Pharmacy technician accreditation standards updated
2016; Elsevier BV; Volume: 22; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/j.ptdy.2016.01.017
ISSN2773-0735
Autores Tópico(s)Pharmacy and Medical Practices
ResumoPharmacy technician accreditation standards have been updated by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) boards of directors to expand flexibility in training programs to meet the requirements of different experiential practice settings and compounding activities. ASHP and ACPE adopted the new standards on the recommendation of the Pharmacy Technician Accreditation Commission (PTAC). The changes took effect on January 1.The updated accreditation standards changed requirements that student technician experiential activities be performed in at least two different types of contemporary pharmacy experiences from “must” to “should.” The standards preference is for student technicians to be trained in two experiential sites, but now only one is required. The second major change is to allow accredited technician education and training programs to determine whether they wish to use hands-on training in sterile, nonsterile, or both sterile and nonsterile simulated training experiences. Programs, however, would still be required to fulfill the didactic portions of training for sterile compounding.“We are trying to have one national standard for pharmacy technician education and training, and certification,” said Janet Silvester, PharmD, MBA, FASHP, vice president of ASHP’s Accreditation Services. “This helps ensure quality in the training, and that the technicians can practice in a safe manner. It is optimal to have technicians trained in the same way so that they are prepared to practice in different settings, and that those pharmacies and pharmacists know how they have been prepared.”Silvester and Peter H. Vlasses, PharmD, DSc (Hon), BCPS, executive director of ACPE, noted survey feedback with pharmacy stakeholders led to revisions in the standards. “We are trying to be sensitive to the needs of stakeholders so everyone is moving in the same direction of improving the quality and training of the technician workforce,” Silvester said.According to Silvester, a problem faced by chain drug stores was that the previous standards were not completely relevant to their practice settings. They had trouble addressing the experiential requirements of the standards. Chains also don’t have I.V. rooms to do simulated sterile compounding.By 2020, the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) announced 3 years ago, PTCB will require technician candidates seeking initial certification to successfully complete an ASHP/ACPE-accredited education program. “Our 2020 requirement supports and advances improved patient care and safety across all practice settings,” said Col (Ret.) Everett B. McAllister, BSPharm, MPA, USAF, BSC, executive director and CEO of PTCB. He noted the updated accreditation standards are a good step.Establishing PTACPTAC was established in 2014 as a joint collaboration between ASHP and ACPE to serve as an accrediting review committee for pharmacy technician education and training programs. It has two major functions. First, it evaluates unaccredited pharmacy technician education and training programs seeking accreditation, and accredited programs seeking reaccreditation, based on surveys and reports compiled by ASHP, and makes recommendations to the ASHP and ACPE boards of directors. Second, PTAC makes recommendations to both boards on standards, policies, and procedures related to accreditation. The commission comprises nine voting members and three nonvoting members with expertise in quality assurance of pharmacy technician education and training. Members are jointly appointed by ASHP and ACPE.The driving force behind PTAC’s creation was realization from health-system groups about the need for standardization of technician training and education. ASHP represents pharmacists who serve in acute and ambulatory settings. ACPE is the national agency for the accreditation of professional degree programs in pharmacy and of continuing education providers, and is well known and understood by state boards of pharmacy. The collaboration unifies ACPE’s expertise with ASHP’s experience in accrediting programs for pharmacy technicians.“The collaboration between ASHP and ACPE, including the appointment of PTAC, was created to provide improved stakeholder expertise to the review of technician accreditation program reviews and guidance on other technician-related matters,” Vlasses said.Evolving roles’Michael Reff, BSPharm, MBA, pharmacist manager of the Patient Rx Center at Hematology/Oncology Associates of Central New York, and supervisor of Hannah Peabody, CPhT, PTCB’s 2014 Certified Pharmacy Technician of the Year, believes the new standards are moving in the right direction.“Pharmacists are getting more clinical, so technicians are filling the void of day-to-day operations once done by pharmacists,” Reff said. “As the profession of pharmacy evolves, so does the technician’s scope of service.” Pharmacy technician accreditation standards have been updated by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) boards of directors to expand flexibility in training programs to meet the requirements of different experiential practice settings and compounding activities. ASHP and ACPE adopted the new standards on the recommendation of the Pharmacy Technician Accreditation Commission (PTAC). The changes took effect on January 1. The updated accreditation standards changed requirements that student technician experiential activities be performed in at least two different types of contemporary pharmacy experiences from “must” to “should.” The standards preference is for student technicians to be trained in two experiential sites, but now only one is required. The second major change is to allow accredited technician education and training programs to determine whether they wish to use hands-on training in sterile, nonsterile, or both sterile and nonsterile simulated training experiences. Programs, however, would still be required to fulfill the didactic portions of training for sterile compounding. “We are trying to have one national standard for pharmacy technician education and training, and certification,” said Janet Silvester, PharmD, MBA, FASHP, vice president of ASHP’s Accreditation Services. “This helps ensure quality in the training, and that the technicians can practice in a safe manner. It is optimal to have technicians trained in the same way so that they are prepared to practice in different settings, and that those pharmacies and pharmacists know how they have been prepared.” Silvester and Peter H. Vlasses, PharmD, DSc (Hon), BCPS, executive director of ACPE, noted survey feedback with pharmacy stakeholders led to revisions in the standards. “We are trying to be sensitive to the needs of stakeholders so everyone is moving in the same direction of improving the quality and training of the technician workforce,” Silvester said. According to Silvester, a problem faced by chain drug stores was that the previous standards were not completely relevant to their practice settings. They had trouble addressing the experiential requirements of the standards. Chains also don’t have I.V. rooms to do simulated sterile compounding. By 2020, the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) announced 3 years ago, PTCB will require technician candidates seeking initial certification to successfully complete an ASHP/ACPE-accredited education program. “Our 2020 requirement supports and advances improved patient care and safety across all practice settings,” said Col (Ret.) Everett B. McAllister, BSPharm, MPA, USAF, BSC, executive director and CEO of PTCB. He noted the updated accreditation standards are a good step. Establishing PTACPTAC was established in 2014 as a joint collaboration between ASHP and ACPE to serve as an accrediting review committee for pharmacy technician education and training programs. It has two major functions. First, it evaluates unaccredited pharmacy technician education and training programs seeking accreditation, and accredited programs seeking reaccreditation, based on surveys and reports compiled by ASHP, and makes recommendations to the ASHP and ACPE boards of directors. Second, PTAC makes recommendations to both boards on standards, policies, and procedures related to accreditation. The commission comprises nine voting members and three nonvoting members with expertise in quality assurance of pharmacy technician education and training. Members are jointly appointed by ASHP and ACPE.The driving force behind PTAC’s creation was realization from health-system groups about the need for standardization of technician training and education. ASHP represents pharmacists who serve in acute and ambulatory settings. ACPE is the national agency for the accreditation of professional degree programs in pharmacy and of continuing education providers, and is well known and understood by state boards of pharmacy. The collaboration unifies ACPE’s expertise with ASHP’s experience in accrediting programs for pharmacy technicians.“The collaboration between ASHP and ACPE, including the appointment of PTAC, was created to provide improved stakeholder expertise to the review of technician accreditation program reviews and guidance on other technician-related matters,” Vlasses said. PTAC was established in 2014 as a joint collaboration between ASHP and ACPE to serve as an accrediting review committee for pharmacy technician education and training programs. It has two major functions. First, it evaluates unaccredited pharmacy technician education and training programs seeking accreditation, and accredited programs seeking reaccreditation, based on surveys and reports compiled by ASHP, and makes recommendations to the ASHP and ACPE boards of directors. Second, PTAC makes recommendations to both boards on standards, policies, and procedures related to accreditation. The commission comprises nine voting members and three nonvoting members with expertise in quality assurance of pharmacy technician education and training. Members are jointly appointed by ASHP and ACPE. The driving force behind PTAC’s creation was realization from health-system groups about the need for standardization of technician training and education. ASHP represents pharmacists who serve in acute and ambulatory settings. ACPE is the national agency for the accreditation of professional degree programs in pharmacy and of continuing education providers, and is well known and understood by state boards of pharmacy. The collaboration unifies ACPE’s expertise with ASHP’s experience in accrediting programs for pharmacy technicians. “The collaboration between ASHP and ACPE, including the appointment of PTAC, was created to provide improved stakeholder expertise to the review of technician accreditation program reviews and guidance on other technician-related matters,” Vlasses said. Evolving roles’Michael Reff, BSPharm, MBA, pharmacist manager of the Patient Rx Center at Hematology/Oncology Associates of Central New York, and supervisor of Hannah Peabody, CPhT, PTCB’s 2014 Certified Pharmacy Technician of the Year, believes the new standards are moving in the right direction.“Pharmacists are getting more clinical, so technicians are filling the void of day-to-day operations once done by pharmacists,” Reff said. “As the profession of pharmacy evolves, so does the technician’s scope of service.” Michael Reff, BSPharm, MBA, pharmacist manager of the Patient Rx Center at Hematology/Oncology Associates of Central New York, and supervisor of Hannah Peabody, CPhT, PTCB’s 2014 Certified Pharmacy Technician of the Year, believes the new standards are moving in the right direction. “Pharmacists are getting more clinical, so technicians are filling the void of day-to-day operations once done by pharmacists,” Reff said. “As the profession of pharmacy evolves, so does the technician’s scope of service.” David Shaman, APhA Communications Consultant
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