Technician Certification and Regulation in BC Frequently Asked Questions

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1 What is the process for ensuring adequate information is available for all pharmacy technicians/assistants to prepare for the certification exam? A: The College of Pharmacists of B.C. will be regulating pharmacy technicians/assistants with the target date of having all processes in place for Pharmacy technicians/assistants who want information on pharmacy technician (PT) regulation may access the College website at: and contact AmandaYen, Administrative Assistant, Registration at with their address, workplace and phone number to be placed on the College s list. Information will be updated on the College s website as it is available. Specific information about the certification exam and preparatory materials will be developed by the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) and is anticipated to be available in mid Will there be study modules or materials available to prepare for certification? A: PEBC is currently developing the Evaluating Exam and the Entry-to-Practice Exam for PTs with the target date of piloting the exams in 2009 and roll-out in Once the exams have been developed, study materials and sample questions will be available through PEBC. The College itself will not develop or provide study materials. Other professional development materials will be developed and provided by accredited education and training providers. Will there be courses or workshops available to prepare for certification. If so, what will be the cost(s)? A: In B.C., bridging programs are currently under development and will not be mandatory. In addition to bridging programs, PTs will be able to select professional development options best suited for them in preparing for certification. Bridging programs, CE programs and other courses will be available for PTs to undertake. The costs have not been determined. What will be the cost to write the certification exam? A: PEBC will determine the cost to write the certification exam. This information should be available by mid-2009 and will be posted on the PEBC website ( and the College website ( Page 1 of 7

2 What will be the passing grade/minimum percentage for the certification exam? How many opportunities will a pharmacy technician have to write the exam in case they are unsuccessful? If a technician is unsuccessful, will they be designated an assistant? A: A criterion-referenced pass/fail standard is established for each of the PEBC Entry-to-Practice Exams. This standard is performance-based and represents the level of performance appropriate to enter practice, as determined by a panel of practitioner experts. This approach to making pass/fail decisions ensures that the same ability or performance standard is applied for each examination and it ensures that only candidates who meet or exceed this standard pass the examination. It is a candidate's level of ability or performance compared to this standard that determines whether the candidate passes or fails, not a comparison of how other candidates performed on the examination. There is no built-in passing or failure rate with a criterion-referenced pass/fail standard. The number of attempts for the each exam will most likely parallel pharmacist s requirements whereby they have 3 attempts to be successful in each of the exams with an opportunity to appeal for a 4 th and final sitting. Only PTs who complete the requirements and license as a regulated PT will be able to use this title. What will be the format and marking scheme for the certification exam? Will there be a practical component? A: The PT Entry-to-Practice Exam is a two-part exam a knowledge based, multiple-choice component and a practical component. See question on passing grade regarding pass/fail standard. What will be the difficulty level of the certification exam? A: The difficulty level of the certification exam will be determined by PEBC based on their blueprint, in consultation with practicing PTs and pharmacists. This blueprint will reflect the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRAs) Professional Competencies for Canadian Pharmacy Technicians at Entry-to-Practice ( More importantly, the criterion-referenced standard setting process (see question on passing grade) takes into account the difficulty level of the questions and will equate to the standard required for entry-to-practice. Page 2 of 7

3 Where will the certification exam be held? Will there be numerous exam sittings across the province? A: The number of exam sittings will be determined by demand. PEBC will determine the number of sites, locations and the number of sittings of the exam. What governing body will assist, inform, support, advise regulated technicians if "scope of practice", ethics or other issues arise? A: The College of Pharmacists of B.C. will be the self-regulatory body for PTs and will advise on changes in scope of practice and other regulatory, legislative and ethical issues. Pharmacy technicians may also join advocacy and support organizations such as the Canadian Association of Pharmacy Technicians (CAPT); the B.C. Pharmacy Association and the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists have shown interest in representing PTs but have not confirmed so. The practices which are outlined in the proposed regulation process which will define a pharmacy technician as a technician are already being performed in some hospital locations. Eg. Tech Check Tech as per current college guidelines. Please outline the benefits to those already participating in these soon to be regulated functions. A: The benefits of regulation to PTs include greater accountability and autonomy for these functions as well as an opportunity for an expanded role in other areas of practice. This also means that the regulated PT will have the legal responsibility for these functions. What will be the process for malpractice/liability insurance? What will be the limit of coverage? What are the details of the coverage? What will be the cost for this coverage? A: The proposed new Health Professions Act under which pharmacists and PTs will be governed, will require professional liability insurance of $2 million. The College of Pharmacists of B.C. is clarifying the specific requirements for the insurance. What will be the process for and frequency of recertification? A: Recertification requirements will be comparable to those of pharmacists. Currently, the recertification cycle for pharmacists is every 6 years. Page 3 of 7

4 What if many technicians decide not to write the certification exam, and therefore, request to be "assistants." This would potentially create a shortage of regulated technicians in an already demanding workforce. What plans or support will the College be providing to ensure adequate levels of qualified technicians are available for employment. A: The decision to become a regulated PT is a personal one. The College does not recommend any particular number of regulated PTs or assistants in the workplace. This will be driven by market forces and the organization s business model. There are no accredited pharmacy technician training programs in BC at this time, which implies current pharmacy technicians/assistants have graduated from a non-accredited pharmacy program or were trained on the job. What will be the process for this group to complete the certification process? We have not yet recovered the 15% wage cut we endured and now it will cost us money to continue in this profession. A: Prior PT training programs are not accredited for the regulated PT role. Current PTs who have a current certification from the Ontario College of Pharmacists or the Alberta Certification will be able to sit the PEBC Entry-to-Practice Examination. Otherwise, current PTs will have to sit the PEBC Evaluating Exam and then the PEBC Entry-to-Practice Exam. See process below. Process for Registration as a Pharmacy Technician In the Profession Entering the Profession 1. PEBC Evaluating Exam OR Ontario College of Pharmacists Certification OR Alberta Certification 1. Graduation from a CCAPP* Accredited Pharmacy Technician Education Program 2. Bridging Program, Continuing Education (optional) 2. Structured practical training 3. PEBC Qualifying Exam (written and practical) 3. PEBC Qualifying Exam (written and practical) 4. CPBC Jurisprudence Exam 4. CPBC Jurisprudence Exam 5. Registration with CPBC 5. Registration with CPBC * CCAPP = Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs Page 4 of 7

5 Various discussions or meetings have occurred between the unions in BC and the College. What information has been gathered thus far to determine if pharmacy technicians will continue to be a part of HEU? Upon completion of the certification and regulation process, pharmacy technicians will be deemed a recognized health care professional; what discussions if any have occurred with HSA with regards to accepting pharmacy technicians into their union? A: The College of Pharmacists of B.C. s role in meeting with unions is to inform them of the regulation process so that they may prepare and plan in anticipation of regulation beginning in Unions, employers and employees should be undergoing discussions to determine wage and grade levels for the regulated PT role. Upon successful completion of the certification process, what support will the College provide to ensure continued employment at the current workplace as a technician? What if employers prefer to continue employment for assistants only as there may be a possibility of a lower wage compared to technicians? A: The College of Pharmacists of B.C. supports the regulation of PTs as new healthcare professionals. Employers will determine their staffing needs based on their individual business model and requirements for patient care. There are currently pharmacy technicians/assistants looking at retiring within a few years and therefore may not be interested in certification. From the information provided, these soon to be retirees would be titled assistants ; what support will the College be providing to ensure they can continue to work in their respective current workplaces at their current wages. A: Each individual employer, health authority and community pharmacy will determine their own business model with PT regulation. This means that there may be mixed business models including pharmacist only, pharmacist-regulated pharmacy technician, pharmacist-regulated pharmacy technician-pharmacy assistant or pharmacist-pharmacy assistant models. Discussions need to occur with the employer-employee to determine the potential models required to accommodate current and future staff requirements. How will the pharmacy technician certification process affect the Grade One pharmacists? What role will grade one pharmacists take if technician s tasks increase? A: Each individual employer and health authority will need to review their business model to determine the best complement of staff and grade levels of pharmacists to achieve the best patient outcomes and care within their practice. Page 5 of 7

6 Questions specific to the Employer: 1. Understanding the process for certification will be similar to that of the pharmacists and with this there will be license fees. Will there be potential salary increases for technicians who choose to write the certification exam and become regulated? 2. Since the process is not mandatory at this time, many employees may choose not to write the exam and would then legally not be entitled to the "technician" title or designation and instead "assistant." 1. What conversations have already occurred with HEU about this and how will benchmarks be changed to reflect this upcoming change. 2. The intent is to finally be recognized as a health care PROFESSIONAL; therefore, would there be a change in union from HEU to HSA to coincide with that of the Pharmacists? 3. At some facilities, all technicians are required to be orientated and trained in all functions which includes tech check tech, with the change in regulation, those not completing the certification should not be completing this particular TCT function. What will happen to the staff at these types of facilities? Will there be a requirement to have different levels, different duties, possible lay offs? 4. Technicians choosing not to write the exam will remain as 'assistants' and therefore possibly create a shortage of certified techs? It is already difficult to hire 'qualified' technicians, what processes will be put into place for staff retention? 5. If technicians do successfully complete the certification exam, are they still guaranteed a position as a licensed technician at their site? 3. How will this certification affect the Grade One pharmacists? Will the certified technicians be taking on enough responsibility that Grade 1 pharmacists won't really be needed any more? 4. Once technician certification begins, will there be support from managers and pharmacists to allow technicians to take on more responsibility? Or will technicians / assistants still be held back to a certain degree. e.g. are pharmacy managers willing to change the role of the techs in their dept? 5. Technicians have been kept up on all the progress of the tech certification but perhaps pharmacists don't realize its happening. Some techs feel little or a lack of support from the pharmacists e.g.. comment from Rx't "I don't like to see my college fees being spent on technicians" Perhaps if the pharmacists are kept up to date on all the progress they wouldn't feel so threatened. What is the employer doing to ensure appropriate education and communication is being presented to all parties being affected by this? 6. What support will be provided by the employer to those technicians currently in specialized roles such as purchasing or Information systems who have been 'out of the loop' for an extensive period on specific pharmacy technician functions? 7. What about current technicians looking to retire in the next 5-10 years, will they be downgraded or also be changed to the assistant status? Page 6 of 7

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