Iowa Reconsiders Tech Certification Requirements
// February 5th, 2009 // Comments Off // Legislative, Pharmacy Regulations, Pharmacy Technician
Looks as if the chains are trying to make a loophole in Iowa pharmacy technician regulations.
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As the deadline looms for pharmacy technicians to obtain certification, the Iowa Board of Pharmacy is attempting to clearly define workers who are pharmacy technicians and those classified as pharmacy support persons.
The law requiring pharmacy technicians to be certified, passed in 2006, was backed by the Iowa Board of Pharmacy and requires pharmacy technicians to be certified before working in any Iowa pharmacy. Currently, registered pharmacy technicians must be certified no later than July 1, 2010. The controversy began after the adoption of the rules established after the bill’s passage, said Terry Witkowski, executive officer with the Iowa Board of Pharmacy.
Now a separate piece of legislation, House Study Bill 51 is expected to redefine who must be certified as a pharmacy technician. “There has been a request that the [Iowa pharmacy] board move to recognize individuals who are not involved in the more complex practices relating to pharmacy technicians,” Witkowski said. “People who may be working at a pharmacy and assisting a pharmacist, but not really directly handling the drugs, would be defined as a pharmacy support person.”
The new legislation would still require pharmacy support staff to be certified, but there would be no establishment of competency and no minimum age requirement as there are for pharmacy technicians.
(Drug Topics)
