(225 ILCS 85/9)

(Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 103-240)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)

Sec. 9. Licensure as registered pharmacy technician.

(a) Any person shall be entitled to licensure as a registered pharmacy technician who is of the age of 16 or over, has not engaged in conduct or behavior determined to be grounds for discipline under this Act, is attending or has graduated from an accredited high school or comparable school or educational institution or received a State of Illinois High School Diploma, and has filed a written or electronic application for licensure on a form to be prescribed and furnished by the Department for that purpose. The Department shall issue a license as a registered pharmacy technician to any applicant who has qualified as aforesaid, and such license shall be the sole authority required to assist licensed pharmacists in the practice of pharmacy, under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist. A registered pharmacy technician may be delegated to perform any task within the practice of pharmacy if specifically trained for that task, except for patient counseling, drug regimen review, clinical conflict resolution, final prescription verification except where a registered certified pharmacy technician verifies a prescription dispensed by another pharmacy technician using technology-assisted medication verification, or providing patients prophylaxis drugs for human immunodeficiency virus pre-exposure prophylaxis or post-exposure prophylaxis.

(b) Beginning on January 1, 2017, within 2 years after initial licensure as a registered pharmacy technician, the licensee must meet the requirements described in Section 9.5 of this Act and become licensed as a registered certified pharmacy technician. If the licensee has not yet attained the age of 18, then upon the next renewal as a registered pharmacy technician, the licensee must meet the requirements described in Section 9.5 of this Act and become licensed as a registered certified pharmacy technician. This requirement does not apply to pharmacy technicians registered prior to January 1, 2008.

(c) Any person registered as a pharmacy technician who is also enrolled in a first professional degree program in pharmacy in a school or college of pharmacy or a department of pharmacy of a university approved by the Department or has graduated from such a program within the last 18 months, shall be considered a "student pharmacist" and entitled to use the title "student pharmacist". A student pharmacist must meet all of the requirements for licensure as a registered pharmacy technician set forth in this Section excluding the requirement of certification prior to the second license renewal and pay the required registered pharmacy technician license fees. A student pharmacist may, under the supervision of a pharmacist, assist in the practice of pharmacy and perform any and all functions delegated to him or her by the pharmacist.

(d) Any person seeking licensure as a pharmacist who has graduated from a pharmacy program outside the United States must register as a pharmacy technician and shall be considered a "student pharmacist" and be entitled to use the title "student pharmacist" while completing the 1,200 clinical hours of training approved by the Board of Pharmacy described and for no more than 18 months after completion of these hours. These individuals are not required to become registered certified pharmacy technicians while completing their Board approved clinical training, but must become licensed as a pharmacist or become licensed as a registered certified pharmacy technician before the second pharmacy technician license renewal following completion of the Board approved clinical training.

(e) The Department shall not renew the registered pharmacy technician license of any person who has been licensed as a registered pharmacy technician with the designation "student pharmacist" who: (1) has dropped out of or been expelled from an ACPE accredited college of pharmacy; (2) has failed to complete his or her 1,200 hours of Board approved clinical training within 24 months; or (3) has failed the pharmacist licensure examination 3 times. The Department shall require these individuals to meet the requirements of and become licensed as a registered certified pharmacy technician.

(f) The Department may take any action set forth in Section 30 of this Act with regard to a license pursuant to this Section.

(g) Any person who is enrolled in a non-traditional Pharm.D. program at an ACPE accredited college of pharmacy and is licensed as a registered pharmacist under the laws of another United States jurisdiction shall be permitted to engage in the program of practice experience required in the academic program by virtue of such license. Such person shall be exempt from the requirement of licensure as a registered pharmacy technician or registered certified pharmacy technician while engaged in the program of practice experience required in the academic program.

An applicant for licensure as a registered pharmacy technician may assist a pharmacist in the practice of pharmacy for a period of up to 60 days prior to the issuance of a license if the applicant has submitted the required fee and an application for licensure to the Department. The applicant shall keep a copy of the submitted application on the premises where the applicant is assisting in the practice of pharmacy. The Department shall forward confirmation of receipt of the application with start and expiration dates of practice pending licensure.

(Source: P.A. 102-882, eff. 1-1-23; 102-1051, eff. 1-1-23; 102-1100, eff. 1-1-23; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23.)

(Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 103-240)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)

Sec. 9. Licensure as registered pharmacy technician.

(a) Any person shall be entitled to licensure as a registered pharmacy technician who is of the age of 16 or over, has not engaged in conduct or behavior determined to be grounds for discipline under this Act, is attending or has graduated from an accredited high school or comparable school or educational institution or received a State of Illinois High School Diploma, and has filed a written or electronic application for licensure on a form to be prescribed and furnished by the Department for that purpose. The Department shall issue a license as a registered pharmacy technician to any applicant who has qualified as aforesaid, and such license shall be the sole authority required to assist licensed pharmacists in the practice of pharmacy, under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist. A registered pharmacy technician may be delegated to perform any task within the practice of pharmacy if specifically trained for that task, except for patient counseling, drug regimen review, clinical conflict resolution, final prescription verification except where a registered certified pharmacy technician verifies a prescription dispensed by another pharmacy technician using technology-assisted medication verification, or providing patients prophylaxis drugs for human immunodeficiency virus pre-exposure prophylaxis or post-exposure prophylaxis.

(b) Beginning on January 1, 2017, within 2 years after initial licensure as a registered pharmacy technician, the licensee must meet the requirements described in Section 9.5 of this Act and become licensed as a registered certified pharmacy technician. If the licensee has not yet attained the age of 18, then upon the next renewal as a registered pharmacy technician, the licensee must meet the requirements described in Section 9.5 of this Act and become licensed as a registered certified pharmacy technician. This requirement does not apply to pharmacy technicians registered prior to January 1, 2008.

(c) (Blank).

(d) Any person seeking licensure as a pharmacist who has graduated from a pharmacy program outside the United States must register as a pharmacy technician and shall be considered a "student pharmacist" and be entitled to use the title "student pharmacist" while completing the 1,200 clinical hours of training approved by the Board of Pharmacy described and for no more than 18 months after completion of these hours. These individuals are not required to become registered certified pharmacy technicians while completing their Board approved clinical training, but must become licensed as a pharmacist or become licensed as a registered certified pharmacy technician before the second pharmacy technician license renewal following completion of the Board approved clinical training.

(e) The Department shall not renew the registered pharmacy technician license of any person who has been licensed as a registered pharmacy technician with the designation "student pharmacist" who: (1) has dropped out of or been expelled from an ACPE accredited college of pharmacy; (2) has failed to complete his or her 1,200 hours of Board approved clinical training within 24 months; or (3) has failed the pharmacist licensure examination 3 times. The Department shall require these individuals to meet the requirements of and become licensed as a registered certified pharmacy technician.

(f) The Department may take any action set forth in Section 30 of this Act with regard to a license pursuant to this Section.

(g) Any person who is enrolled in a non-traditional Pharm.D. program at an ACPE accredited college of pharmacy and is licensed as a registered pharmacist under the laws of another United States jurisdiction shall be permitted to engage in the program of practice experience required in the academic program by virtue of such license. Such person shall be exempt from the requirement of licensure as a registered pharmacy technician or registered certified pharmacy technician while engaged in the program of practice experience required in the academic program.

An applicant for licensure as a registered pharmacy technician may assist a pharmacist in the practice of pharmacy for a period of up to 60 days prior to the issuance of a license if the applicant has submitted the required fee and an application for licensure to the Department. The applicant shall keep a copy of the submitted application on the premises where the applicant is assisting in the practice of pharmacy. The Department shall forward confirmation of receipt of the application with start and expiration dates of practice pending licensure.

(h) Supportive staff who solely perform clerical work are not required to be licensed as a registered pharmacy technician. It shall be the responsibility of the pharmacy, the pharmacist-in-charge, and the pharmacy technician to ensure supportive staff are properly trained. The pharmacy or pharmacist-in-charge shall alert the Department's chief pharmacy coordinator when supportive staff have been terminated for threatening patient safety or diversion, in accordance with the requirements of subsection (b) of Section 30.1. As used in this subsection, "clerical work" includes, without limitation, operating registers at the point of sale, sorting pre-packaged drugs in pharmacies specializing in centralized prescription filling, and selling prescriptions that have received final verification by a pharmacist in accordance with subsection (c-5) of Section 15.1. "Clerical work" does not include data entry, packaging, labeling, or storage.

(Source: P.A. 102-882, eff. 1-1-23; 102-1051, eff. 1-1-23; 102-1100, eff. 1-1-23; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23; 103-240, eff. 1-1-24.)