Special to The News

BEAUMONT — Lamar Institute of Technology’s Pharmacy Tech Program is now certified as a Pharmacy Technician Certification Board-recognized education/training program for pharmacy tech students.

PTCB sets the national standard for certification of pharmacy technicians with the goal of improving medication safety and patient care, LIT said in an issued statement. LIT’s Allied Health and Sciences program also has been added to the list of PTCB-Recognized Education/Training Programs on PTCB’s website. The Institute is one of more than 600 programs nationwide that has been recognized.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Statistics, the pharmacy tech field is predicted to grow 12 percent from 2016-2026, faster than average for all occupations, which the bureau attributes to an increased demand for pharmaceutical services. Pharmacy technicians help pharmacists dispense prescription medication to customers.

Pharmacy Tech students who complete LIT’s program will meet PTCB’s 2020 education/training eligibility requirements for CPhT certification, thanks to this newly recognized status. This process ensures that tech education/training programs’ curriculum meets specific knowledge requirements.

The Institute’s next course starts in fall 2019, LIT’s AHSC Department Chair Peter Whittaker said.

“Previously, anyone wanting to be a pharmacy tech could work up to two years in the field as a trainee, and during that time take the PTCB national exam,” he said. But by 2020, all candidates will have to complete a certified education/training program before taking the national exam. LIT’s recognition will be monitored and updated yearly, per PTCB requirements.