Phlebotomist Certifications

The minimum requirement to become a phlebotomist/phlebotomy technician is a high school diploma, or GED, except phlebotomists in California. Those wishing to practice their skill in California specifically need California certified and approved phlebotomy training and then pass an approved phlebotomy certification exam to earn their credentials. 

Phlebotomy Credentials

A professional phlebotomist who has passed the phlebotomy certification exam and earned a credential is usually given documentation as proof from the certification sponsor who has set the standards for the exam. While in some cases a credential may be as simple as a paper membership card or a pin, in other cases it may involve presentation of letters directly from the issuer of the credential detailing its faith in the person holding them.

Professional membership organizations and agencies that certify phlebotomy candidates by examination in the USA are:

• American Society for Clinical Pathology's Board of Certification (ASCP-BOC)
• American Medical Technologists (AMT)
• American Credentialing Agency (ACA)
• National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT)
• National Healthcareer Association (NHA)

Not all certification routes are considered equally valid by all healthcare employers, so applicants should choose their certification agency after researching their acceptability among local employers. Some agencies certify phlebotomists without a proctored examination if they can document one or more consecutive years of direct hands-on phlebotomy experience; others allow their employers to issue the examination. The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) also covers phlebotomy questions as part of their clinical medical assistant discipline exam. Certified Medical Assistants (CMA) are commonly hired to be phlebotomists.

The NHA phlebotomy certification includes the EKG technician certification (CET) and phlebotomy technician certification in one general certification.

In California, all phlebotomists must be certified by law and only after completing a state-approved training program and successful examination issued by NHA, AMT, ASCP-BOC, ACA and NCCT are they allowed to practice their skill drawing blood.