Waiting for Pharmacy Technician License - California

[Kat3445]

To those who have recently (last year or so?) received their pharmacy tech. license:

How long did it take from the time you mailed in your application to the Board of Pharmacy to when your name appeared on their online verification site? Answers from everybody welcome, but I am specifically curious about first-time applicants in California.

I asked a few techs and pharmacists I know the same question, but most of them seemed to only have information about what it was like 5+ years ago (times have changed, budget cuts etc).

I passed the PTCE and mailed in my application on 03/27/13 (seven weeks ago). My check was cashed just a few days after the 27th. I know the waiting period can be around three months, and that we are instructed not to contact the Board before that.

Also, has anybody actually gone into the office in Sacramento? I will be visiting family in Norcal late next month and might make the drive over if it's worth it (and my license still hasn't posted on their site).

For reference, this is the Board of Pharmacy verification website I'm referring to:
http://tinyurl.com/7dojm8l

Thanks!

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[Goenbursty]

it really is about 3 months
also... you can check online obsessively, that's what my coworkers do

Good luck

-G

 

[Kat3445]

Thanks Goenbursty. I try to limit myself to one check in the morning...

Was this in California?

 

[88888888]

Yea it took me like 90 days lol.. Long time

 

[Goenbursty]

Yep California. Super slow.. yes I know.. but at least their accurate.
You'll get the license in about 90 days, althought my friend "forgot" a piece of info and it got delayed another 90days lol

-G

 

[Kat3445]

Awesome thanks guys. These instances were both pretty recent, right? (Last year or year and a half or so)

 

[Goenbursty]

This year, and that thing with the missing info from my friend just happened lmao. Yes, we are all laughing at him.

 

[Kat3445]

I must have read through the application and the Board of Pharmacy websites thousands of times. No way is something missing from my app!

I will update in about a month if I've heard from them or not.

 

[88888888]

Yea the missing info happened to me too.. I forgot what it was lol. Does it happen to everyone?

 

[Kat3445]

UPDATE:

Oh man I am fuming right now. I just got a letter from the Board that contained the envelope that I thought had my official high school transcript in it (didn't open it, sent it sealed as official transcripts should be sent).

Inside I found the original envelope that was addressed to me, my voided check, the letter I sent requesting a transcript, and a note from my HS's registrar office saying I still had two free transcripts that could be ordered, and here's your check back. This is the only envelope I received from my HS, and it had official stamps all over it. Was certain it contained my transcript. I never got a call (which I said in my note they should do if there's any questions) and never even got one of those "free" transcripts (I've paid for several in the last 4 or 5 years).

Now my pharm. tech. app is all screwed up and Mrs. "E" (name withheld) from the registrar is going to get an earful come Monday morning. So much for trying to get a pharmacy job before my PharmCAS apps are due.

 

[Skrumpy]

UPDATE:

Oh man I am fuming right now. I just got a letter from the Board that contained the envelope that I thought had my official high school transcript in it (didn't open it, sent it sealed as official transcripts should be sent).

Inside I found the original envelope that was addressed to me, my voided check, the letter I sent requesting a transcript, and a note from my HS's registrar office saying I still had two free transcripts that could be ordered, and here's your check back. This is the only envelope I received from my HS, and it had official stamps all over it. Was certain it contained my transcript. I never got a call (which I said in my note they should do if there's any questions) and never even got one of those "free" transcripts (I've paid for several in the last 4 or 5 years).

Now my pharm. tech. app is all screwed up and Mrs. "E" (name withheld) from the registrar is going to get an earful come Monday morning. So much for trying to get a pharmacy job before my PharmCAS apps are due.

Wow that sucks.. when I did mine I always went in person, simply because I don't trust those people to do their job. Of course that isn't an option for everyone.. but wow, what a pain.

 

[88888888]

UPDATE:

Oh man I am fuming right now. I just got a letter from the Board that contained the envelope that I thought had my official high school transcript in it (didn't open it, sent it sealed as official transcripts should be sent).

Inside I found the original envelope that was addressed to me, my voided check, the letter I sent requesting a transcript, and a note from my HS's registrar office saying I still had two free transcripts that could be ordered, and here's your check back. This is the only envelope I received from my HS, and it had official stamps all over it. Was certain it contained my transcript. I never got a call (which I said in my note they should do if there's any questions) and never even got one of those "free" transcripts (I've paid for several in the last 4 or 5 years).

Now my pharm. tech. app is all screwed up and Mrs. "E" (name withheld) from the registrar is going to get an earful come Monday morning. So much for trying to get a pharmacy job before my PharmCAS apps are due.

I'm sure you can get a job before October/november.. how early were you planning to apply.

 

[Goenbursty]

Agreed. I also never trust those ppl. They just don't care about their jobs. So I also go in person to get all my transcripts too. Last time I did it on online.... lets just say it wasn't the computer that messed up, but the person on the receiving end. So yea, Sorry to hear that Kat. Send another Pharm Tech Form and get a new transcript in person. Have you thought about maybe just doing shadowing with a local pharmacy until you get your tech license?

 

[Kat3445]

@Goenbursty: I already volunteer at a discharge pharmacy that's part of a university-based hospital, but I was hoping to just expand my experience. My HS is 500 miles away from where I live, so going in is not an option for me. Calling them on the phone to speak with a supervisor at 8am on Monday certainly is though.

@88888888: I want to apply to all my schools (five total) very, very early. Summer classes start July 1 and I have time set aside to have all of the PharmCAS and 90% of the supplementals done by then (will want to give my Letter of Rec people time to do their portion). The idea was to at least get a license before Spring quarter ended and have started a job by the time my apps are submitted. The admins at my old HS will also be hearing what I think about their F-up affecting my chances as a prospective student at a decent pharmacy school, too.

 

[Goenbursty]

You still have plenty of time to get your tech license and then do apply through pharmcas.
Good luck to you.

 

[Kat3445]

Update:

OK so great news everybody! Not only did my license post online, but yesterday I also received my hard copy license in the mail! It turns out my high school had sent my transcript in that envelope, but the Board just mailed all the extraneous papers to me without saying anything else (no post-it note, no cover letter... so my mind went to the worst scenario possible of course).

Here is the timeline that I experienced. I had a complete (and meticulously organized) application:

Day 0 - Mailed application packet in person at my local post office
Day 15 - Board cashed my check
Day 51 - License posted online ( http://www.pharmacy.ca.gov/online/verify_lic.shtml )
Day 72 - Hard copy arrived in mail

 

[88888888]

California takes so long lol. I just applied for Minnesota tech license cause I'm moving there for pharmacy school and only took like two weeks from when I mail it in to receive my hardcopy license

 

[rx011]

Update:

OK so great news everybody! Not only did my license post online, but yesterday I also received my hard copy license in the mail! It turns out my high school had sent my transcript in that envelope, but the Board just mailed all the extraneous papers to me without saying anything else (no post-it note, no cover letter... so my mind went to the worst scenario possible of course).

Here is the timeline that I experienced. I had a complete (and meticulously organized) application:

Day 0 - Mailed application packet in person at my local post office
Day 15 - Board cashed my check
Day 51 - License posted online ( http://www.pharmacy.ca.gov/online/verify_lic.shtml )
Day 72 - Hard copy arrived in mail

Thanks for the timeline. I heard the waiting period is normally about 3 months or longer. I hope my license gets posted online and arrives in the mail as fast as yours.

 

[Kat3445]

No problem! Yes, I heard about three months as well. I spent hours reading and re-reading the application to make sure I included everything appropriately (lots of little pieces...), I think having it well-organized helped with the turn-around time.

 

[lac0nicd]

I mailed mine around April 17. I got mine around 2-3 months.
On the CA Pharmacy Board website, my license number was available by May 29.
The certificate/license itself was mailed 2 days ago. Hope that helps!

Sometimes its the fingerprints that makes the whole process longer (that's if you think you followed every prerequisite documents)...

 

[PharmDinthework]

I mailed my application out on May 20th, and I've been checking quite often and obviously my verification license number has not been posted up yet. It seems like the previous post, it has been taking about a month and 2 weeks for the number to be posted up online? I just recently got hired at a hospital as a pharm tech, but I can not start without that verification number, and they have been waiting on me for 2 weeks now. I've been trying to call in and emailing Board of Pharmacy, but they won't budge, went straight to an automatic voicemail and automated email response. Any suggestions on what I should do, besides waiting? I don't want to lose this job opportunity! Thank You!

 

[rx011]

Yep California. Super slow.. yes I know.. but at least their accurate.
You'll get the license in about 90 days, althought my friend "forgot" a piece of info and it got delayed another 90days lol

-G

Oh no! I hope my license does not get delayed for that long.

 

[ankii]

I want to send in my packet soon but I'm a little confused on what I need to put for Request FOR LIVE SCAN SERVICE portion of the packet.

What are you suppose to put for ORI, Authorized Applicant type and the Contributing Agency information? Also it asks for OCA number (agency identifying number). where do i get these information?

 

[vic89]

When I went and printed out the forms, those were already entered in. Go here
http://www.pharmacy.ca.gov/forms/tch_app_pkt.pdf

 

[paul25]

Hi guys, did anyone of you manage to go to Sacramento directly, and if so, would that expedite the process? Can you get your license right away if you go to the Board headquarters in Sacramento? I was told by my colleagues they said yes, any confirmation?