Rule 480-15-.02 - Registration of Pharmacy Technicians and Continuing Education Requirements(1) Effective August 1, 2011, a pharmacy may only employ registered pharmacy technicians to perform pharmacy technician duties.(2) In order to be registered as a Pharmacy Technician in this State, an applicant shall: (a) Submit an application to the Board on the form prescribed by the Board;1. Mere submission of an application to the Board is not registration pursuant to this Rule.2. No applicant shall be deemed registered until such time as his/her application has been completely processed by the Board's administrative office, to include receipt and processing of any applicable fees, and a registration number has issued to the applicant;(b) Attest that applicant is at least 17 years old;(c) Attest that applicant is currently enrolled in high school, or has a high school diploma, or has a GED, or has a postsecondary education or college degree;(d) Consent to, provide the necessary information to conduct, and pay for a background check to be conducted by the Board, its agent or a firm or firms approved by the Board, which background check will include a criminal history, driver license history and other information as the Board deems necessary, and will authorize the Board and the Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency to receive the results;(e) Submit the name and address of employer and place of employment;(f) Pay application fees; and(g) If certified, submit evidence of training supporting designation as certified.(3) The Board may deny registration or conditionally grant registration for any of the reasons set forth in Code sections 26-4-60 or 43-1-19. This includes convictions, pleas of nolo contendere and guilty pleas related to misdemeanor crimes of moral turpitude or marijuana and to felonies. In addition, no pharmacist whose license has been denied, revoked, suspended, or restricted for disciplinary purposes shall be eligible to be registered as a pharmacy technician.(4) The denial of an application for registration as a pharmacy technician shall not be a contested case and the applicant shall not be entitled to a hearing under the Georgia Administrative Procedures Action, O.C.G.A. T. 50, Ch. 13, but such applicant may be entitled to an appearance before the Board.(5) A registration, once issued, is renewable biennially, upon payment of a fee. Registrations shall expire on June 30th of each odd-numbered year. If the application for renewal is not made and the fee paid before September 1st of the odd-numbered year, the registration shall lapse and shall not be renewed. An application for a new registration shall be required.(6) On and after July 1, 2023, as a requirement for the biennial renewal of his/her registration, a pharmacy technician must complete not less than twenty (20) hours of approved continuing education.(a) "Approved continuing education" means courses approved by the Board as described in Rule 480-3-.03.(b) One hour of C.E. is defined as 0.1 C.E.U. Each pharmacy technician in the State of Georgia must obtain 20 hours of continuing education or 2.0 C.E.U.'s per biennium for registration renewal. 1. Certificates documenting 20 hours of approved continuing education or 2.0 C.E.U.'s must be completed and date within the biennium.(c) C.E. requirements during the technician's first biennial registration cycle: 1. A pharmacy technician registered during the first six (6) months of the biennium (July 1, Year-One to December 31, Year-One), shall be required to obtain 20 hours of C.E.2. A pharmacy technician registered during the following twelve (12) months (January 1, Year-Two to December 31, Year-Two), shall be required to obtain 10 hours of C.E.3. A pharmacy technician registered during the last six (6) months (January 1, Year-Three to June 30, Year-Three) of the biennium, shall be exempt from continuing education for that biennium only.(d) In the event of an audit and a pharmacy technician fails to submit certificates, which document his/her required continuing education credits, the Board will not process his/her request to renew the registration until the continuing education requirements are provided to the Board. 1. The pharmacy technician may not carry over continuing education credits from one registration period to the next.2. Nothing is meant to prohibit representatives from the Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency (GDNA) from checking, auditing, or verifying a pharmacy technician's continuing education certificates as needed.3. Each registered pharmacy technician shall maintain these certificates of attendance at continuing education meetings for a period of two (2) years from the date of the preceding renewal period.(e) The staff of the Georgia Board of Pharmacy may audit, or otherwise select randomly, the continuing education of a percentage of registrants as determined by the Board.(7) A registrant has a responsibility to update the Board with a change of home address and employment address within ten (10) days of such change.Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 480-15-.02
O.C.G.A. §§ 16-13-111, 26-4-5, 26-4-20, 26-4-27, 26-4-28, 26-4-60, 26-4-80, 26-4-84, 26-4-85, 26-4-88, 26-4-110, 43-1-19.
Original Rule entitled "To Provide for the Revocation and Suspension of Licenses and Registration for Certain Causes" adopted. F. Oct. 6, 1970; eff. Oct. 26, 1970.Repealed: New Rule entitled "Use of Pharmacy Technicians and Other Pharmacy Personnel" adopted. F. Nov. 14, 2007; eff. Dec. 4, 2007.Repealed: New Rule entitled "Registration of Pharmacy Technicians" adopted. F. Feb. 21, 2011; eff. Mar. 13, 2011.Amended: F. Sept. 1, 2011; eff. Sept. 21, 2011.Amended: F. June 29, 2015; eff. July 19, 2015.Amended: New title, "Registration of Pharmacy Technicians and Continuing Education Requirements." F. Jan. 31, 2023; eff. Feb. 20, 2023.Amended: F. Aug. 7, 2024; eff. Aug. 27, 2024.Note: Correction of error in Rule History, "Amended: F. Jan. 31, 2023; eff. Feb. 20, 2023." corrected to "Amended: New title, "Registration of Pharmacy Technicians and Continuing Education Requirements." F. Jan. 31, 2023; eff. Feb. 20, 2023." Rule title change was adopted on September 14, 2022 and amendment subsequently submitted on January 31, 2023 with citation of the title change erroneously omitted, as specified by the Board in August 7, 2024 filing. Effective Aug. 27, 2024.