of the various values and benefits that each may provide. Participating in a professional group can also help enhance a career, expand networking connections, and provide opportunities for leadership.

Is it free CE for pharmacy technicians Walgreens?

Yes. The ACPE or Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education recognizes its online courses as a great option to acquire free continuing education credit hours.

Is it easy to apply for pharmacy tech license?

Yes. All you need is a high school diploma and on-site experience. The journey to become a certified pharmacy technician is well worth it.

What are the pharmacy tech study guide?

You may wonder "How to get pharmacy tech certified?" or "How to study for PTCB?" The following are some tips for passing the pharmacy technician board certification exam.

• Get to start on your books.
• Exam preparation is essential.
• Make use of practice tests.
• Condense your knowledge.
• Make a study schedule.

What is Oncology pharmacy technician certification?

As a pharmacy technician with a specialist certification in oncology, you will prepare and distribute chemotherapeutic drugs for patients receiving cancer treatment in hospitals or outpatient oncology infusion clinics under the supervision of a supervising pharmacist.

Sample Pharmacy Technician Practice Questions

Try these questions from our free Pharmacy Technician practice tests. The correct answer and an explanation follow each question.

1. A pharmacy technician receives a call from someone claiming to be a physician requesting a prescription. What should the technician do?

   • A. Fill the prescription based on verbal order
   • B. Transfer to the pharmacist, who is responsible for accepting verbal orders
   • C. Require a written prescription before dispensing
   • D. Ask for the physician's license number and fill the prescription

Answer: B. Transfer to the pharmacist, who is responsible for accepting verbal orders

Pharmacy technicians are NOT authorized to accept verbal prescription orders from prescribers. This must be handled by a licensed pharmacist. The technician should transfer the call to the pharmacist.

Answer: B. 73.60%

To calculate the mark-up percentage, first find the profit by subtracting the cost price from the selling price: $49.99 - $28.79 = $21.20. Next, divide the profit by the cost price: $21.20 / $28.79 ≈ 0.7363. Finally, multiply by 100 to express it as a percentage, which is approximately 73.60%.

Answer: C. Confirming a patient's prescription pickup with their adult child who was designated on file

HIPAA permits disclosure of patient information to individuals specifically authorized by the patient (e.g., family member listed on file). Unauthorized disclosure to neighbors, employers, or allowing public visibility of prescription info violates HIPAA.

Answer: A. 2,500 mg

First, determine the total grams of medication needed. The solution contains 0.05g per 5mL. To find the amount in 250mL, set up a proportion: (0.05g / 5mL) = (X g / 250mL). Solving for X, X = (0.05g * 250mL) / 5mL = 2.5 grams. Finally, convert grams to milligrams: 2.5 grams * 1000 mg/gram = 2500 mg.

Take the full Pharmacy Technician practice test