Washington 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

Washington Law

I. Laws

18.64A.010 Definitions
(6) “”Pharmacy technician”” means:
(a) A person who is enrolled in, or who has satisfactorily completed, a commission-approved training program designed to prepare persons to perform nondiscretionary functions associated with the practice of pharmacy; or
(b) A person who is a graduate with a degree in pharmacy or medicine of a foreign school, university, or college recognized by the commission;” “Change 18.64A.020 Rules to the following –
(1)(a) The commission shall adopt, in accordance with chapter 34.05 RCW, rules fixing the classification and qualifications and the educational and training requirements for persons who may be employed as pharmacy technicians or who may be enrolled in any pharmacy technician training program. Such rules shall provide that:
(i) Licensed pharmacists shall supervise the training of pharmacy technicians;
(ii) Training programs shall assure the competence of pharmacy technicians to aid and assist pharmacy operations. Training programs shall consist of instruction and/or practical training; and
(iii) Pharmacy technicians shall complete continuing education requirements established in rule by the commission.
(b) Such rules may include successful completion of examinations for applicants for pharmacy technician certificates. If such examination rules are adopted, the commission shall prepare or determine the nature of, and supervise the grading of the examinations. The commission may approve an examination prepared or administered by a private testing agency or association of licensing authorities.
(2) The commission may disapprove or revoke approval of any training program for failure to conform to commission rules. In the case of the disapproval or revocation of approval of a training program by the commission, a hearing shall be conducted in accordance with RCW 18.64.022, and appeal may be taken in accordance with the administrative procedure act, chapter 34.05 RCW.” “Change 18.64A.060 Pharmacy’s application for ancillary personnel to the following –
Pharmacy’s application for ancillary personnel—Fee—Approval or rejection by commission—Hearing—Appeal.
No pharmacy licensed in this state shall utilize the services of pharmacy ancillary personnel without approval of the commission.
Any pharmacy licensed in this state may apply to the commission for permission to use the services of pharmacy ancillary personnel. The application shall be accompanied by a fee and shall comply with administrative procedures and administrative requirements set pursuant to RCW 43.70.250 and 43.70.280, shall detail the manner and extent to which the pharmacy ancillary personnel would be used and supervised, and shall provide other information in such form as the secretary may require.
The commission may approve or reject such applications. In addition, the commission may modify the proposed utilization of pharmacy ancillary personnel and approve the application as modified. Whenever it appears to the commission that pharmacy ancillary personnel are being utilized in a manner inconsistent with the approval granted, the commission may withdraw such approval. In the event a hearing is requested upon the rejection of an application, or upon the withdrawal of approval, a hearing shall be conducted in accordance with RCW 18.64.022 and appeal may be taken in accordance with the administrative procedure act, chapter 34.05 RCW.” “Change 18.64A.070 Persons presently acting as technicians to –
(1) Persons presently assisting a pharmacist by performing the functions of a pharmacy technician may continue to do so under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist: PROVIDED, That within eighteen months after May 28, 1977, such persons shall be in compliance with the provisions of this chapter.
(2) Pharmacies presently employing persons to perform the functions of a pharmacy technician may continue to do so while obtaining commission approval for the use of certified pharmacy technicians: PROVIDED, That within eighteen months after May 28, 1977, such pharmacies shall be in compliance with the provisions of this chapter.

Washington Administrative Code (WAC) Chapter 246-945.

https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=246-945

WAC 246-945-203
Pharmacy technician-in-training authority for experiential training.
(1) An individual who is enrolled in a commission-approved pharmacy-technician training program shall obtain an endorsement for experiential training in a pharmacy for:
(a) Initial certification; or
(b) As required by the commission to complete additional practice experience before a pharmacy technician certification is issued, renewed, or reactivated.
(2) An individual with a technician in training endorsement may only work in that capacity at those sites identified on the application.
(3) Before beginning the pharmacy-technician training program the individual shall submit an application to the commission to become certified as a pharmacy assistant. The application must include verification of enrollment in a commission-approved pharmacy-technician education and training program.
(4) The commission may consider the pharmacy technician-in-training authority inoperable or superseded if one of the following occurs:
(a) A pharmacy technician certification is issued;
(b) A pharmacy technician-in-training is no longer enrolled or in good standing with a commission-approved training program; or
(c) A pharmacy technician-in-training does not complete a training program within two years of entering a technician-in-training program, unless otherwise authorized by the commission.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.64.005, 18.64.080, 18.130.075, 18.64.043, 18.64.044, 18.64.045, 18.64.046, 18.64.370, 18.64.460, 69.50.310, 18.64.011, 18.64.245, 18.64.470, 18.64.255, 18.64.205, 18.64.253, 18.64.410, 18.64.500, 18.64.590. WSR 20-12-072, § 246-945-203, filed 6/1/20, effective 7/1/20.]” “WAC 246-945-205
Pharmacy technician certification.
(1) An applicant for a pharmacy technician certification shall be 18 years of age and hold a high school diploma or GED.
(2) To be issued a certification as a pharmacy technician an applicant shall meet the qualifications in RCW 18.64A.020, and:
(a) Provide proof of completion of eight hours of guided study of Washington state and federal pharmacy law. The law study shall be done in coordination and oversight of a Washington licensed pharmacist.
(b) Provide proof of successful completion of a commission-approved pharmacy-technician training program WAC 246-945-215. Acceptable documentation includes:
(i) On-the-job training program. Successful completion of didactic and practice experience signed by the program director on a form provided by the commission; or
(ii) Formal academic or college programs. Official transcripts of completion of a diploma or certificate program at a pharmacy technician school or a two-year associate degree program, which shall include evidence of practice training hours; or
(iii) Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD214 documenting evidence of pharmacy technician training provided by a branch of the federal armed services.
(c) Pass a national certification examination approved by the commission within one year of completing a commission-approved training program and applying for certification, unless otherwise authorized by the commission.
(3) An applicant who is a graduate of a foreign school, university or college of pharmacy or medicine, whose professional degree program is approved by the commission shall complete the following:
(a) If English is not the primary language, the applicant shall take and pass TOEFL iBT;
(b) Complete 525 hours of supervised experience under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist with training hours reported using forms provided by the commission; and
(c) Pass a national certification examination approved by the commission.
(4) An out-of-state pharmacy technician applicant must meet the same requirements as a pharmacy technician trained in Washington state.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.64.005, 18.64A.020, and 18.64A.030. WSR 23-09-062, § 246-945-205, filed 4/18/23, effective 5/19/23. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.64.005, 18.64.080, 18.130.075, 18.64.043, 18.64.044, 18.64.045, 18.64.046, 18.64.370, 18.64.460, 69.50.310, 18.64.011, 18.64.245, 18.64.470, 18.64.255, 18.64.205, 18.64.253, 18.64.410, 18.64.500, 18.64.590. WSR 20-12-072, § 246-945-205, filed 6/1/20, effective 7/1/20.]” “WAC 246-945-215
Pharmacy technician education and training programs.
A pharmacy technician-training program must meet the minimum requirements of this section and be approved by the commission.
(1) A pharmacy technician-training program shall be considered approved by the commission if it is accredited, approved, or administered by:
(a) The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP);
(b) The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education;
(c) Pharmacy Technician Certification Board; or
(d) The United States Armed Forces.
(2) A pharmacy technician education and training program not covered by subsection (1) of this section shall be considered meeting the requirements of RCW 18.64A.020 and approved by the commission if it meets the following minimum requirements:
(a) Prepare students for entry-level practice in a variety of settings including, but not limited to, community, hospital, and long-term care, this shall include:
(i) Orientation to pharmacy practice. Health care delivery systems, broad definitions of pharmacy practice and practice settings, communication techniques, confidentiality of information and safety considerations;
(ii) Basic pharmaceutics. Medical and pharmaceutical terminology and abbreviations, components of a prescription and patient medication record, drug dosage forms, routes of administration and drug product packaging, weighing and measuring, labeling, drug nomenclature, aseptic techniques, drug storage and handling, and drug standard and information sources;
(iii) Federal and state regulations. A minimum of eight hours in principles of applicable state and federal pharmacy laws, rules, regulations, guidelines, and interpretive statements; and
(iv) Pharmaceutical calculations. Basic mathematics including: Fractions, decimals, percentages, proportions, and weights and measures.
(b) Include a multicultural health curriculum as required by RCW 43.70.615.
(c) Have a pharmacist program director that is accountable for the overall quality of the program.
(d) Include minimum hours of education and training that extends over a period of fifteen weeks but under twenty-four months, and includes at a minimum:
(i) For vocational or technical training eight hundred hours which includes one hundred sixty hours supervised practice experience.
(ii) For formal or academic training programs two academic quarters with thirty credit hours each and includes one hundred sixty supervised practice experience.
(iii) On-the-job training of at least five hundred twenty hours with twelve hours of instructive education.
(3) To be approved by the commission a program must provide to the commission:
(a) A complete application;
(b) The name of a designated licensed pharmacist as program director;
(c) A list or copies of training manuals and reference;
(d) Content of instruction;
(e) Methods for evaluating trainees; and
(f) Verification of eight hours of pharmacy law study.
(4) Except for programs listed in subsection (1) of this section, a pharmacy technician-training program must renew every five years.
(5) Any substantive changes to the program or change in program director must be reported to the commission within thirty calendar days.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.64.005, 18.64.080, 18.130.075, 18.64.043, 18.64.044, 18.64.045, 18.64.046, 18.64.370, 18.64.460, 69.50.310, 18.64.011, 18.64.245, 18.64.470, 18.64.255, 18.64.205, 18.64.253, 18.64.410, 18.64.500, 18.64.590. WSR 20-12-072, § 246-945-215, filed 6/1/20, effective 7/1/20.]” “WAC 246-945-217
Expired pharmacy technician certification.
To return to active status a pharmacy technician with an expired certification shall pay the applicable fees in accordance with WAC 246-945-990 through 246-945-992, and:
(1) If a pharmacy technician’s certification has expired for five years or less, the pharmacy technician shall meet the requirements of WAC 246-12-040.
(2) If the pharmacy technician’s certification has expired for over five years and they have not been in active practice in another U.S. jurisdiction, the pharmacy technician shall:
(a) Complete the requirements for certification under WAC 246-945-205; and
(b) Meet the requirements of WAC 246-12-040.
(3) If the pharmacy technician’s certification has expired for over five years and they have been in an active practice in another U.S. jurisdiction with duties that are substantially equivalent to a pharmacy technician in Washington state, the pharmacy technician shall:
(a) Submit verification of current active pharmacy practice in another U.S. jurisdiction; and
(b) Meet the requirements of WAC 246-12-040.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.64.005. WSR 24-11-060, § 246-945-217, filed 5/13/24, effective 6/13/24. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.64.005, 18.64.080, 18.130.075, 18.64.043, 18.64.044, 18.64.045, 18.64.046, 18.64.370, 18.64.460, 69.50.310, 18.64.011, 18.64.245, 18.64.470, 18.64.255, 18.64.205, 18.64.253, 18.64.410, 18.64.500, 18.64.590. WSR 20-12-072, § 246-945-217, filed 6/1/20, effective 7/1/20.]

WAC 246-945-220
Pharmacy technician—Continuing education.
(1) As part of the process to renew a pharmacy technician license, a pharmacy technician shall complete continuing education in compliance with this section.
(2) A pharmacy technician shall complete 20 hours of continuing education each certification renewal cycle. The 20 hours of continuing education must be presented by a continuing education provider accredited by ACPE, except as provided in subsection (3) of this section.
(3) A pharmacy technician shall complete at least one hour of health equity training as described in WAC 246-12-830 each certification renewal period.
(a) Health equity training may be provided by a continuing education provider accredited by ACPE or by a health equity training program contained on the department’s list of approved health equity training programs.
(b) The hours spent completing health equity training will count toward meeting continuing education requirements.
(4) A pharmacy technician shall register with a program designated by the commission for tracking completed CPE hours.
(5) Continuing education hours cannot be carried over to the next renewal cycle.
[Statutory Authority: 2021 c 276. WSR 24-01-101, § 246-945-220, filed 12/18/23, effective 1/18/24. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.64.005 and 18.64A.020. WSR 21-04-145, § 246-945-220, filed 2/3/21, effective 12/1/21. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.64.005, 18.64.080, 18.130.075, 18.64.043, 18.64.044, 18.64.045, 18.64.046, 18.64.370, 18.64.460, 69.50.310, 18.64.011, 18.64.245, 18.64.470, 18.64.255, 18.64.205, 18.64.253, 18.64.410, 18.64.500, 18.64.590. WSR 20-12-072, § 246-945-220, filed 6/1/20, effective 3/1/21.]

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.