We often use these terms interchangeably when in fact they are quite different in meaning. Licensure is the process by which an agency of government grants permission to an individual to engage in a given occupation upon finding that the individual applicant has attained the minimal degree of competency necessary to ensure that the public health, safety, and welfare will be reasonably well protected. For example, in California, the State Board of Pharmacy grants a license to pharmacists after ensuring that those entering the practice of pharmacy, as well as those continuing to practice, meet minimum requirements for education, experience and knowledge. Only a licensed pharmacist can engage in the practice of pharmacy. Licensing, therefore, relates only to pharmacists and not technicians.
Registration is the process of making a list or being enrolled in an existing list.
Pharmacy Technicians in California must register with the State Board of Pharmacy. Through the registration process, the board conducts a criminal background check of the applicant to determine if an applicant has committed acts that would constitute grounds for denial of registration. An applicant for registration as a pharmacy technician is issued a certification of registration if he or she meets the requirements set forth by the board. Since the registration certification bears a certificate number, upon receiving their registration certification from the State Board of Pharmacy, some technicians incorrectly believe that they are certified. Certification , as defined by the ASHP Task Force on Technical Personnel in Pharmacy, is the process by which a non-governmental agency or association grants recognition to an individual who has met certain predetermined qualifications specified by that agency or association.