With the passage of legislation that requires licensure for pharmacy technicians, pharmacy technicians employed by pharmacies are required to be licensed or enrolled in a Michigan Board of Pharmacy approved employer-based training program and working towards licensure.

MPA is proud to offer the Pharmacy Technician Prep Online (PTPO) program as an approved employer-based training program to prepare technicians for the certification exam and licensure.  PTPO is the technician’s best resource to study all of the information needed to pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board exam required for licensure as a pharmacy technician in the state of Michigan.

The Pharmacy Technician Tech Prep program allows employers to hire unlicensed technicians and provide them with hands-on training to work towards becoming a licensed Pharmacy Technician in the state of Michigan. The program gives technicians access to both printed and online educational materials, while you provide on-the-job training to help technicians prepare for and pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board exam required for licensure in Michigan.

Your pharmacy must have already applied with MPA for accreditation and approval with the Board of Pharmacy to participate in this program.  If your pharmacy is not yet accredited, you must complete that step before enrolling a new technician into the PTPO program, and before they can start working in the pharmacy.

As part of the training program, it is recommended that participants log a minimum of 1,000 hours of on-the-job experience under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist preceptor. Employers determine the exact number of on-the-job training hours required. The training program is concluded when the applicant successfully completes the PTCB examination and acquires a pharmacy technician license. Please note that the cost to take the PTCB examination is not included with enrollment in the PTPO program.

Pharmacies are allowed a one-time one-year extension to the program.

For additional information on this program, please contact MPA@MichiganPharmacists.org.

Once you have enrolled your technician into the program, the technician will receive a copy of MPA’s Pharmacy Certified Technician Training Manual and Calculations Workbook along with access to 13 on-demand educational videos covering important topics, including pharmacology, pharmacy law and regulations, medication safety, inventory management, billing and reimbursement, and pharmacy calculations.

Although these study materials are not mandatory to complete, the technician is encouraged to utilize these materials for self-study to help them prepare for the PTCB exam.

Program participants are expected to be working toward fulfilling the requirements of licensure and will be expected to become licensed as a component of completing the program.  If your technician is unable to take and pass the PTCB exam, you must enroll the technician in the one-year extension program for them to continue working in the pharmacy.

1. Complete the application for accreditation with the Board of Pharmacy. (insert link).  Pharmacy accreditation is active for 5 years.  If you have already completed this step, proceed to step 2.
2. For initial enrollment of a technician into the PTPO program, click here. To enroll your technician for a one-year extension, click here.
   • The Pharmacy Manager will complete the enrollment process on behalf of the technician you are enrolling.
   • Click on the blue Registration button. You will need the following information available when registering your technician: technician’s name, email address, mailing address, phone number, and birthdate. You will also need your pharmacy license number (which will be verified), the pharmacy manager’s name, email, pharmacy address. If your pharmacy license number is unable to be verified, you must reach out to MPA to continue the enrollment process.
   • This information is necessary for the system to generate the enrollment verification form, which is necessary for the technician to work onsite.
3. Once you have completed the enrollment process, you must complete the following steps to generate the required enrollment verification form.
   • Click on the green Claim Credit button on the bottom right of the page.
   • Place a check (✔) under Select Home Credits.
   • Click on the “Complete Evaluation button on the bottom right, then click the “Submit” button as there is no evaluation to complete.
   • You can now download your technicians Enrollment Verification Form.

The Michigan Board of Pharmacy approved PSI’s Pharmacy Tech Prep Online (PTPO) as an employer-based training program under MCL 333.17739a(1)(3)(iv).  As a Board-approved program under MCL 333.17739a(4), individuals who are enrolled in MPA’s PTPO program are allowed to work in the pharmacy without being licensed as long as they remain enrolled in the program. Program participants are expected to be working toward fulfilling the requirements of licensure and will be expected to become licensed as a component of completing the program.  Please click on the program brochure for complete details, including frequently asked questions.