New Jersey Pharmacy Tech Schools & Certification

Pharmacy technicians in New Jersey collect information needed to fill customers' prescriptions. This information comes from health professionals or from prescriptions provided by the customers. Pharmacy technicians measure medication to fill prescriptions and package them for pickup. They also handle inventory and let pharmacists know when it’s time to reorder supplies or medication. If you choose to go into this field, you will also accept payments and handle insurance claims for pharmaceutical items.

Other duties include answering phone calls and customer questions, entering patient information into computer systems, and referring customers to the pharmacist when there are questions about health matters.

New Jersey Pharmacy Technician Certification Requirements

The New Jersey Board of Pharmacy Requires pharmacy technicians to register with the state. In order to register, you complete an online Pharmacy Technician Registration Form and pay a $35 application fee. You also have to keep your registration current. New Jersey pharmacy technicians have until March 31st to pay a $25 annual registration fee. This is just one of the requirements to become a pharmacy technician in the Garden State.

Becoming a pharmacy technician requires specialized training. Keep your information handy when filling out the registration form to save time and ensure that you can complete the registration form in one sitting.

Here is a list of requirements for N.J. pharm techs:

• Age 18 and over
• Completion of a high school diploma/GED
• Good moral character

To pass educational requirements to become a pharm tech, you can take a national exam or complete a training program approved by the New Jersey board of pharmacy.

When looking into training programs, ensure that the one you choose meets the state requirements. In New Jersey, pharmacy technicians have to pass a national exam or show proof that they completed a training program certified by the state board.

You can also check to see whether programs are accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. The ASHP credential shows that the program includes critical information needed to pass one of the national pharmacy exams.

If you are already working, you can look for a program that offers courses online so that you can study from the comfort of your own home.

Getting a certification enables you to take on more duties and responsibilities at a pharmacy. New Jersey recognizes two different national certifications. The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board and the Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians both hold exams for those who want to become certified as pharmacy technicians. Getting a certification from the PTCB or the ICPT greatly increases your marketability in the field.

New Jersey Pharmacy Technician Careers & Employment Outlook

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, New Jersey pharmacy technicians make an average of $34,550 per year which equates to an hourly total of $16.61. At the 10th and lowest percentile pharmacy technicians make $22,510 a year. At the 90th and top percentile, New Jersey pharmacy technicians make an average of $49,860 per year.

The greater New York-Newark-Jersey City area employs the greatest concentration of pharmacy technicians at nearly 21,000. Pharm techs in this area make about $17.43 per hour.

New Jersey Schools That Offer Pharmacy Technician Training Programs