Technician Product Verification

Demonstrate your skill in safeguarding patients from dispensing errors and express your commitment to excellence as a pharmacy technician.

INTRO

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As the role of pharmacist transitions to include a larger focus in direct patient care, exciting new opportunities for pharmacy technicians to assume expanded roles and responsibilities are becoming available. 

Earning the PTCB Assessment-Based Technician Product Verification (TPV) Certificate Program offers an opportunity for pharmacy technicians to demonstrate and be recognized for their competency in: 

  • Completing final verification duties
  • Checking other technicians or automated systems for accuracy in dispensing medications
  • Managing detail-oriented work and administrative tasks

 

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PREPARE & APPLY

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A Step Toward Your Advanced CPhT (CPhT-Adv) 

Earning your Technician Product Verification Certificate takes you one step closer to becoming a PTCB Advanced Certified Pharmacy Technician™ (CPhT-Adv™). Active PTCB CPhTs who have completed at least four of the certificate programs, or three certificate programs and the Compounded Sterile Preparation Technician® (CSPT®) Certification, and 3 years of work experience will be eligible to earn a CPhT-Adv credential.

 

Eligibility Requirements

A candidate must hold an active PTCB CPhT Certification and fulfill one of the following eligibility pathways:

Pathway 1: Completion of a PTCB-Recognized Technician Product Verification Education/Training Program.

Pathway 2: Completion of a state board-approved validation program.*

*Applications submitted under Pathway 2 will be held for review to determine eligibility. 

 

Educational Requirement

Candidates must complete a PTCB-Recognized Education/Training Program or a state board-approved program for the TPV Certificate before applying. PTCB-Recognized Education/Training Programs meet the curriculum requirements as documented by PTCB. Contact your employer and/or state board of pharmacy to inquire about state board-approved validation programs.

View a list of PTCB-Recognized Education/Training Programs for the Technician Product Verification Certificate.

 

Exam Fee

The fee to apply for this certificate exam is $89.

 

How to Apply and Schedule

  1. Apply by logging into your PTCB Account.
  2. Once your application is approved, you will receive an email with your authorization to schedule your exam.

The TPV Certificate Exam is administered through online proctored testing and in-person at more than 1,400 Pearson Professional Centers nationwide, including more than 100 military on-base sites.

 

Prepare for Your Exam

Online Testing Requirements Overview
This quick video explains the requirements and policies for online proctored testing.

EARN YOUR CERTIFICATE

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About the Exam

The PTCB Technician Product Verification Exam is a unique assessment that simulates product verification in both community and health-system settings. The exam consists of 120 questions and each contains a prescription or order label and images of the product provided for verification. The test taker must determine if the product and quantity are correct per the label, and if the product integrity is acceptable. The exam will test candidate’s expertise in:

  • Identifying the correct product name, strength, and dosage form;
  • Calculating the amount of product to dispense based on prescribed dosage and frequency; and
  • Evaluating the integrity of product characteristics (e.g., intact packaging and expiration dates).

The questions are a combination of items that contain errors in one of the three areas, and items that do not contain errors. Because the format of this exam is different than other PTCB exams, candidates are strongly urged to pay close attention to the tutorial, which includes sample questions and explanations. The Pearson VUE Exam Tutorial for Technician Product Verification (TPV) is now available to view prior to applying for the exam. It is also presented at the beginning of the exam and test takers will be able to refer to the tutorial throughout the exam.

View the Pearson VUE Exam Tutorial for TPV (Includes Sample Questions)

Be prepared to commit 2 hours for the exam (12-minute tutorial, 1 hour 45-minute exam, and 3-minute post-exam survey).

 

Exam Day Requirements

When you schedule your exam, you may choose to take your PTCB exam at a Pearson VUE test center or online from your own computer under the virtual supervision of a live proctor.

  • Arrive at the designated Pearson VUE test center 30 minutes prior to your appointment. If you are testing online, check-in 30 minutes prior to your appointment.
  • Bring an approved form of identification that matches your name as it appears on your PTCB Account. You will not be allowed to take the exam without proper identification.
  • Prior to your exam day, be sure to review more detail about what to expect and what is required in the Candidate Guidebook. Also, review important information about online testing requirements in our Help Center.

 

Testing Accommodations

Candidates who require testing accommodations must request these accommodations during the application process. Accommodations that are reasonable and consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will be provided by PTCB at no additional cost to candidates. Learn more.

NEXT STEPS

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Scoring

Your official score report will be presented on screen following your exam. If you pass the exam, your credential status can be verified through PTCB Certification Verification.

 

Certificates

Once your official score is available, you can download your certificate through the Credly platform. Learn more.

 

Digital Badges

Upon earning your credential, you will receive an email invitation from the Credly Platform via badge@ptcb.org with instructions for claiming your badge and setting up your account.

This digital badge will contain information describing your credential, including how you earned it. You can display the badge in your email signature, electronic files of a resume, and on social media sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

 

Renew

This certificate program does not require renewal.

DOCUMENTS

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Quick access to additional documents you may need during this process. Download the necessary documents and submit the completed forms as required.

  1. Testing Accommodations Form