Passing the examination will make you a PBT, a certified phlebotomy technician, which will increase your earning power. Here are the things you can do to be eligible to take the exam.
Option One
There is no experience requirement for the first option but the applicant must have completed a phlebotomy training program accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences or a training program approved by the California Department of Health. The program must have been completed within the last five years.
Option Two
In this option, the ASCP Board outlines the details of an acceptable structured phlebotomy program. The programs need not be accredited or approved by any state agency, but they must include the following:
- 40 hours of classroom training that includes education in anatomy and physiology of the circulatory system
- Specimen collection: venipunctures and skin punctures
- Processing and handling of the specimens collected
- Safety, quality control and other operations within the laboratory
- 100 hours of clinical training in an accredited laboratory
- 100 successful blood collections
Option Three
The third route to take the ASCP phlebotomy certification exam has a work experience requirement. After working full time for one year as a phlebotomy technician in an accredited laboratory, you may take the exam.
To those of you hoping to land a job, this option might not make any sense. The reason this work experience option is here has to do with how training was conducted in the past.
Today, there are a number of different schools offering phlebotomist training programs. Most community colleges have programs, for example. In the past, training was only available through a certified laboratory. That’s why this option for taking the ASCP phlebotomy certification exam exists.
Option 4
This option is for people who already have another healthcare degree. For example, an RN or an LPN can take the exam, assuming they have had training in blood collection and venipunctures. A copy of the applicable state license must be submitted with the application.
Option 5
A person who has successfully completed the medical technician, medical laboratory technician or medical laboratory scientist’s exam through the ASCP can take the ASCP phlebotomy certification after paying the required fees.
Option 6
A similar certification exam is offered for those who work at blood banks. The examination is called the donor phlebotomy technician or DPT exam. A person who has passed the DPT exam can take the PBT exam if he or she is able to get the necessary experience in non-donor blood collection. The ASCP requires completing a minimum of 100 venipunctures and/or skin punctures at an accredited laboratory within the last five years, even for those who already hold a DPT.
Those are your options for taking the ASCP phlebotomy certification exam. Good Luck!
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