Pharmacy Technician Certification Board Research Articles

Career advancement insights from certified pharmacy technicians: Enhanced opportunities for the pharmacy technician workforce

BackgroundSustainable career advancement opportunities for pharmacy technicians will be a critical part of patient-centered community pharmacy environments as the role of the pharmacist provider expands. Objective(1) To determine the impact of a Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) pharmacy certification on career advancement and professional growth metrics; (2) To assess technicians’ role in advanced pharmacy services before and after certification; and (3) To identify changes in pharmacist services when a certified pharmacy technician (CPhT) was added to the provider team. MethodsA 73-question web-based survey was distributed to all PTCB CPhT in the United States, Washing DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands. The survey was distributed by PTCB in April 2021 with a 28-day collection period. The survey included multiple choice, rating scale, and free text questions centered on 5 domains: practice experience, career aspirations, compensation, pharmacy practice motivations, and impact of COVID-19 pandemic. ResultsA total of 23,007 CPhTs completed the survey. Respondents were primarily females (85.5%), age 30-39 (32.8%), and ≥10 years CPhT experience (42.8%). The majority of respondents cited improvement of patient health (77.4%), career advancement opportunities (53.5%), the ability to expand their role during emergencies (e.g., COVID-19) (52.6%), and future career advancement opportunities (51.7%) as benefits of CPhT certification. Increases in job responsibility after certification included changes occurring in roles related to clinical pharmacy services, patient education, preventive health services, provider communication, and staff training. Respondents agreed that PTCB-certification allowed for the expansion of pharmacists’ services where they practiced, including clinical services (18.5%), patient education (18.3%), and preventive health services (18.1%). ConclusionCPhT’s value certification for its benefits on career advancement, personal growth, and salary enhancement. Affirmation of skill and training through certification is also recognized to positively influence patient care and the pharmacy's ability to provide advanced patient care and services.

Success of an expedited health system-based pharmacy technician training program to address the workforce needs of an institution.

The formation, implementation, outcomes, and impact on retention of a health system-based pharmacy technician training program are described. The program seeks to produce graduates who are well equipped for employment within the health system and eligible for certification by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board, thereby developing a consistent source of well-trained technicians to meet the needs of the health system. The program's ideal candidate is one who is seeking to begin or transition to a career in health-system pharmacy. The affordable accredited program provides candidates with the skills needed to become a certified pharmacy technician. A distinguishing feature of the program design is the pace of the curriculum, designed to be completed in 11 weeks. The program is accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education at the entry-level accreditation standard. The program is structured to enroll 3 cohorts annually, beginning in April, August, and January. This provides a consistent and dependable bolus of graduates for hiring managers across the health system's pharmacy department. The program supports enrollment by internal and external candidates. In addition to didactic content, the simulation component of the program combines remote and onsite simulations. Following completion of the didactic and simulation content, students receive 2 blocks of acute and ambulatory care shadowing for 111 hours over 2.5 weeks of experiential content. The program realized benefits by partnering with an external digital content provider. First, the platform enabled the team to accelerate the time to program launch. A second benefit of the platform is the ability to conduct the program and update content. In April 2018, the institution launched the program to meet pharmacy technician needs within the organization. As of April 2022, 11 cohorts have successfully completed the program, with a total of 41 graduates. At the time of writing, the retention rate in the health system for those beginning the training program in April 2018 was an impressive 90%. In comparison, the overall retention rate for the pharmacy department during this same period was 31%. The program has a graduation rate of 93% and a job placement rate as a pharmacy technician of 90%. The institution believes that this program has helped provide a consistent supply of well-trained technicians to meet the needs of the health system and that the program provides a superior level of clinical training to technician students at an affordable price. The program represents a novel strategy to efficiently and effectively train pharmacy technicians and has been demonstrated to result in improvements to the health system. Establishing a pharmacy technician training program provides a mechanism to ensure continuity and uniformity as healthcare continues to evolve. By providing a source of well-trained pharmacy technicians, the program allows the profession to continue to achieve its overarching aims.

PTCB releases latest technician workforce report

Arecent survey conducted by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) revealed several challenges that pharmacy technicians have faced in the wake of a global pandemic. However, despite what comes with working on the front lines of a pandemic, PTCB found that 84% of pharmacy technicians report being satisfied in their role.

ASHP Pharmacy Technician Forum Executive Committee.

Tyler Darcy, current member Tyler Darcy started down the road to a pharmacy technician position out of necessity, but he soon developed career aspirations. As a college student working toward a teaching degree, he was doing shifts at a supermarket deli to pay for his tuition. “I got tired of going home with cheese and meat all over my shoes, and working in a pharmacy just seemed like a better environment,” recalled Darcy, who is now manager of pharmacy training and development at Boston Medical Center in Massachusetts. Pharmacy proved to be a much more inspiring work environment, and Darcy put aside his teaching ambitions. After working in a retail pharmacy setting for 2 years, he passed the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board exam. He subsequently applied to a hospital position in Rhode Island, where he worked as an inpatient technician. A couple years later, when the hospital transitioned to automated...

Fundamental issues and pandemic pushes pharmacists past their limits

Fundamental issues and pandemic pushes pharmacists past their limits

Pharmacists move to front lines of vaccination efforts for both kids and adults

Pharmacists move to front lines of vaccination efforts for both kids and adults

Digital content delivery in a pharmacy technician training program in a health system.

Development and implementation of a pharmacy technician training program are described. As key members of the healthcare team, pharmacy technicians are integral to a pharmacy's operation. Training programs allow technicians to assume roles that support pharmacists practicing "at the top of their license," assist in providing optimal patient care, and serve as an important tool for retaining trained pharmacy technicians. Duke University Health System (DUHS) launched its Pharmacy Technology Training Program (DUHS-PTTP) within the department of pharmacy at Duke University Hospital in April 2018 to assist in meeting current and future pharmacy technician demand. Candidates are provided with the tools to become certified pharmacy technicians through the completion of an affordable accredited program incorporating didactic, simulation-based, and experiential education. The program's partnership with a digital content provider enables accelerated start-up, minimizes investment in content creation and maintenance, enables automated record keeping, and provides flexibility for program participants to complete didactic content outside of the traditional classroom setting. Implementation of this program aims to support students both internal and external to the institution. Students are trained to begin a career as a pharmacy technician with the intent of producing graduates well equipped and eligible for certification by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. Implementation of a pharmacy technician training program is a logical extension of the demonstrated core training competency of health-system pharmacy departments.

Pharmacy technician accreditation standards updated

P 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.

Passionate Financial Support—An Antidote for Financial Toxicity

"Passionate Financial Support—An Antidote for Financial Toxicity." Oncology Issues, 30(3), pp. 62–64 Additional informationNotes on contributorsMichael J. ReffMichael J. Reff, RPh, MBA, is manager, TPRxC, Hematology-Oncology Associates of Central New York, East Syracuse, N.Y., and founder of the National Community Oncology Dispensing Association, Inc. (NCODA), a grassroots, not-for-profit organization focused on addressing the growing needs of dispensing cancer clinics to improve operations at the pharmacy level in order to deliver quality and sustainable value to the many stakeholders involved in the care of cancer patients receiving oral therapy. Learn more at www.ncoda.org. Hannah B. Peabody, CPhT, is Pharmacy Technician Certification Board's 2014 Pharmacy Technician of the Year and is pharmacy technician, TPRxC, Hematology-Oncology Associates of Central New York. Deborah R. Walters, RN, OCN, is dispensing nurse navigator, TPRxC, Hematology-Oncology Associates of Central New York. Read more about TPRxC in the May/June 2014 Oncology Issues available to members only at: http://mynetwork.accc-cancer.org/.Hannah B. PeabodyMichael J. Reff, RPh, MBA, is manager, TPRxC, Hematology-Oncology Associates of Central New York, East Syracuse, N.Y., and founder of the National Community Oncology Dispensing Association, Inc. (NCODA), a grassroots, not-for-profit organization focused on addressing the growing needs of dispensing cancer clinics to improve operations at the pharmacy level in order to deliver quality and sustainable value to the many stakeholders involved in the care of cancer patients receiving oral therapy. Learn more at www.ncoda.org. Hannah B. Peabody, CPhT, is Pharmacy Technician Certification Board's 2014 Pharmacy Technician of the Year and is pharmacy technician, TPRxC, Hematology-Oncology Associates of Central New York. Deborah R. Walters, RN, OCN, is dispensing nurse navigator, TPRxC, Hematology-Oncology Associates of Central New York. Read more about TPRxC in the May/June 2014 Oncology Issues available to members only at: http://mynetwork.accc-cancer.org/.Deborah R. WaltersMichael J. Reff, RPh, MBA, is manager, TPRxC, Hematology-Oncology Associates of Central New York, East Syracuse, N.Y., and founder of the National Community Oncology Dispensing Association, Inc. (NCODA), a grassroots, not-for-profit organization focused on addressing the growing needs of dispensing cancer clinics to improve operations at the pharmacy level in order to deliver quality and sustainable value to the many stakeholders involved in the care of cancer patients receiving oral therapy. Learn more at www.ncoda.org. Hannah B. Peabody, CPhT, is Pharmacy Technician Certification Board's 2014 Pharmacy Technician of the Year and is pharmacy technician, TPRxC, Hematology-Oncology Associates of Central New York. Deborah R. Walters, RN, OCN, is dispensing nurse navigator, TPRxC, Hematology-Oncology Associates of Central New York. Read more about TPRxC in the May/June 2014 Oncology Issues available to members only at: http://mynetwork.accc-cancer.org/.

Report of the 2013-2014 Professional Affairs Standing Committee: Advancing the Pharmacy Profession Together through Pharmacy Technician and Pharmacy Education Partnerships

BACKGROUND AND CHARGES According to Bylaws of American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), Professional Affairs Committee is to study issues associated with professional practice as they relate to pharmaceutical education, and to establish and improve working relationships with all other organizations in field of health affairs. The Committee is also encouraged to address related agenda items relevant to its Bylaws charge and to identify issues for consideration by subsequent committees, task forces, commissions, or other groups. President Peggy Piascik established theme for 2013-2014 as the relentless pursuit of excellence. (1) President Piascik acknowledges that academic pharmacy is at crossroads of many areas of change, including continuing evolution of pharmacy as a profession, how health care is delivered in America and rapid changes in higher education. As roles of pharmacists continue to change, pharmacy technician roles must also evolve, necessitating changes in pharmacy technician training and education. Specifically, 2013-2014 Professional Affairs Committee is charged to: (1) Describe elements that should be present in a quality technician education/ training program; (2) Identify potential role(s) of pharmacy academic institutions and pharmacy faculty in education, training, and certification of pharmacy technicians; and (3) Recommend strategies to develop collaborations/relationships between schools/colleges of pharmacy and pharmacy technician education/training programs to advance pharmacy practice in evolving health care system. Members of Professional Affairs Committee (PAC) include faculty representing multiple disciplines from various schools/colleges of pharmacy, a coordinator from an American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists (ASHP) accredited pharmacy technician education/ training program as well as professional staff from ASHP, Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) and Pharmacy Technician Educators Council (PTEC). Prior to an in-person meeting of committee, pertinent background information and resource materials were distributed, and a conference call was held to develop a strategy for addressing committee charges. The committee members met for a day and a half in Crystal City, Virginia on October 28-29, 2013, to discuss various facets related to this issue as well as to develop a process and strategies for addressing charges. Following process development and delegation of assignments related to committee charges, PAC communicated via electronic communications, as well as through personal exchanges via telephone and email. The result is following report, which discusses elements and importance of a well educated and trained pharmacy technician workforce and also provides information on current collaborations between schools/ colleges of pharmacy and pharmacy technician education/ training programs. Disseminating purpose and framework behind these collaborations may assist members of academy to identify potential strategies and roles for schools/colleges of pharmacy in education, training and certification of pharmacy technicians. In addition, these examples may help to guide development of these collaborations at other member institutions. Pharmacy technicians are viable members of health care sector and are necessary to pharmacy profession for pharmacists to satisfy Joint Commissioners of Pharmacy Practice (JCPP)Vision for Pharmacy Practice: (2) Patients achieve optimal health and medication outcomes with pharmacists as essential and accountable providers within patient-centered, team-based health care. Charge 1: Describe elements that should be present in a quality technician education/training program A pharmacy technician is an individual who, under supervision of a licensed pharmacist, assists in pharmacy activities that do not require professional judgment of a pharmacist. …

Questioning the quality of pharmacy technician training

Much has been written about the explosion of new pharmacy schools and the rapid expansion of the currently existing programs. According to the web-site of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), over 800 technician schools are contracted to receive a “group discount” for students to

PTCB plans major update to certification requirements

The group that has certified nearly 500,000 pharmacy technicians is introducing new requirements to the process of obtaining and maintaining the certified pharmacy technician (CPhT) credential. “What we’re doing here is raising the bar,” said Everett McAllister, executive director and chief executive officer of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). “The goal is to always focus on the patients. That’s always the ultimate goal.” PTCB’s certification requirements have been essentially unchanged since 1995, when the organization was founded. ASHP is one of the five pharmacy organizations that govern PTCB. In general, McAllister said, the revised certification plan will allow technicians to assume greater responsibility for distributive processes, which will allow pharmacists to spend more time taking care of patients. “When you free up pharmacists to do that, [we] believe it improves patient outcomes,” he said. PTCB is accepting comments on its plan through May 2013. McAllister emphasized that his organization wants to hear from a variety of stakeholders, including pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, state pharmacy boards, professional associations, and employers.

We’re ‘all in’ on this one, but we’ll need your help!

We’re ‘all in’ on this one, but we’ll need your help!

Pharmacists: First responders

Pharmacists: First responders

New PTCB chief seeks to advance technician practice

As pharmacists assume greater patient care roles, opportunities exist for motivated pharmacy technicians to also work at an advanced level—and for stakeholders to drive that process, said Everett McAllister, the new head of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). Everett McAllister

PTCB considers changes to certification, recertification

Sixteen years after administering the first national certification examination for pharmacy technicians, the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) is contemplating changes to its testing and education requirements. The possible changes come from the participants in a summit that PTCB held

PTCB Hosts C.R.E.S.T. Summit

In February 2011, the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) convened a meeting of a group of leaders in the pharmacy profession to discuss the future roles of pharmacy technicians as pharmacists continue to establish themselves in the field of medication therapy management. The C.R.E.S.T Summit (Consumer Awareness, Resources, Education, State Policy, and Testing) began with a timeline of PTCB progress since its inception in 1995 and a directive to discuss and reach consensus on the 5 major issues defining the Summit. Background material included important published works, several insightful presentations, and the results of an online survey with 12,000 responses from various stakeholders in the pharmacy profession. Following open discussions at the general sessions, participants attended roundtable discussions of the specific topics. Consensus was attained in many areas and the PTCB is evaluating the information gathered and will use it to determine directions for the future.

Investigation of the Potential Effects of Registration Requirements on Florida Pharmacy Technician Credentials

Background: On June 23, 2008, Florida adopted regulations mandating credentialing requirements for pharmacy technicians. Objective: To investigate the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) certified pharmacy technician self-report and pharmacist report of work experience, education, training, and non-PTCB certification credentials of Florida community pharmacy technicians prior to the adoption of registration requirements in that state and to predict the effects of the requirements on Florida pharmacy technicians. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to 2000 Florida pharmacists and 2000 Florida PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technicians (CPhTs) in 2004. Results: Of the 1230 returned questionnaires, 571 (46%) were from pharmacists and 659 (54%) were from technicians. Most of the pharmacists in the sample reported that they had supervised a CPhT, while few had supervised a technician with an AA in Pharmacy Technician Sciences. Most of the technicians sampled reported having some higher education. Less than half reported having formal technician training. Few reported having non-PTCB pharmacy technician certificates. Conclusions: Florida pharmacy technicians had some higher education or technician training credentialing, despite its not being mandatory. Pharmacists may not always be aware of the education and credentials of the technicians they supervise. The new registration requirements will most likely have little effect on existing Florida pharmacy technicians who register before January 1, 2011. Those who are CPhTs will have to complete types of continuing education that are different from those that they were required to complete for certification. Those who are not CPhTs will have to complete continuing education programs.

Pharmacy Technology Clubs: A Great Way to Enhance Your Students' Educational Experience

Background: Past experience of starting and continuing a pharmacy technology club has shown that the students who participated have been able to surpass the normal boundaries of technician training and accomplish many extra activities, including community service and awareness, which were done in addition to the competencies required in an ASHP-accredited program. Objective: To discuss the role that a pharmacy technology club can play in enhancing and improving students' experience in a technician training program. Methods: The information presented was collected from past experiences of a successful organization and include ways to start such a club, the benefits a club can provide, and the actual results from an existing club. Results: The Pharmacy Technology Club at Southeastern Technical College in Vidalia, GA, was established 2 years ago and has provided 3 classes of technicians with an enhanced training experience by providing additional viable skills for the field, job opportunities before graduation, and the opportunity to take and pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board examination. Conclusions: The standard curriculum for technician training programs used across the country is very successful in training technicians for entry-level employment in pharmacy through didactic, experiential, and laboratory experiences. An organized club can provide students with additional skills that will aid in communication, cultural diversity, leadership qualities, and better work ethics. This will give students who complete such a program the additional understanding of how important their role in patient care is today and enable them to adapt to continuous changes in the field.

Structural model of certified pharmacy technicians' job satisfaction

ObjectiveTo determine the effects of worklife attitudes on certified pharmacy technicians' job satisfaction. DesignCross-sectional descriptive design. SettingUnited States in January 2004. ParticipantsRandom sample of 3,200 certified pharmacy technicians (CPhTs) acquired from the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. InterventionMail survey. Main Outcome MeasuresResponses to previously validated instruments measuring quality of worklife attitudes. Hypothesized relationships between these worklife attitudes (job stress, future uncertainty, career commitment, organizational commitment, supervisor support, coworker support, employer support) and job satisfaction were tested with structural equation modeling. ResultsThe results provided adequate support for the hypothesized, partially mediated (comparative fit index [CFI]=0.091, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA]=0.073), fully mediated (CFI=0.091, RMSEA=0.073) and direct effects (CFI=0.922, RMSEA=0.066) models, each exhibiting moderate fit. As predicted, job stress negatively affected job satisfaction among CPhTs. However, the negative effects of job stress were mitigated by supervisor support, which, along with employer and coworker support, was positively related to job satisfaction. Future uncertainty also was found to be negatively related to job satisfaction; this relationship was mediated by organizational commitment. ConclusionJob stress was present in CPhTs, although not to the degree pharmacists have reported it. Job stress negatively affected job satisfaction, but this was mitigated by supervisor support. CPhTs reported uncertainty about their future career plans. Commitment to their current employer lessened this uncertainty. Pharmacy managers should consider including CPhTs in goal setting and career planning.