Pharmacy Technician Certification Board Exam

1
Pharmacy Technician Certification Board Exam

• Brooke Shiotani, Kim Pong, Jennifer Seo, Chris
  Nomura, Helen Louie, Derek Kuniyoshi, David
  Thompson

2
Pharmacy Technician Facts

• Responsibilities have gone beyond counting and
  pouring
• There is a ratio of 31 technicians to
  pharmacists
• Currently there is no standardized certification
  to become a technician

3
Problem Definition

• We found two main problems within the field of
  pharmacy technicians
• No board verified standard level of knowledge
• Pharmacy technician is not considered a
  professional career

4
Pharmacy Technician Certification Board
Examination

• Is a national certification
• It certifies that an individual has met certain
  criteria laid out by the PTCB
• Drug knowledge
• Mathematics
• Management of pharmacy practice
• Inventory control
• Other basic pharmacy knowledge
• Technician receives credentials (CPhT)

5
THE LAW

• WAC 246.901.060
• To become certified as a pharmacy technician,
  an individual must 1) Complete an approved
  pharmacy technician program 2) Apply to board
  for certification. The application must include a
  notarized statement of program verification
  signed by the program director 3) A new pharmacy
  technician must pass the Pharmacy Technician
  Certification Board (PTCB) within 3 attempts not
  to exceed 24 months beyond the date of birth
  after obtaining the license.

6
White Paper on Pharmacy Technicians

• Why is it important to have competent pharmacy
  technicians?
• Reduce workload for pharmacists
• Increases quality of pharmaceutical care
• Increases patient safety

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White Paper cont.

• PTCB benefits
• Professional Identity
• Technicians remain longer in practice
• Improve staff morale
• Reduce medication errors
• Higher productivity
• Higher patient satisfaction
• Salary increase

8
Higher Pay Rates for CPhTs
From Murer, Melissa Charting a New Course
2002
9
States and the PTCB

• Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming
  utilize PTCB certification
• Washington and other states recognize the PTCB
  but do not require it

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Stakeholders

• Pharmacy Technicians
• Pharmacists
• Washington Board of Pharmacy
• Pharmacies
• Pharmacy Technician Schools
• PTCB
• Patients

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Alternatives
Criterion Alternative Technical Feasibility Political Viability Administrative Operability
No change
WA state exam -
Training school exam - -
Pharmacy exam - - -
12
Conclusion

• Lack of verified standard level of knowledge for
  technicians is a problem
• Proposal is to require technicians to pass the
  PTCB exam
• Benefits include
• Increasing the competency of technicians
• Reducing medication errors
• Improving morale
• Create stable working environment

13
Resources

• Rouse, Michael J. White paper on pharmacy
  technicians 2002 Needed changes can no longer
  wait. American Journal of Health System
  Pharmacists 60 (2003)37-51.
• Pharmacy technicians sesquicentennial stepping
  stone summits 2002. APhA p 5
• Career. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved December 1,
  2003, from Merriam-Webster Online.
  http//www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary
• Washington State Board of Pharmacy. Electronic
  references. Retrieved December 4, 2003 from
  http//www.leg.wa.gov/wac/index.cfm?fuseactionSec
  tionSection246-901-060.
• Frequently Asked Questions. PTCB. Retrieved
  December 3, 2003, from PTCB online.
  http//www.ptcb.org
• Long T. Current and future development with
  pharmacy technicians. Paper presented at APhA
  Annual Meeting. Washington, DC 2003 Mar 19
• Guidebook to certification. PTCB. Retrieved
  December 3, 2003, from PTCB online.
  http//www.ptcb.org
• http//www.abhes.org/states.2000.asp. Accessed
  12/1/03.
• McRee, Tina. Pharmacy Technicians in California
  Snapshot of an emerging profession. 2003 UCSF
  Center for the Health Professions. Available
  from http//www.calendow.org/pub/publications/RX
  T.pdf. Accessed 12/2/03.
• Murer, Melissa. Charting a New Course PTCB 2002.
  Presented at 37th ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting