Pharmacy advocacy groups call for on-demand testing

ALEXANDRIA, Va. On-demand testing should be the universal method of testing for pharmacy technician certification, the Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians said Wednesday.

The Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians is a national, entry-level competency and certification exam. Technicians who take the ExCPT, which lasts for two hours and has 110 questions, receive immediate feedback on their performance.

“Given the technology we have today and the number of vendors in the market, there is no reason that on-demand testing shouldn’t be available for all testing administrations,” ICPT director of education Ken Schafermeyer said.

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores and National Community Pharmacists Association also support on-demand testing. In a joint statement, NACDS president and chief executive officer Steve Anderson and Bruce Roberts, NCPA executive vice president and chief executive officer, said, “We are pleased that the ExCPT exam now offers both the assurance of national accreditation by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies and the convenience of on-demand testing. As the reliance on pharmacy technicians in the dispensing process grows, we believe that convenient, on-demand certification testing will be useful to meet the needs of the marketplace.”