4/9/2014
Is this CE for me?
-Update on Recertification for
Pharmacy Technicians
South Dakota Society of Health-System Pharmacists
2014 Annual Meeting
April 11-12, 2014
Disclosure
The author of this presentation has nothing to disclose
concerning possible financial or personal relationships
with commercial entities that may have a direct or
indirect interest in the subject matter of this
presentation.
Presented by:
Ann Oberg, BS, CPhT
Department Chair- Pharmacy Technician Program
Arapahoe Community College ~ Littleton, Colorado
Pharmacy Technician Learning Objectives
• Identify recent changes in the recertification program for
pharmacy technicians
• Summarize the implementation schedule for the
recertification program changes
• Explain technician-specific CE and CE requirements for
technicians
• Explain the classification of CE sessions according to ACPE
guidelines
• List sources for technician-specific CE
Origins of Pharmacy Tech Certification
• History
• Governing Structure
– Five state and national organizations APhA, ASHP, NABP, ICHP, and MPA
– Certification Council
• PTCB Professional Impact
– 525,365 certifications granted since 1995
– 280,619 actively certified pharmacy technicians
• Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians
(ExCPT) formed in 2005
State Regulations Vary Widely
45 states regulate pharmacy technicians
18 states require national certification
5 states require and accept only the PTCE
17 states require a background check
18 states require CE
5 states have a pharmacy technician serving on the
state Board of Pharmacy
• 6 states do not regulate pharmacy technicians (CO, WI,
MI, NY, PA, HI)
• Several states have pending legislation or regulations
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Initial Certification
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4/9/2014
Certification: Background checks
Background checks will be required for initial
certification in, or around, 2014.
 Implementation process
 Synchronization with existing systems
 Individualized reviews
www.ptcb.org
Certification: Accredited Education
By 2020, successful completion of an ASHP-accredited
education program will become a requirement for
initial PTCB certification.
▫Profession directed
▫Program supply
▫Quality and necessity of education
www.ptcb.org
Recertification: Tech-specific CE
By 2015, only pharmacy technician-specific CE will be
allowed for recertification.
 Requirements
 Availability of CE
 Programs that qualify
www.ptcb.org
Recertification: Additional CE changes
• In 2014, one hour of patient safety will be required.
(To be implemented in July 2014 renewal cycle) One
hour of pharmacy law will continue to be a
requirement.
• Allowable CE hours through college/university
coursework will be decreased from 15 to 10 hours in
2016.
• Allowable CE hours to be earned through in-services
will be decreased from 10 to 5 in 2015, and from 5 to
0 in 2018.
Implementation schedule:
Recertification program changes
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4/9/2014
Implementation Schedule
• 2014-July renewal cycle -ONE hour of patient safety CE
will be required. (per conversation with PTCB CEO, 29March-2014, updated 08-April-2014)
• 2015 - Only pharmacy technician-specific CE will be
allowed for recertification.
▫ If the CE is ACPE accredited for pharmacy
technicians, it will have a (T) designation at the end
of the number.
Implementation Schedule
• 2015 - Allowable CE hours to be earned through inservices will be decreased from 10 to 5 hours
• 2016- Allowable CE hours through college/university
coursework will be decreased from 15 to 10 hours
• 2018 - Allowable CE hours to be earned through inservices will be decreased from 5 to 0, thus
eliminating in-services as a source of CE.
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)
• Modified the Definition of Continuing Education for the
Profession of Pharmacy (referred to as Definition) to be
inclusive of pharmacy technicians
Definitions/ Guidelines
▫ “A structured educational activity designed or intended
to support the continuing development of pharmacists
and/or pharmacy technicians to maintain and enhance
their competence. Continuing education promotes
problem-solving and critical thinking and is applicable to
the practice of pharmacy” (ACPE Definition of Continuing Education
for the Profession of Pharmacy, Approved October 2006, released January 2007)
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (www.acpe-accredit.org)
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)
• Purpose of the definition:
▫ Differentiate amongst CE activities for Pharmacists and
Pharmacy Technicians
▫ Separate learning objectives for pharmacists and/or
pharmacy technicians
• How is the guideline constructed?
▫ Pharmacy Technician Competencies: Based on specific
competency statements developed by the PTCB
▫ Exam Blueprint: Three Domains/competency areas
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (www.acpe-accredit.org)
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)
• Definition of Technician CE was based on original
blueprint for PTCB exam
▫ Three (3) Domains
 Assisting the pharmacist in serving patients
 Maintaining medication and inventory control systems
 Participating in the administration and management of
pharmacy practice
▫ Updated PTCB exam is now broken down into nine
competency areas
Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (www.ptcb.org)
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4/9/2014
Updated PTCE Blueprint
Updated Blueprint for the PTCE
• Nine (9) Domains
▫ Pharmacology for technicians
▫ Pharmacy Law and regulations
▫ Sterile and Non-sterile Compounding
▫ Medication Safety
▫ Pharmacy quality assurance
▫ Medication order entry and fill process
▫ Pharmacy inventory management
▫ Pharmacy billing and reimbursement
▫ Pharmacy information systems usage and application
Pharmacy
Information
Systems Usage and
Application, 10%
Pharmacy Billing
and
Reimbursement,
8.75%
Pharmacy
Inventory
Management,
8.75%
Medication Order
Entry and Fill
Process, 17.5%
Pharmacy Quality
Assurance, 7.5%
Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (www.ptcb.org)
Differentiating CE for Pharmacists vs.
Pharmacy Technicians
• Different objectives: ACPE accredited providers are
required to have separate learning objectives for each
audience (P/T) specific to what the participant should
‘take away’ from the activity and apply in his/her
practice.
• Universal Activity Number: Intended audience – suffix is
a ‘P’ for Pharmacists, and ‘T’ for Technicians
197-000-09-078-L01-P vs. 197-000-09-078-L01-T
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (www.acpe-accredit.org)
Pharmacology for
Technicians,
13.75%
Pharmacy Law and
Regulations, 12.5%
Sterile and
Non-sterile
Compounding,
8.75%
Medication Safety,
12.5%
Universal Activity Number for CE
Universal Activity Number: an identification number
that is assigned to each CPE activity developed and
sponsored, or cosponsored, by an ACPE accredited
provider.
This number is developed by appending to the ACPE
provider identification number (e.g. 197), the cosponsor
designation number (000 for no cosponsor, 999 for all
cosponsors), the year of the CPE activity development
(e.g., 08), the sequential number of the CPE activity from
among the new CPE activities developed during that year
(e.g., 001), and the topic and format designators (see next
slide).
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (www.acpe-accredit.org)
Universal Activity Number
Cosponsor
Designator
(000-999)
Sequential
number
0197 – 0000 – 10 – 001 – L 05-T
Provider ID
(0001-0998)
Topic Designator
01: Disease
State/Drug therapy
02: AIDS therapy
03: Law (related to
pharmacy practice)
04: General
Pharmacy 05: Patient
Safety (as defined by
NPSF)
Requirements
Development
release year
Format Designator
L: Live offering
H: Home study
C: Combined
Intended Audience
P: Pharmacist
T: Pharmacy technician
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (www.acpe-accredit.org)
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4/9/2014
CE for Pharmacy Technicians
Recertification requirements for CE’s
20 hours of CE, including one hour in Pharmacy Law
and one hour in Medication safety (2014-July)
 Technician specific CE should have:
 …information that the participant should ‘take away’
from the activity and apply in his/her practice.
 based on the domains of the national pharmacy
technician certification exam (PTCB, ExCPT)
Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (www.ptcb.org)
CE Completion Time Period
• Certificants must complete all continuing education
hours within the two (2) year recertification cycle (on
or before the expiration date).
• No CE hours completed before certification is granted
may be used to satisfy recertification requirements.
• CE hours can only be applied to the recertification
cycle in which they are completed, and cannot be
carried over and applied to future cycles
Pharmacy-related Subject Matter
Certificants must satisfy continuing education
requirements in pharmacy-related subject matter.
Programs must pertain to the following topics:
• Medication distribution
• Inventory control systems
• Mathematics
• Biology
• Pharmaceutical sciences
• Pharmacy law
• Pharmacology/drug therapy
• Roles and duties of pharmacy technicians
Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (www.ptcb.org)
Is this an appropriate CE for Pharmacy
Technicians?
Learning Objectives:
1. Review the most common pain assessment tools
2. Describe pharmacologic treatments for pain (nonopiate and opiate medications)
3. Discuss therapy options in post-surgical pain
4. Describe special considerations in treating
breakthrough pain.
Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (www.ptcb.org)
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (www.acpe-accredit.org)
Sources for Technician-specific CE
Sources for Technician-specific CE
• LIVE CE
▫ Pharmacy association meetings
 State meetings: SDAPT, SDSHP, SDPhA
 National: AAPT, ASHP, APhA
▫ Webinars – (Often restricted to members only)
▫ Recorded seminars/podcasts from live meetings
• Print media - Journals /Newsletters/ biz magazines
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AJHP, JAPhA, SD Pharmacists Journal
AAPT, NPTA Newsletters (free CE for members)
Pharmacy Technicians Letter (by subscription only)
Drug Store News
• Internet
▫ Pharmacy association websites
 ASHP: www.pharmacytechce.org (by subscription only)
 Drugtopics.com
 PharmacyTimes.com
(http://www.pharmacytimes.com/continuing-education)
 FreeCE.com
(http://www.freece.com/FreeCE/Calendar.aspx)
 Pharmqd.com
 (Example: http://www.pharmqd.com/continuingeducation/minimizeprescription-errors-and-maximize-patient-safety
 www.powerpak.com
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4/9/2014
Learning Assessment questions
1. When will PTCB certified pharmacy technicians be
required to include one hour of CE in Medication
Safety when recertifying?
a. January 2014
b.July 2014
c. January 2015
d.July 2015
2. By 2015, only pharmacy technician-specific CE will be
allowed by PTCB for recertification.
a. True
b.False
Learning Assessment questions
5. Which of the following are sources of CE for pharmacy
technicians that are available by subscription only?
a. Pharmacy Technician’s Letter
b. PharmacyTechCE.org
c. FreeCE.com
d. both A and B
Learning Assessment questions
3. Which of the following topic designators, used in the
ACPE universal activity number, indicates that the CE
presentation is designated as a Law topic?
a. 01
b. 02
c. 05
d. 03
4. By the year 2018, PTCB will no longer allow this type
of learning to be submitted as continuing education when
recertifying:
a. Live CE sessions
b. In-Services
c. College courses
d. Online webinars
References
• Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (http://www.ptcb.org)
• Definition of Continuing Education for the Profession of Pharmacy.
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. retrieved 31-03-2014)
http://www.acpe-accredit.org
• Opportunities and challenges related to pharmacy technicians in
supporting optimal pharmacy practice models in health systems
http://www.ajhp.org/content/68/12/1128
• http://www.nhanow.com/pharmacy-technician.aspx
Questions?
Thank you!
• Contact information:
Ann Oberg, BS, CPhT
[email protected]
Or
[email protected]
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