March 13, 2020

Updated April 1, 2020

The coronavirus (COVID-19) situation continues to evolve. During this challenging time, PTCB is here to support you.

For those who have applied and/or have scheduled to test:

• Effective March 17, Pearson VUE has suspended test delivery at its company-owned US and Canada-based testing centers for at least 30 days until April 16, or whenever conditions are deemed safe to reopen.
• If you have a scheduled appointment to test during this time, you will be able to reschedule your exam appointment based on test center availability. Pearson VUE will send a cancellation email with information on rescheduling your exam.
• If your Authorization to Schedule (ATS) is still valid, you may use the same ATS. If your ATS expires during the COVID-19 closures, PTCB will work with you to extend your ATS after the testing centers reopen. Eligibility will not be extended until we know when Pearson VUE test centers are opening again. We are aware there may be capacity issues when they do reopen and will work through these issues.
• Check the Pearson VUE Coronavirus Update Page regularly for the most current information on test delivery status, scheduling, and any policy changes.
• If you are authorized to take a PTCB Assessment-Based Certificate Exam in Technician Product Verification (TPV) or Medication History and would like to extend your exam authorization date due to COVID-19, please submit a help request.
• If you applied for CPhT Certification before January 1, 2020 and were scheduled to take the 2019 version of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE), you will still be able to take the 2019 version after your authorization is extended unless you withdraw your application.
• If your state requires pharmacy technicians to attain national certification as a condition of registration/licensure, we encourage you to check with your State Board of Pharmacy or regulating agency to determine your state’s response to COVID-19.

For recertification candidates:

• We have extended recertification deadlines for 60 days for CPhTs and Compounded Sterile Preparation Technicians (CSPTs) who have March 31, April 30, and May 31 expiration dates to allow extra time for completing CE and submitting applications.
• Visit our Continuing Education (CE) Directory, newly launched during this time to allow technicians to quickly find free CE programs and complete CE more easily. All CE programs listed are ACPE-accredited and free of charge. CE providers can visit the page to submit their free programs to be added to the directory.

Share your story of working as a pharmacy technician during COVID-19 

Are you facing new challenges in your pharmacy workplace due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic? You are not alone. Submit your story, and your photo or video, and we may share them on social media and our website. Your work matters now more than ever. Submit a story, and photo or video.

Need other help? If you have questions about how COVID-19 is affecting your credentialing activities, please visit our help center at ptcb.org/help for frequently asked questions or to submit a help request.