Louisiana State Requirements

You must register to the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy before performing pharmacy technician duties. You cannot begin technician training or work if your application is still pending; the Board must first issue your Pharmacy Technician Candidate registration. Note that Louisiana has two tiers: Pharmacy Technician Candidate Registration and the full Pharmacy Technician Certificate.

The Pharmacy Technician Candidate registration is a training credential that allows you to work while completing Louisiana’s education, practical-experience, and examination requirements. It remains valid for 24 months and cannot be renewed.

Most pharmacy technician candidate applicants must be at least 18 years old. However, applicants who are at least 16 may qualify if enrolled in a Louisiana Department of Education program that offers pharmacy technician training as a career pathway. Note that applicants for the full Pharmacy Technician Certificate must be at least 18.

Louisiana does not require every applicant to hold a high school diploma or GED. Instead, candidate applicants must qualify through an approved training program, a Louisiana Department of Education pharmacy technician pathway, or an eligible pharmacist-directed workplace-training pathway.

Applicants can qualify for candidate registration by enrolling in a nationally accredited and Board-approved training program, enrolling in an eligible Louisiana Department of Education program, or obtaining confirmation that an eligible Louisiana pharmacist intends to provide workplace training.

Candidates enrolled in a nationally accredited and Board-approved program must complete that program and its required practical experience. Candidates qualifying through another pathway must generally complete at least 600 hours of practical experience in a Louisiana pharmacy and submit the required verification to the Board.

You must pass a Board-approved pharmacy technician certification examination before applying for the full Pharmacy Technician Certificate. Louisiana accepts both PTCB and NHA’s national certifications.

An applicant who has held an active pharmacy technician credential in another state or US jurisdiction for at least one year may use verification of that credential as evidence of education, training, or experience. Note that you must still satisfy Louisiana’s other application requirements, including the approved examination requirement unless the Board provides alternative guidance.

Applicants for candidate registration and the full technician certificate must complete state and federal criminal-background checks using fingerprints. The Board provides instructions for completing the Louisiana State Police and FBI checks after receiving the application. A background check previously completed through the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy may satisfy this requirement.

Applications are submitted through the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy’s Online Services Portal. Applicants select either the Application for New Pharmacy Technician Candidate or the Application for New Pharmacy Technician Certificate.

The Pharmacy Technician Candidate application fee is $50. The application fee for the full Pharmacy Technician Certificate is $100. Criminal-background-check and fingerprinting costs are handled separately.

Full Pharmacy Technician Certificates expire annually on June 30. The renewal period runs from May 1 through June 30. Candidate registrations are not renewed because they expire 24 months after issuance.

The annual Pharmacy Technician Certificate renewal fee is $60. An expired certificate may require a $30 delinquent fee and a $200 reinstatement fee. A technician cannot work with an expired certificate.

Under Louisiana Administrative Code Title 46, Part LIII, §913, a pharmacy technician holding an active full certificate are authorized to administer vaccines after completing the required education and training. You must complete a qualifying vaccination training program, maintain appropriate life-support certification, and work under a pharmacist who is also qualified in vaccine administration. Pharmacy Technician Candidates cannot administer vaccines.