Pharmacy technician education, training, and certification: Call for a single national standard and public accountability

Abstract

LettersThe Letters column is a forum for rapid exchange of ideas among readers of AJHP. Liberal criteria are applied in the review of submissions to encourage contributions to this column.The Letters column includes the following types of contributions: (1) comments, addenda, and minor updates on previously published work, (2) alerts on potential problems in practice, (3) observations or comments on trends in drug use, (4) opinions on apparent trends or controversies in drug therapy or clinical research, (5) opinions on public health issues of interest to pharmacists in health systems, (6) comments on ASHP activities, and (7) human interest items about life as a pharmacist. Reports of adverse drug reactions must present a reasonably clear description of causality.Short papers on practice innovations and other original work are included in the Notes section rather than in Letters. Letters commenting on an AJHP article must be received within three months of the article's publication.Letters should be submitted electronically through http://ajhp.msubmit.net. The following conditions must be adhered to: (1) the body of the letter must be no longer than two typewritten pages, (2) the use of references and tables should be minimized, (3) the number of authors should be no more than three, and (4) the entire letter (including references, tables, and authors' names) must be typed double-spaced. After acceptance of a letter, the authors are required to sign an exclusive publication statement and a copyright transferal form. All letters are subject to revision by the editors.

A global picture of pharmacy technician and other pharmacy support workforce cadres

“… 50 This USA report was tabled, noting a call for improved accountability regarding pharmacy technician education in 2011. 51 …”

Description of Position Ads for Pharmacy Technicians

“…Many states have a requirement that pharmacy technicians get certified either through these routes or through a standardized exam with similar content within a year of hiring, but there is little standardization across the board for these exams [ 17 , 18 ]. On multiple occasions, calls for standard national training and certification processes have been made, and it is clear that multiple organizations find it crucial to have this kind of a standard for certified pharmacy technicians [ 19 , 20 ]. While 81.5% (N = 17,114) did prefer a certified technician, it is surprising that more employers do not share the same national desire.…”

A review of American pharmacy: education, training, technology, and practice

“…Beginning in 2020, PTCB will require new candidates for certification to complete an ASHP/ACPE-accredited pharmacy technician education program [18]. Driving toward a national standard for pharmacy technician education, certification, and registration/licensure will expand the scope of technician practice, allowing for further reallocation of pharmacist resources to direct patient care and advanced practice [19, 20]. …”