How to Become a Pharmacy Technician in New Mexico

Who can apply

• You must apply and pay the fee before doing any technician duties (16.19.22.14 NMAC). Before registration you may only do clerical work.
• A non-certified technician must name the pharmacist or technician training sponsor responsible for their training.
• Every technician must earn Board-approved national certification (PTCB or ExCPT) within one year of registering.
• You attest to any past arrests, charges or disciplinary actions; the Board may run a background check, and a past problem does not automatically bar you.
• The Board's pages do not state a minimum age.

Step by step

1. Find a pharmacy job or training program with a pharmacist or training sponsor who will supervise your training.
2. Apply online in the RLD licensing portal as a non-certified pharmacy technician, pay the $25 fee and give your training sponsor's name.
3. Wait until your registration is issued before doing technician duties.
4. Complete the required training topics and keep the signed Technician Training and Education Record.
5. Pass the PTCB (PTCE) or NHA (ExCPT) exam within one year of registering.
6. Apply for certified pharmacy technician registration with your training record and proof of certification.
7. Renew every two years by the last day of your birth month, with proof of current national certification.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: The pharmacist-in-charge must make sure you complete training in pharmacy law, ethics, terminology, calculations, preparation and labeling, dosage forms, trade and generic names, basic pharmacology and pharmacy references (16.19.22.9 NMAC). No hour count is set. A school program is not required, and on-the-job training under a pharmacist is allowed. Sterile compounding needs extra training.

Exam: You must pass a Board-approved national certification exam, PTCB's PTCE or NHA's ExCPT, within one year of registration. No extensions are granted to technicians registered on or after November 15, 2010. There is no separate state exam.

What it costs in New Mexico

Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.

How long it takes

The Board's archival paper application says mailed applications take 5 to 10 business days to process once received, and its 2023 FAQ says a submitted renewal typically takes 5 to 10 days.

What other sites get wrong about New Mexico

Once you're registered

Renewal: Certified technician registrations expire every two years on the last day of your birth month and cost $30 to renew online. You must show current PTCB or ExCPT certification. The Board itself requires no CE hours, but you must keep PTCB or ExCPT active, and those require 20 hours every two years including 1 hour of pharmacy law. Technicians who give vaccines need 0.2 CEU (2 hours) of vaccine CE each registration period. If your registration expires you cannot work as a technician until it is renewed.

Good to know in New Mexico

One-year deadline: If you do not pass the PTCB or ExCPT exam within your first year as a non-certified technician, you may not keep working as a pharmacy technician. The archival application says a non-certified registration expires one year from issue and cannot be renewed unless you are certified.

No reciprocity: New Mexico does not accept technician registrations from other states. Your training sponsor may accept some or all of your earlier training, but you must register here.

Keep your training record: The training record must be signed by you and your training sponsor, filed with your certification proof, and kept for future jobs.

Vaccines and sterile compounding: Only certified technicians may give vaccines (with an ACPE-accredited immunization course and BLS/CPR) or compound sterile products.

Reapplying after the one-year limit: A non-certified technician may not re-apply as non-certified unless enrolled in a Board-recognized technician training program (16.19.22.14 NMAC).

Report changes in 10 days: Tell the Board in writing or online within 10 days of any change of address or employment (16.19.22.15 NMAC).

Sources

• 16.19.22 NMAC - Support Personnel and Pharmacy Technicians
• 16.19.12 NMAC - Fees
• NM Board of Pharmacy - Pharmacy Technician FAQ (2023)
• NM Board of Pharmacy - Applications and Forms
• NM Board of Pharmacy - New Pharmacy Technician Application (archival, 2/2022)
• NM Board of Pharmacy - Pharmacy Technician Application Manual (2026)
• PTCB - Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) and PTCE fee