Future changes to the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) Certification Program will elevate PTCB’s standards for national certification and recertification, thus advancing pharmacy technician qualifications. The changes, which include mandatory background checks, accredited education requirements, and changes in acceptable continuing education (CE) programs for recertification, will be phased in over the next seven years. PTCB Executive Director and CEO Everett B. McAllister, MPA, RPh, states that PTCB is elevating the “certification requirements in order to meet the demands of the evolving health care system.” McAllister stated further that PTCB has made “bold decisions on what will be required for candidates to become certified pharmacy technicians (CPhTs)” and that changes were made to help ensure that “the PTCB program prepares CPhTs for the integral roles they play in supporting pharmacists in all practice settings.” Two changes to be implemented in 2014 include required criminal background checks for new candidates and a required one hour of medication safety CE as part of the 20 hours of CE required for recertification. “By 2020, PTCB will require candidates for initial PTCB certification to successfully complete an American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)-accredited education program. ASHP-accredited programs include didactic course work and practical experience, thereby providing well-rounded training for technicians,” as explained in a PTCB
press release. PTCB is conducting a 90-day open,
online comment period to allow members of the pharmacy community to share best practices for implementing the new requirements. PTCB intends to begin releasing the policies and procedures regarding the implementation of these decisions later this year. More information on the
PTCB Certification Program Changes (PDF) is available on the PTCB Web site.
quoted from
NABP
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