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This file includes all Regulations adopted and published through the New Jersey Register, Vol. 58 No. 19, October 5, 2026

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§ 13:39-6.15 Pharmacy technician duties and pharmacist-technician ratios (a) Pharmacy technicians and pharmacy technician applicants may assist the pharmacist in performing the following tasks: 1. Retrieval of prescription files, patient files and profiles and other such records pertaining to the practice of pharmacy; 2. Data entry of prescription medication information, including the original or refill date of the prescription, the number or designation identifying the prescription, the practitioner's information, and the name, strength, and quantity of the prescribed medication; 3. The collection of the following demographic information for the patient profile: the name, address, and telephone number of the patient; the patient's age, date of birth; or age group (infant, child, adult); gender; any allergies and idiosyncrasies of the patient; and any medical conditions that may relate to drug utilization; 4. Transcription of scanned prescription or medication order information into the patient record; 5. Label preparation; 6. The counting, weighing, measuring, pouring and compounding of prescription medication or stock legend drugs and controlled substances, including the filling of an automated medication system; and 7. Accepting authorization from a patient for a prescription refill, or from a practitioner or his or her agent for a prescription renewal, provided that the prescription remains unchanged, consistent with (a)7i below: i. The pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician applicant shall identify himself or herself as a pharmacy technician when accepting authorization from a practitioner or his or her agent. For purposes of this section, "prescription refill" means the dispensing of medications pursuant to a practitioner's authorization provided on the original prescription. For purposes of this section, "prescription renewal" means the dispensing of medications pursuant to a practitioner's authorization to fill an existing prescription that has no refills remaining. (b) Pharmacy technicians and pharmacy technician applicants shall not: 1. Receive new verbal prescriptions; 2. Interpret a prescription or medication order for therapeutic acceptability and appropriateness; 3. Verify dosage and directions; 4. Engage in prospective drug review; 5. Provide patient counseling; 6. Monitor prescription usage; 7. Override computer alerts without first notifying the pharmacist; 8. Transfer prescriptions from one pharmacy to another pharmacy; or 9. Violate patient confidentiality. (c) A pharmacy shall require all pharmacy technicians and pharmacy technician applicants employed by the pharmacy to sign a patient confidentiality statement. Such statements shall be maintained on-site by the pharmacy. (d) Except as provided in (e) below, a pharmacist shall not supervise more than two pharmacy technicians at any given time. The pharmacist shall provide immediate personal supervision, as defined in N.J.A.C. 13:39-1.2, of all pharmacy technicians he or she supervises. Those personnel who do computer processing of prescriptions are to be included in the 1 to 2 ratio. A registered pharmacy technician or a pharmacy technician applicant who is receiving in-service training, which shall not exceed 210 days, shall be excluded from the 1 to 2 ratio during such training. A pharmacist shall not supervise more than two persons receiving in-service training at the same time. (e) A pharmacy that employs a pharmacist to pharmacy technician ratio greater than 1:2 shall: 1. Establish written job descriptions, task protocols, and policies and procedures that pertain to the duties performed by the pharmacy technicians; 2. Ensure and document that all pharmacy technicians who are working when the ratio exceeds 1:2 have: i. Passed the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board's Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination and have fulfilled the requirements to maintain this status; ii. Passed a Board-approved certification program and have fulfilled the requirements to maintain this status; or iii. Completed a program that includes a testing component, which has been approved by the Board as satisfying the criteria set forth in (f) below. Completion of a program with a Board-approved testing component shall qualify the pharmacy technician to work only for the specific pharmacy and/or corporation for which the pharmacy technician was employed when the training was obtained. If the pharmacy technician becomes employed by another pharmacy and/or corporation, the pharmacy technician shall be required to complete the new employer's training program; 3. Ensure that all pharmacy technicians are knowledgeable in the established job descriptions, task protocols, and policies and procedures in the pharmacy setting in which the technicians are to perform their duties; 4. Ensure that the duties assigned to any pharmacy technician do not exceed the established job descriptions, task protocols and policies and procedures, nor involve any of the prohibited tasks in (b) above; 5. Ensure that all pharmacy technicians receive in-service training before the pharmacy technicians assume their responsibilities and maintain documentation thereof. A registered pharmacy technician or a pharmacy technician applicant who is receiving in-service training, which shall not exceed 210 days, shall be excluded from the 1 to 2 ratio during such training. A pharmacist shall not supervise more than two persons receiving in-service training at the same time; 6. Provide immediate personal supervision as defined in N.J.A.C. 13:39-1.2; and 7. Provide the Board, upon request, with a copy of the established job descriptions, task protocols, and policies and procedures for all pharmacy technician duties. (f) If the pharmacist to pharmacy technician ratio exceeds 1:2, the pharmacy shall maintain a policy and procedure manual with regard to pharmacy technicians, which shall include the following: 1. Supervision by a pharmacist; 2. Confidentiality safeguards of patient information; 3. Minimum qualifications; 4. Documentation of in-service education and/or on-going training and demonstration of competency, specific to practice site and job function; 5. General duties and responsibilities of pharmacy technicians; 6. Retrieval of prescription files, patient files, patient profile information and other records pertaining to the practice of pharmacy; 7. All functions related to prescription processing; 8. All functions related to prescription legend drug and controlled substance ordering and inventory control; 9. Prescription refill and renewal authorization; 10. Procedures dealing with documentation and records required for controlled drug substance and prescription legend drugs; 11. Procedures dealing with medication errors, including classification of medication errors; 12. Pharmacy technician functions related to automated systems; 13. Functions that may not be performed by pharmacy technicians, including at a minimum those functions listed in (b) above; and 14. A form signed by the pharmacy technician which verifies that the manual has been reviewed by the technician. (g) The pharmacist-in-charge shall review at least every two years and, if necessary, amend the policy and procedure manual. Documentation of the review shall be made available to the Board upon request. (h) When pharmacy technicians and pharmacy technician applicants are engaged in any permitted activities, the pharmacist(s) shall be responsible for all the activities of the pharmacy technicians and the pharmacy technician applicants.

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HISTORY: Amended by R.1994 d.351, effective July 18, 1994. See: 26 N.J.R. 1596(a), 26 N.J.R. 2905(b). Amended by R.1997 d.502, effective December 1, 1997. See: 28 N.J.R. 5048(a), 29 N.J.R. 5072(a). Added (d) through (f). Amended by R.1999 d.214, effective July 19, 1999. See: 31 N.J.R. 1151(a), 31 N.J.R. 1932(a). In (f), substituted a reference to supervising registered pharmacists for a reference to a registered pharmacists-in-charge. Recodified from N.J.A.C. 13:39-6.7 and amended by R.2005 d.25, effective January 18, 2005. See: 36 N.J.R. 3345(a), 37 N.J.R. 295(a). Rewrote the section. Former N.J.A.C. 13:39-6.6, Foreign prescriptions, repealed. Recodified from N.J.A.C. 13:39-6.6 and amended by R.2007 d.283, effective September 4, 2007. See: 38 N.J.R. 3137(a), 39 N.J.R. 3774(b). Section was "Pharmacy technicians". Rewrote the introductory paragraph of (a); in (b), inserted "and pharmacy technician applicants" and inserted the second sentence; in the introductory paragraph of (c), inserted "and pharmacy technician applicants"; added new (d); recodified former (d) through (g) as (e) through (h); rewrote (e) and (f); deleted former (h); and in (i), inserted "and pharmacy technician applicants" and "and the pharmacy technician applicants". Amended by R.2010 d.090, effective June 21, 2010. See: 42 N.J.R. 132(a), 42 N.J.R. 1221(a). In the introductory paragraph of (a), deleted "registered" preceding "pharmacist"; in (a)3, deleted "and" from the end; in (a)4, substituted "; and" for a period at the end; recodified the first sentence of former (b) as (a)5; in (b)5, substituted "Accepting" for "Pharmacy technicians and pharmacy technician applicants may accept", "practitioner" for "physician" and ", consistent with (a)5i below:" for a period at the end; recodified the second through fourth sentences of former (b) as (a)5i; in (a)5i, substituted "practitioner" for "physician" and "practitioner's" for " prescriber's"; recodified (c) through (i) as (b) through (h); in (d), substituted "(e)" for "(f)"; in the introductory paragraph of (e), deleted "registered" preceding "pharmacist"; in (e)2iii, substituted "that" for the first occurrence of "which" and "(f)" for "(g)" and inserted a comma following "component"; in (e)4 and (f)13, substituted "(b)" for "(c)"; in (e)4, deleted a comma following "protocols"; in (f), inserted a comma following "technicians"; in (g), substituted "pharmacist-in-charge" for "pharmacist in charge"; and in (h), deleted "registered" preceding "pharmacist(s)". Amended by R.2013 d.098, effective August 5, 2013. See: 45 N.J.R. 201(a), 45 N.J.R. 1919(b). In the introductory paragraph of (a), substituted "Pharmacy" for "In addition to externs and interns, only pharmacy"; rewrote (a)2; added new (a)3 and (a)4; recodified former (a)3 and (a)4 as new (a)5 and (a)6; recodified former (a)5 as (a)7; and in the introductory paragraph of (a)7, substituted "(a)7i" for "(a)5i".

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This file includes all Regulations adopted and published through the New Jersey Register, Vol. 58 No. 19, October 5, 2026

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§ 13:39-2.6 Internship and externship practical experience requirements (a) The following words and terms, when used in this section, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. "Extern preceptor" means an individual approved by an Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)-approved school or college of pharmacy, at which a pharmacy extern is enrolled, who assumes the responsibility to supervise and provide instructional training to a pharmacy extern. "Intern preceptor" means a pharmacist licensed in this State who assumes the responsibility to supervise and provide instructional training to a pharmacy intern as set forth in (f) below. "Pharmacy extern" means any person who is in the fifth or sixth college year, or the third or fourth professional year, at an ACPE-approved school or college of pharmacy who is assigned to a pharmacy training site for the purpose of acquiring practical experience under the supervision of the school or college at which he or she is enrolled. "Pharmacy intern" means a person who is employed in an approved pharmacy training site for the purpose of acquiring practical experience and who has first registered for such purposes with the Board pursuant to N.J.S.A. 45:14-48b(2), and who: 1. Has graduated from an ACPE-approved school or college of pharmacy who is making an application for initial licensure as a pharmacist; 2. Has graduated from a school or college of pharmacy in a foreign country that has not been accredited by ACPE or that has not been deemed ACPE-equivalent by ACPE; 3. Has applied to the Board for reciprocal licensure and has not been engaged in the practice of pharmacy for at least 1,500 hours within the two-year period immediately preceding the date of application; or 4. Is a graduate student participating in a post-graduate pharmacy residency program accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and who is awaiting initial licensure. "Pharmacy internship or externship" means the program in which practical experience is acquired by a pharmacy intern or extern. "Pharmacy training site" means a site that is licensed by the Board where drugs are dispensed or pharmaceutical care is provided by a licensed pharmacist and that has a satisfactory record of observance of Federal, State and municipal law and ordinances governing the activities in which it is or has been engaged. (b) The 1,440 hours of practical experience required for the successful completion of a pharmacy internship shall be obtained consistent with the following: 1. The 1,440 hours of practical experience shall be completed in no less than 34 weeks and no more than 104 weeks, under the supervision of an intern preceptor. Each week of practical experience shall consist of no less than 15 hours and no more than 45 hours of actual service per week; 2. The intern preceptor and the pharmacy intern shall keep accurate records of the time spent by the pharmacy intern for credit toward the requirements of (b)1 above. The Board shall provide appropriate forms to be submitted to the Board for approval of internship experience; and 3. No credit shall be given for hours served as a pharmacy intern prior to the applicant's registration with the Board and approval of the intern preceptor by the Board. (c) A pharmacist who wishes to be an intern preceptor shall apply to the Board and shall furnish evidence that he or she: 1. Has been licensed and employed on a full-time basis as a pharmacist in the area of practice in which he or she is to be engaged as a preceptor for at least two years immediately preceding the date of application and is currently engaged in the practice of pharmacy in the State of New Jersey; and 2. Has not been convicted of a crime or offense relating adversely to the practice of pharmacy consistent with N.J.S.A. 45:1-21(f) or a crime of moral turpitude and has not been the subject of disciplinary action taken by a professional board resulting in the suspension, revocation or surrender of a license or the placement of significant limitations on such license. (d) The Board shall approve an intern preceptor selected by each pharmacy intern prior to the beginning of the internship. An intern preceptor shall not supervise the training of more than one pharmacy intern at a time. (e) The intern preceptor in a pharmacy training site shall provide the Board with a detailed written report outlining the progress, aptitude and readiness to practice of any pharmacy intern under his or her supervision at the conclusion of the internship. (f) The intern preceptor shall be responsible for supervising the activities of the pharmacy intern and providing the pharmacy intern with experience and knowledge related to the preceptor's area of practice. (g) An individual who works at a pharmacy outside the scope of his or her school's supervision is not deemed to be a pharmacy extern as defined in this section and shall register as a pharmacy technician in accordance with N.J.A.C. 13:39-6.6. Such an individual may perform only the duties set forth in N.J.A.C. 13:39-6.15.

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HISTORY: New Rule, R.2009 d.247, effective August 3, 2009. See: 41 N.J.R. 371(a), 41 N.J.R. 2969(b). Former N.J.A.C. 13:39-2.6, Criminal history background check, was recodified to N.J.A.C. 13:39-2.4. Amended by R.2010 d.090, effective June 21, 2010. See: 42 N.J.R. 132(a), 42 N.J.R. 1221(a). In definition "Intern preceptor" in (a) and in (c)1, substituted "licensed" for "registered"; and in (c)1, inserted "on a full-time basis" following "employed" and deleted "on a full-time basis" following "preceptor". Amended by R.2017 d.220, effective December 4, 2017. See: 49 N.J.R. 1316(a), 49 N.J.R. 3761(a). In (a), rewrote definition "Pharmacy intern"; and added (g). Administrative correction, effective September 21, 2022. See: 54 N.J.R. 1977(a).

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This file includes all Regulations adopted and published through the New Jersey Register, Vol. 58 No. 19, October 5, 2026

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"Immediate personal supervision" means that the pharmacist is physically present in the compounding/dispensing area when interns, externs and pharmacy technicians are performing delegated duties, and the pharmacist conducts any necessary in-process checks and the final check in preparation and compounding of medications, including the checking of each ingredient used, the quantity of each ingredient whether weighed, measured or counted, the finished label and the accuracy and appropriateness of the actions of pharmacy technicians, interns and externs. "Pharmacy extern" or "extern" means a "pharmacy extern" as defined at N.J.A.C. 13:39-2.6(a). "Pharmacy intern" or "intern" means a "pharmacy intern" as defined at N.J.A.C. 13:39-2.6(a). "Pharmacy technician" means an individual registered with the Board and who works under the immediate personal supervision of a pharmacist in compliance with N.J.A.C. 13:39-6.15. For purposes of this definition, interns, externs, cashiers, stocking and clerical help are not pharmacy technicians.

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Amended by R.2005 d.25, effective January 18, 2005. See: 36 N.J.R. 3345(a), 37 N.J.R. 295(a). Rewrote "Address of record", added "Immediate personal supervision" and "Pharmacy technician", deleted "Direct supervision" and "Supportive personnel". Amended by R.2010 d.090, effective June 21, 2010. See: 42 N.J.R. 132(a), 42 N.J.R. 1221(a). Deleted definitions "Authorized prescriber", "Licensed practitioner" and " 'Registered pharmacist' or 'pharmacist' "; rewrote definitions "Compounding", "Dispense or dispensing", "Immediate personal supervision" and "Pharmacy technician"; substituted definition "Drug or medication" for definition "Drug or medicine"; added definitions "Pharmacist", "Pharmacy" and "Practitioner"; in paragraph 2 of definition "Legend drug or service" substituted "a practitioner" for "an authorized prescriber"; in definition "Pharmaceutical services", deleted "registered" preceding "pharmacist", and substituted "labeling" for "labelling" and "counseling" for "counselling"; and in definition "Professional judgment", substituted "practitioner" for "prescriber". Amended by R.2013 d.098, effective August 5, 2013. See: 45 N.J.R. 201(a), 45 N.J.R. 1919(b). Added definitions " 'Pharmacy extern' or 'extern' " and " 'Pharmacy intern' or 'intern' ". Amended by R.2017 d.220, effective December 4, 2017. See: 49 N.J.R. 1316(a), 49 N.J.R. 3761(a).

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