The following date has been established for the voluntary certification examination: Saturday October 25, 2008

Due to the large volume of applications received at the College requesting evaluation of pharmacy technician credentials and the amount of time involved in setting up individual files/records for all those applying, in order for pharmacy technicians to be considered for the upcoming sittings of the examination, the following dates will be strictly adhered to:

Exam Date - Saturday, October 25, 2008

a) Application to Evaluate Pharmacy Technician Credentials, with the applicable documentation and evaluation fee, must be received by OCP no later than July 15, 2008. Please refer to the Pharmacy Technician Registration Application Information for details and application form.

b) Application to Write the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam together with the 2008 exam fee of $367.50 must be received by OCP no later than September 15, 2008. This package is mailed out by OCP staff only to those technicians who have been deemed eligible to sit the examination as a result of the submission and approval of the Application to Evaluate Pharmacy Technician Credentials as per item a) above.

Resource Material

Click here for a list of references specifically oriented to the needs of pharmacy technicians.
The Ontario College of Pharmacists does not endorse any of these resources and none are based on the voluntary certification examination offered by OCP. OCP will continue to publish information on resources specifically directed to pharmacy technicians.

Examination Site:
The three-hour examination is offered in the following cities: Hamilton, Kingston, Kitchener, London, North Bay, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Windsor, Ottawa. OCP reserves the right to cancel an examination site if there is insufficient enrolment for that site or to defer a candidate's examination date to a future sitting if there is insufficient space at a particular site.  Space permitting, the candidate may be given the option of sitting the examination at a different site.  Confirmation of your examination site and specific information on its location will be mailed at least 10 days prior to the examination date.
 
Special Needs:
Consideration may be given for special needs that may have a bearing on a candidate’s ability to sit the examination (e.g., medical conditions, learning disability, wheelchair access). Clarification of the special needs and the accommodations being requested during the examination is required. Documentation to support your request is also required.
 
Fee Schedule:
Payment should be in the form of a cheque or money order payable to the Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP). Cash will only be accepted in person, by appointment. Do not send cash by mail. 
 
Refunds:
The fee of $367.50 will ONLY be refunded if you notify OCP of your intentions to withdraw from the exam in writing at least 14 days prior to the date of the examination (no exceptions) or for emergency medical reasons if accompanied by supporting documentation.
 
Cancellation of your sitting of the examination:
A written request must be received no later than 14 days prior to the date of the examination. A refund of the examination application fee will be issued to you in the form of a cheque, 6-8 weeks from the date your request was received.
 
Result of the examination:
You will be notified in writing of your results approximately six (6) to eight (8) weeks after the examination.  Results will not be released over the telephone.
 
If you require further information or assistance, please contact: Client Services at 416-962-4861 ext. 300 or at ocpclientservices@ocpinfo.com
 
STRUCTURE OF THE EXAMINATION:
Examination questions are based on the first 10 sections of the Ontario College of Pharmacists’ Pharmacy Technician Skill Set document. The number of questions usually included in the examination, according to skill set topics is as follows:

Pharmaceutical Calculations & Compounding   Jurisprudence     Orientation to Pharmacy Practice     Pharmaceutical Fundamentals   Pharmacology    Sterile Products       Systems & Procedures & Computer Operation

35 10 25 20 20 10 30

SCORING OF THE EXAMINATION:
The Ontario College of Pharmacists has undertaken a standard setting process to ensure that the questions on the tests are relevant to practice and test a wide range of knowledge.  A Minimum Performance Level (MPL) is set for each question by a committee of practising pharmacy technicians and pharmacists, and the cut score is determined by summing up the MPL across all items for a particular examination.  All candidate responses are subjected to an item analysis to ensure the psychometric integrity of each item.  Any item failing to meet the criteria will be eliminated from the test scoring, and the MPL for the examination will be adjusted accordingly.  Candidates will be advised only whether they have passed or failed; no numerical grade or ranking will be provided.
 
SAMPLE QUESTIONS:
To illustrate the format of questions on the examination, some sample questions are included. These multiple choice questions have only one correct answer. Click Here for sample questions.