Pennsylvania Scorecard

Grading Scale:
A – 85-100%, B – 70-84.9%, C – 55-69.9%, D – 40-54.9%, F – 0-39.9%

Grading Categories & Criteria

Pennsylvania Law

I. Laws

https://www.palegis.us/statutes/consolidated

Pennsylvania Code

https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=/secure/pacode/data/049/chapter27/chap27toc.html

§ 27.1. Definitions.

Pharmacy technician—

(i) An individual who is registered with the Board as a pharmacy technician under section 3.3(a) of the act (63 P.S. § 390-3.3(a)) and § 27.701 (relating to qualifications for pharmacy technician registration) and who may assist in the practice of pharmacy under the direct and immediate personal supervision of a licensed pharmacist.

(ii) The term does not include an individual performing clerical support with no direct interaction with prescription medication or ability to enter a prescription drug order.

Pharmacy technician trainee—An individual who has been issued a temporary registration by the Board under section 3.3(b) of the act and § 27.703 (relating to qualifications for pharmacy technician trainee registration) that authorizes the individual to perform the duties of a pharmacy technician under the direct and immediate personal supervision of a licensed pharmacist.” “§ 27.12. Practice of pharmacy and delegation of duties.

(d) Pharmacy technicians and pharmacy technician trainees.

(1) A pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee may work only under the direct and immediate personal supervision of a pharmacist in accordance with subsection (b)(2).

(2) The following are examples of the types of activities which a pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee may perform:

(i) Carry containers of drugs in and around the pharmacy.

(ii) Count pills, tablets and capsules and put them in a container.

(iii) Type or print, or both, labels.

(iv) Maintain records which are related to the practice of pharmacy.

(v) {Reserved}.

(vi) Enter prescription, drug order or patient information in a patient profile.

(vii) Assist the pharmacist in the compounding of sterile and nonsterile drug products, as permitted by the written protocol created and maintained in accordance with paragraph (4).

(3) A pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee may not do any of the following:

(i) Accept or transcribe an oral order or telephone prescription.

(ii) Enter or be in a pharmacy if a pharmacist is not on duty.

(iii) Perform any act within the practice of pharmacy that involves discretion or independent professional judgment.

(iv) Perform a duty until the pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee has been trained and the duty has been specified in a written protocol.

(4) The pharmacist manager shall create and maintain a written protocol for each pharmacy technician and pharmacy technician trainee employed in the pharmacy. The protocol shall specify each duty which the pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee may perform. The pharmacist manager and the pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee shall date and sign the protocol and each amendment to the protocol. When a change of pharmacist manager occurs, the new manager shall review the protocol and sign it, indicating that the new manager understands its contents. The pharmacist manager shall make the protocol available to agents of the Board upon demand.

(5) A pharmacy technician shall wear a name tag that clearly identifies the pharmacy technician’s first name with the title ‘‘Registered Pharmacy Technician.’’

(6) A pharmacy technician trainee shall wear a name tag that clearly identifies the pharmacy technician trainee’s first name with the title ‘‘Pharmacy Technician Trainee.’’

Authority
The provisions of this § 27.12 amended under sections 4(j), 6(k)(1) and (9), 8.2(a) and 9.3 of the Pharmacy Act (63 P.S. § § 390-4(j), 390-6(k)(1) and (9), 390-8.2(a) and 390-9.3); and section 810(a)(3) and (7) of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P.S. § 279.1(a)(3) and (7)).

§ 27.12a. Pharmacy technician and pharmacy technician trainee grounds for discipline or denial of registration.
(a) The Board may refuse, revoke or suspend the registration of a pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee upon proof satisfactory to it that the pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee has done any of the following:

(1) Procured a personal registration through fraud, misrepresentation or deceit.

(2) Has been found guilty, pleaded guilty, entered a plea of nolo contendere or has received probation without verdict, disposition in lieu of trial or an Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition in the disposition of felony charges, to any offense in connection with the practice of pharmacy or any offense involving moral turpitude before any court of record of any jurisdiction.

(3) Is unfit to practice as a pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee because of intemperance in the use of alcoholic beverages, controlled substances or any other substance which impairs the intellect and judgment to such an extent as to impair the performance of professional duties.

(4) Is unfit or unable to practice as a pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee by reason of a physical or mental disease or disability. In enforcing this paragraph, the Board shall, upon probable cause, have authority to compel a pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee to submit to a mental or physical examination by physicians or psychologists approved by the Board. Failure of a pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee to submit to an examination when directed by the Board, unless the failure is due to circumstances beyond his control, shall constitute an admission of the allegations against the pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee, consequent upon which a default and final order may be entered without the taking of testimony or presentation of evidence. A pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee affected under this paragraph shall at reasonable intervals be afforded an opportunity to demonstrate that he can resume a competent practice as a pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee with reasonable skill and safety to patients.

(5) Has had a registration or other authorization to practice as a pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee suspended, revoked or refused, or received other disciplinary action by the proper licensing authority of another state, territory or country.

(6) Has violated or knowingly permitted the violation of any provision of the act or this chapter.

(7) Has compounded, dispensed, sold or caused the compounding, dispensing or sale of a drug or device which contains more or less than the proportionate quantity of ingredient or ingredients specified by the person who prescribed the drug or device or which is of a brand or trade name other than that specified by the person prescribing the brand or trade name product or that contains an ingredient or ingredients of a brand or trade name other than that specified by the person prescribing the drug or device, unless the consent of the prescriber is first obtained to each specific prescription. This paragraph shall not be construed to prevent the addition of inert ingredients as may be required in the art of compounding, preparing, mixing or otherwise producing drugs or devices.

(8) Is guilty of grossly unprofessional conduct. The following acts on the part of a pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee constitute grossly unprofessional conduct of a pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee:

(i) Willfully deceiving or attempting to deceive the Board or its agents with respect to any material matter under investigation by the Board.

(ii) The misbranding or adulteration of any drug or device and the sale, distribution or dispensing of any misbranded or adulterated drug or device as defined in The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act (35 P.S. § § 780-101—780-144).

(iii) Engaging in the sale or purchase of drugs or devices whose package bears the inscription ‘‘sample’’ or ‘‘not for resale.’’

(iv) Failing to have their biennial license or wallet card available for inspection by an authorized agent of the Board when one is practicing.

(v) The acceptance back and redistribution of any unused drug, or a part thereof, after it has left the premises of a pharmacy, whether issued by mistake or otherwise, unless it is in the original sealed container with the name, lot number and expiration date on the original intact manufacturer’s label. The pharmacy shall maintain records of these returns, and a full refund shall be given to the original purchaser, including a third-party payor.

(9) Has acted in a manner that presents an immediate and clear danger to the public health or safety.

(10) Is guilty of incompetence, gross negligence or other malpractice or the departure from, or failure to conform to, the standards of acceptable and prevailing pharmacy practice or the practice of a pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician trainee, in which case actual injury need not be established.

Authority
The provisions of this § 27.12a added under sections 6(k)(9) and 8.2(a) of the Pharmacy Act (63 P.S. § § 390-6(k)(9) and 390-8.2(a)); and section 810(a)(3) and (7) of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P.S. § 279.1(a)(3) and (7)).

§ 27.701. Qualifications for pharmacy technician registration.
An applicant for a pharmacy technician registration shall meet all of the following requirements:

(1) Be at least 17 years of age.

(2) Possess a high school diploma or equivalent.

(3) Complete a Board-approved pharmacy technician training program.

(4) Submit to a criminal history record check.

(5) Complete at least 3 hours of approved training in child abuse recognition and reporting as required under 23 Pa.C.S. § 6383(b)(3)(i) (relating to education and training).

Authority
The provisions of this § 27.701 added under sections 6(k)(9) and 8.2(a) of the Pharmacy Act (63 P.S. § § 390-6(k)(9) and 390-8.2(a)); and section 810(a)(3) and (7) of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P.S. § 279.1(a)(3) and (7)).

Source
The provisions of this § 27.701 added June 27, 2025, effective June 28, 2025, 55 Pa.B. 4335.

§ 27.702. Pharmacy technician training programs.
(a) A pharmacy technician training program provided by a Board-approved program provider as set forth in subsection (b) shall be considered a Board-approved training program if, at a minimum, it covers and establishes competency testing in all of the following areas of pharmacy practice:

(1) Roles and responsibilities of the pharmacy technician.

(2) Knowledge of prescription medications.

(3) Knowledge of strengths or dose, dosage forms, physical appearance, routes of administration and duration of drug therapy.

(4) The dispensing process.

(5) Pharmaceutical calculations.

(6) Interacting with patients.

(7) Third party procedures, payments and billing practices.

(8) Compounding.

(9) Confidentiality.

(10) Requirements for preparing, labeling, dispensing, storing, prepackaging, distributing and administration of medications.

(11) Hazardous drug handling and disposal.

(12) Patient safety and error prevention strategies.

(13) Diversion prevention.

(14) Federal and State laws and regulations governing the practice of pharmacy.

(b) The following shall be considered a Board-approved program provider:

(1) A pharmacy employer.

(2) A program that holds a current accreditation from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education or their successor.

(3) A Nationally recognized pharmacy technician training program including a program recognized by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board and National Healthcareer Association for admission to their respective certification exams.

(4) An educational institution whose pharmacy technician training programs are Nationally or regionally accredited by the United States Department of Education.

(5) The United States Armed Forces.

(6) A school licensed by the State Board of Private Licensed Schools.

(c) A pharmacy employer that offers a pharmacy technician training program shall keep a readily accessible copy of the pharmacy technician training program, including details as to how the individual’s competency is to be assessed, in the pharmacy at all times. The pharmacist manager shall be responsible for providing the training program and ensuring that the training program meets the requirements under subsection (a). At the time of filing an application with the Board for registration as a pharmacy technician, the pharmacist manager shall certify, on a form provided by the Board, that the applicant has successfully completed the pharmacy technician training program. Documentation of the training shall be maintained at the pharmacy by the pharmacist manager.

(d) A pharmacy technician training program may be subject to audit to ensure compliance with the requirements of this section. The provider of a training program subject to audit shall provide all requested documentation within 30 days of a request by the Board.

Authority
The provisions of this § 27.702 added under sections 6(k)(9) and 8.2(a) of the Pharmacy Act (63 P.S. § § 390-6(k)(9) and 390-8.2(a)); and section 810(a)(3) and (7) of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P.S. § 279.1(a)(3) and (7)).

Source
The provisions of this § 27.702 added June 27, 2025, effective June 28, 2025, 55 Pa.B. 4335.

§ 27.703. Qualifications for pharmacy technician trainee registration.
An applicant for a pharmacy technician trainee registration shall meet all of the following requirements:

(1) Be at least 16 years of age.

(2) Submit to a criminal history record check.

(3) Complete at least 3 hours of approved training in child abuse recognition and reporting as required under 23 Pa.C.S. § 6383(b)(3)(i) (relating to education and training).

Authority
The provisions of this § 27.703 added under sections 6(k)(9) and 8.2(a) of the Pharmacy Act (63 P.S. § § 390-6(k)(9) and 390-8.2(a)); and section 810(a)(3) and (7) of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P.S. § 279.1(a)(3) and (7)).

Source
The provisions of this § 27.703 added June 27, 2025, effective June 28, 2025, 55 Pa.B. 4335.

§ 27.704. Expiration of pharmacy technician trainee registration.
An applicant may receive only one pharmacy technician trainee registration which shall expire 2 years after the date of issuance or upon obtaining registration as a pharmacy technician under § 27.701 (relating to qualifications for pharmacy technician registration).

Authority
The provisions of this § 27.704 added under sections 6(k)(9) and 8.2(a) of the Pharmacy Act (63 P.S. § § 390-6(k)(9) and 390-8.2(a)); and section 810(a)(3) and (7) of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P.S. § 279.1(a)(3) and (7)).

Source
The provisions of this § 27.704 added June 27, 2025, effective June 28, 2025, 55 Pa.B. 4335.” “Add:

§ 27.705. Grandfather requirements for an existing practitioner to be registered as a pharmacy technician.
An applicant may qualify for a registration as a pharmacy technician through grandfathering if all of the following are met:

(1) The applicant practiced for at least 1 year between January 29, 2019, and January 29, 2021, and provides proof, acceptable to the Board, of this employment, including one of the following:

(i) A verification from the applicant’s employer attesting that the person was employed as a pharmacy technician for at least 1 year between January 29, 2019, and January 29, 2021.

(ii) Copies of the applicant’s Federal W-2 or 1099 forms for tax years 2019 and 2020.

(2) The applicant submits the application for registration as a pharmacy technician within 1 year of the effective date of this section, pays the applicable fee, submits to a criminal history record check and meets all applicable requirements other than the requirements under § 27.701(2) and (3) (relating to qualifications for pharmacy technician registration). When 1 year from the effective date of this section has passed, no further applications will be accepted under this section.

(3) This section will expire June 28, 2026.

Authority
The provisions of this § 27.705 added under sections 6(k)(9) and 8.2(a) of the Pharmacy Act (63 P.S. § § 390-6(k)(9) and 390-8.2(a)); and section 810(a)(3) and (7) of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P.S. § 279.1(a)(3) and (7)).

Source
The provisions of this § 27.705 added June 27, 2025, effective June 28, 2025, 55 Pa.B. 4335.

The data contained in this 2012 Annual Scorecard are accurate as of December 2012 .  Because statutes and regulations are continually revised, the data are subject to change.  These data have been verified with the state board of pharmacy.  This scorecard is updated on an annual basis in order to incorporate statutory and regulatory changes.  A new scorecard will be issued in July 2013.

Scoring rationale for Education and Training:
In order to protect the public and help ensure patient safety, it is important that pharmacy technicians are properly educated and trained.  The most rigorous training is accredited training.  The sole entity empowered to accredit pharmacy-technician training programs is the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).  Please note that this is “programmatic accreditation” – not “institutional accreditation.”  It is the content of the training program – as measured against established standards – that is being evaluated and accredited.  Accredited training is vital to protecting patient safety because it means that a pharmacy-technician training program has met established quality standards to provide assurance and confidence to the public.  For more information, please see http://www.ashp.org/menu/Accreditation/TechnicianAccreditation.aspx.

Scoring rationale for Certification:
Certification is the process by which a nongovernmental agency or association grants recognition to an individual who has met certain predetermined qualifications specified by that agency or association.  This is often determined by an examination process.  Numerous organizations have recommended that the certification exam conducted by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) should be recognized as the sole, nationally-accredited certification exam for pharmacy technician certification – including the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), the Texas State Board of Pharmacy (TSBP), and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In a recent report, NABP recommended that states be encouraged to “recognize certification by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB).” Moreover, NABP performed a psychometric audit of the PTCB’s pharmacy technician certification examination (PTCE) in 2001 and determined that the PTCE is psychometrically sound, defensible, and valid. In May 2010, the TSBP awarded the PTCB with the Pharmacy Technician Certification Provider contract in Texas. PTCB was selected for the contract after a rigorous bidding and evaluation process that included formal reviews and evaluations from three independent psychometricians. TSBP confidently recognizes PTCB as the single provider of certification examinations for pharmacy technicians. In addition, in June 2010, the VA began requiring PTCB certification for VA pharmacy technicians employed at grade GS-6 and above.

Scoring rationale for Registration/Licensure:
Registration/licensure is the process by which the state maintains a list of all pharmacy technicians in the state and grants permission for an individual to work as a pharmacy technician in the state based on the applicant’s completion of all pre-requisites to registration/licensure – such as required training and certification.

Scoring rationale for Continuing Education:
Continuing education enables pharmacy technicians to fulfill their professional responsibility to maintain competence and up-to-date knowledge and skills in an environment of technological advances and increasingly complex, new medications and therapies.