THE PHARMACY TECHNICIAN EDUCATION AND TRAINING

TABLET

PTAC Biannual Meeting

May 4-5, 2022 Bethesda, MD (Virtual)

Externship Hours – Resuming pre-COVID Requirements

January 1, 2023

Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, ASHP/ACPE has

made a special exception to the required externship hours for

both entry-level and advanced-level programs due to many

for their externship hours in one rotation and all advance level

programs MUST have at least two rotations equaling a total of at

least 200 hours as of January 1, 2023.

IN THIS ISSUE

PTAC Biannual Meeting

May 4-5, 2022 (Virtual)

- Externship Hours – Resuming

pre-COVID Requirements

January 1, 2023

- Program Accreditation and

Learning

- Apprenticeships and

Pharmacy Technician

Education and Training

Programs

- Legislative Updates

- PTCB Update

- REVIEW OF PharmTECH

READY

- Farewell to Retiring Board

in Bethesda, Maryland

- ASHP Midyear Clinical

Meeting (Live!) - December

4-8, 2022, Las Vegas, Nevada

Resources, Products, and

Services

Summer/Fall 2022

Vol. 20, Issue 1

Published by the Accreditation Services Oce | American Society of Health-System Pharmacists

®

reports (9) were also reviewed along with 25 applications for new program directors.

As of the date of the meeting, 234 programs are in the accreditation process which

includes accredited programs and programs in candidate status.

Congratulations to the following programs that were granted initial accreditation or

reaccreditation!

Initial Accreditation

Reaccreditation

New Resources - Technician Education and Training Webinars

There are new video resources available for program directors located on ASHP’s

website. From Application to Site Survey: Beginning the Accreditation Process for

prior learning to be presented at the October, 2022 PTAC meeting. The subcommittee

will be working on the logistics of the process. More details coming soon.

Apprenticeships and Pharmacy Technician Education and Training Programs

Marissa Brooks, ASHP Fellow, provided an extensive overview and crosswalk of

the ASHP/ACPE pharmacy technician education and training standards with the

US Department of Labor Apprenticeship Standards. PTAC continues to evaluate

the best way to align pharmacy technician education and training programs which

would enable them to access apprenticeship dollars/grants. An overview of a model

of apprenticeships and workforce development being implemented in Illinois was

presented based on information provided by Pete Vlasses, Jan Kerestzes, and

Commonwealth of Virginia and the development of a

career path for high school students to become pharmacy

technicians through coursework at the high school level.

To date, nine high school-based programs have applied for

accreditation.

New Virginia Board of Pharmacy regulations took eect

as of July 1, 2022 outlining the requirements to be eligible

for registration as a pharmacy technician. Please see the

Virginia Board of Pharmacy website for details. Virginia

regulations have also spurred an increase applications for

The Texas Board of Pharmacy met in May

2022 and, unfortunately, voted in favor to

repeal amendment §305.2 which required

that pharmacy technician training programs

be accredited by ASHP/ACPE. Ryan Burke

indicated that the proposed repeal would

now be published in the Texas Register

so there will be time for additional public

comment. Keep posted for more to

come in this area at future Texas Board of

their Boards of Pharmacy. PTCB hosted an event for the pharmacy technician state

board of pharmacy members at the upcoming National Boards of Pharmacy meeting.

In preparation for the upcoming regulation change for pharmacy technicians in Illinois,

PTCB will be sending a communication to all programs in the state to explain the

dierence between PTCB Recognition and ASHP/ACPE Accreditation and provide them

with the information to learn more about seeking ASHP/ACPE accreditation.

Farewell to Retiring Board Members

The PTAC thanked Chuck Daniels and Denise Frank for their utmost service to the

PTAC. Chuck served two terms on the PTAC and Denise served one. Their expertise

and unwavering devotion to ensuring the quality of pharmacy technician training and

Aligned with PTAC accreditation requirements and the ASHP/ACPE Model Curriculum

for a Technician Training Program, content will prepare technicians for the workforce

and the PTCB certification examination and features active learning modalities,

pharmacology modules, access to AHFS, and medications list/ terminology flashcards.