RxMike

New Theory on Why Many RPhs Oppose Tech Standards

// March 29th, 2009 // 4 Comments » // Pharmacy General, Pharmacy Regulations, Pharmacy Technician

Why do so many pharmacists fiercely oppose requiring increased standards for pharmacy technician education, training, certification and recognition? This is the million dollar question. 

For the past ten years, I, along with most others, have assumed that the answer was (or a variation) that pharmacists viewed the advancement of pharmacy technicians as a direct, or implied, threat to their own job security. I’ve always known that it was a weak response to the question; pharmacists, after all, are very intelligent individuals…how could they accept such an absurd notion as “if pharmacy technicians are required to complete standardized education and take on more responsibilities in the pharmacy, they eventually won’t need me….the chains will realize that they can replace my $100k+ salary with a $30K salary…”? This is as ridiculous as pharmacy technicians opposing pharmacy automation for the same reasoning.
(more…)

SC Tech Bill to Require Compromise

// March 4th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Pharmacy Regulations, Pharmacy Technician

NPTA Board Member, Wendy Meigs, attended this hearing on Monday and testified in support of the proposed legislation.

A House bill to require two-thirds of the state’s pharmacy technicians to meet new education and training requirements has stalled.
(more…)

SC: The Next Battleground

// February 19th, 2009 // Comments Off // Pharmacy Regulations, Pharmacy Technician

House Bill 3394 has been introduced in the South Carolina State Legislature to enhance the regulations and requirements to practice as a pharmacy technician.

The South Carolina Society of Health-System Pharmacists, which assisted in drafting the legislation, is in full support, whereas the South Carolina Pharmacy Association intends to see the bill overturned.

NPTA has been invited to review the current draft of the legislation and participate in upcoming House Subcomittee Hearings; it appears that South Carolina has become the next battleground for NPTA and pharmacy technicians.

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)

Certification News

// January 28th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Legislative, Pharmacy Regulations, Pharmacy Technician

PTCB has announced that beginning April 1, 2009, the PTCB Examination will be available in continuous testing format at Pearson Professional Centers nationwide. PTCB also announced that exam candidates will receive an official pass or fail result at the test center after the completion of the exam, effective immediately.

ICPT’s ExCPT certification exam has been added to the list of recognized certification exams for pharmacy technicians in the state of Nevada.

Official Signing Ceremony

// January 7th, 2009 // Comments Off // Pharmacy Regulations, Pharmacy Technician, Uncategorized

Official Signing Ceremony of Emily's Law

Emily’s Law Signed by OH Governor

// January 7th, 2009 // 3 Comments » // Pharmacy Regulations, Pharmacy Technician

SB 203, known as Emily’s Law, has received Governor Ted Strickland’s signature today, making the law official in the state of Ohio. Named after Emily Jerry, Emily’s Law will provide strict requirements and regulations for pharmacy technicians. The law, which was originally sponsored by Senator Tim Grendell, was drafted with assistance of the National Pharmacy Technician Association. (more…)

USA Today Reports on Pharmacy Boards

// January 2nd, 2009 // Comments Off // Pharmacy Regulations

Kevin McCoy, USA Today Reporter, has published an “expose” focused on the fact that over 25% of pharmacy board members are employed by one of nine chain retail pharmacies.  I am actually suprised that the percentage is not much higher – considering the percentage of prescriptions dispensed by chain retail pharmacies. It is much more likely that 50% – 75% of all prescriptions dispensed in the US are done amongst the nine largest chain drugstores. I’m not sure that their current representation on state boards is inappropriate, although I do agree that conflicts of interest can too easily arise when corporate management for the chains serve on these regulatory boards.

For the full story go to http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2008-12-30-pharmacies-boards-mistakes-prescriptions_N.htm 

As a matter of full disclosure… I have (or had) working relationships with several of the chain managers mentioned in the story.