Board of Pharmacy Requirements

Pharmacy Technician Licensing Requirements: The California State Board of Pharmacy has established procedures for the licensing of pharmacy technicians. To work as a pharmacy technician in the state of California, you must have a current pharmacy technician license.You are eligible to receive a pharmacy technician license in California if:

  • You are at least 18 years of age, and
  • You have a high school diploma or possesses a general educational development certificate equivalent (GED), and
  • You have a valid Social Security number, and
  • You pass a criminal background check to determine if you have committed acts that would constitute grounds for denial of licensure (done with Live Scan fingerprints), and
  • You have completed a Self-Query Report with the National Practitioner Data Bank Healthcare Integrity and protection Data Bank (www.npdb-hipdb.hrsa.gov), and
  • You meet at least one of the following criteria:
    1. Have completed a course of training specified by the California Board of Pharmacy in section 1793.6 of State Board of Pharmacy Rules and Regulations. (The Pharmacy Technician Program at Cerritos College meets the requirements in section 1793.6)
    2. Have obtained an Associate degree in Pharmacy Technology.
    3. Have graduated from a school of pharmacy recognized by the Board.
    4. Are certified by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). (The PTCB exam is a computer-based test of basic knowledge. You may not have the technical skills and hands-on experience required for the job!)

** Students with illicit drug(s) use and prior criminal records will not be granted licenses by the California State Board of Pharmacy. These students are discouraged from enrolling in the program.

https://www.pharmacy.ca.gov/applicants/tch.shtml