Technician Training Requirements

Technicians have 12 months from their original date of registration/reinstatement to complete their training program (not from the date of employment).

How to Check a Technician’s Training Status

• Do a license verification check with either their name or registration number.
  If they are in “Owes Training” status, they are still active until their expiration date, but are past the deadline for submitting their proof of training to the board. They will not be able to renew until they have submitted their proof of completion.
• Ask your technician to log in to their online account. If the technician training requirement is still in their outstanding tasks, they will need to submit their documentation of completion.

An experienced technician will still need to meet the requirements of the board.

If they are a registered technician with the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy

• Check their registration status using the online license verification.
  1. If the technician is not active or had a lapse in registration, they will have to complete the technician training as required by the Board.
  2. If the technician is in “Owes Training” status, they are still active until their expiration date, but are past the deadline for submitting their proof of training to the board. They will not be able to renew until they have submitted their proof of completion.
  3. If the technician is active, please verify with the technician that they completed their training at their previous place of employment. If they did not, they will need to go through a qualifying technician training program.

If the technician was previously working out-of-state and does not hold a registration with the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy:
The technician must meet all requirements of a new technician.

• If the technician has completed their training through an out-of-state employer their training documentation must be submitted to the Board for review. (Login to your online account, upload training documents.)
• If the training the technician received out-of-state does not meet the Board’s minimum requirements, the technician must complete a qualifying technician training program within 12 months of becoming actively registered the MN Board.

Additional information about technician training requirements can be found in the Pharmacy Technician Training Guidance document.

Continuing Education is designed to reinforce and expand upon the existing knowledge that is gained during training. Thus, it does not meet the requirements for a training program.

Yes. Effective 8/1/2023, the Board will accept certification from the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (“PTCB”) or from the National Healthcareer Association’s (“NHA”) ExCPT certification as a Board-approved pharmacy technician training program.

It is the technician’s responsibility to ensure that they have completed the necessary steps and submitted the required training documentation to the Board. In most cases, employers will not send proof of training to the Board.

Do a license verification check with either their name or registration number.

If the technician owes training, they will need to submit a signed certificate, transcript, or training log to the Board. If they have not completed their training, contact pharmacy.board@state.mn.us for additional information.

You will receive an email from the Board within five business days with either an acknowledgement that your training documentation has satisfied the requirement, or a request for additional information.

Yes. While previous work experience as a pharmacy technician is helpful, it does not waive or substitute for the completion of a Board-approved training program requirement.

Before contacting the Board, check the following:

• Check your email (including your junk mail), for a response from the Board
• Log in to your account online to see the status. If there is a technician training audit card outstanding and it has been longer than five business days, please reach out to to the Board

Contact pharmacy.board@state.mn.us for more information.

You will need to reach out to your previous employer for a copy of your signed certificate.

Contact pharmacy.board@state.mn.us for more information.

Please submit a request in writing through email, fax, or mail. The Board requires a cover letter stating your request and a resume with relevant experience that you feel shows sufficient training.