What s New and what s next for Pharmacy Technicians: Empowering Technicians for the Future. William Schimmel PTCB Associate Executive Director

Transcription

1 What s New and what s next for Pharmacy Technicians: Empowering Technicians for the Future William Schimmel PTCB Associate Executive Director

2 I, William Schimmel, disclose no vested interest or affiliation with any corporate organization offering financial support or grant monies for this continuing education activity, or an affiliation with an organization whose philosophy could potentially bias my presentation.

3 LEARNING OBJECTIVES Describe the range and evolution of regulations in the US pertaining to pharmacy technicians. Outline the PTCB certification program changes announced in spring Describe the blueprint for the updated Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) and know when it will be implemented. Understand why the PTCE is updated periodically.

4 Agenda Background and History Program Changes Certification Program Changes Recertification Program Changes Exam Blueprint Revision Advocate Programs Q & A

5 Origins of Pharmacy Technician Certification History Governing Structure Five state and national organizations - APhA, ASHP, NABP, ICHP, and MPA Certification Council PTCB Professional Impact 503,620 certifications granted since ,165 actively certified pharmacy technicians Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians formed in 2005

6 Pharmacy Profession Evolution Medication Therapy Management Affordable Care Act Accountable Care Organizations Medical Home model Collaborative practice Provider status

7 Evolving Roles of Technicians Medication procurement Compounding Order entry Medication shortages Immunization assistance Supply chain management Informatics Transitions of Care

8 State Regulations

9 State Regulations Vary Widely 45 states regulate pharmacy technicians 18 states require national certification 5 states require and accept only the PTCE 17 states require a background check 18 states require CE 5 states have a pharmacy technician serving on the state Board of Pharmacy 5 states do not regulate pharmacy technicians Many states have pending legislation or regulations

10 PTCB s Mission and Goals Improve patient care, outcomes, and access Provide resources to further enable the evolution of pharmacy technician roles Elevate standards within the profession to meet the demands of the growing healthcare system

11 Collaboration Underway Joint Commission of Pharmacy Practitioners (JCPP) Vision Statement for 2015 Pharmacists will be the health care professionals responsible for providing patient care that ensures optimal medication therapy outcomes.

12 Collaborative Process Who is involved? State pharmacy associations State Boards of Pharmacy National pharmacy associations Hospitals and community pharmacies Individual pharmacy technicians and pharmacists What do they share? Desire to move the profession forward

13 C.R.E.S.T. Initiative C.R.E.S.T. Summit Consumer Awareness Resources Education State Policy Testing National Surveys

14 Certification: Background Checks Background checks will be required for initial certification in, or around, Implementation process Synchronization with existing systems Individualized reviews

15 Certification: Accredited Education By 2020, successful completion of an ASHP-accredited education program will become a requirement for initial PTCB certification. Profession directed Program supply Quality and necessity of education

16 Recertification: Tech-specific CE By 2015, only pharmacy technician-specific CE will be allowed for recertification. Requirements Availability of CE Programs that qualify

17 Recertification: Additional CE Changes In 2014, one hour of medication safety will be required. One hour of pharmacy law will continue to be a requirement. Allowable CE hours through college/university coursework will be decreased from 15 to 10 hours in Allowable CE hours to be earned through inservices will be decreased from 10 to 5 in 2015, and from 5 to 0 in 2018.

18 Next Steps Determine implementation of changes Publication of Policies and Procedures

19 PTCE BLUEPRINT UPDATE

20 PTCB Certification Program Current requirements: A high school diploma or equivalent Disclosure of all criminal history and adverse state Board of Pharmacy actions A passing score on the PTCE Recertification every two years Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) is: Widely recognized and trusted throughout the profession Based on the Scope of Pharmacy Practice Project Psychometrically sound

21 Job Analysis Generally every 5 years Required for PTCB s national accreditation through the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) Conducted nationwide survey across all practice settings, with over 25,000 responses Detailed survey measures what pharmacy technicians do on a daily basis

22 New Test Blueprint Driven by results of job analysis Reflects evolution of technician responsibilities Increased specificity for knowledge domains Revising the PTCE Blueprint and item mapping Gap analysis and new item development Standard Setting

23 Current PTCE Blueprint Participating in the Administration and Management of Pharmacy Practice, 12% Maintaining Medication and Inventory Control Systems, 22% Assisting the Pharmacist in Serving Patients, 66%

24 Updated PTCE Blueprint Pharmacy Information Systems Usage and Application, 10% Pharmacology for Technicians, 13.75% Pharmacy Billing and Reimbursement, 8.75% Pharmacy Law and Regulations, 12.5% Pharmacy Inventory Management, 8.75% Medication Order Entry and Fill Process, 17.5% Pharmacy Quality Assurance, 7.5% Sterile and Non-sterile Compounding, 8.75% Medication Safety, 12.5%

25 APPLICATION 11/1/13 Timing for Updated Exam Updated exam launches November 1, Current Exam Updated Exam

26 EDUCATOR PROGRAM & SPONSORSHIP

27 Advocate Programs By the Numbers Launched Educators 585 Employers Resources and benefits Newsletter Quarterly results reporting for Educators Recognition on ptcb.org Sponsorship options

28 Q&A Thoughts? Please share your comments or questions.

29 RECAP: PTCB Program Changes New requirements for initial certification: By 2020, candidates will be required to complete an ASHPaccredited education program Criminal background checks will be required in or around 2014 New requirements for recertification: 1 of the 20 CE hours must be in medication safety, in addition to 1 already required in Pharmacy law Will only accept pharmacy-technician-targeted CE Number of CE hours allowed from college courses will be reduced and in-services will be reduced, then phased out

30 Post Test 1. Which factor or factors are changing the profession of pharmacy and the roles of pharmacy technicians? a) Collaborative Practice Agreements b) Medication Therapy Management c) ASHP Accreditation for technician training programs d) The rapid growth of pharmacy technician training programs 2. True or False: Under the new program changes, completion of an ASHPaccredited education program will be required for certification. 3. True or False: The program changes will phase in 3 CE hours in medication safety for recertification by After how many years should a certification program update its job analysis in order to keep current with the profession or job it is assessing? 6. True or False: There is a single standard for pharmacy technician certification in the United States.

31 References Opportunities and challenges related to pharmacy technicians in supporting optimal pharmacy practice models in health systems

32 Summary Thank you for your participation! William Schimmel Associate Executive Director Pharmacy Technician Certification Board