PHARMACY TECHNICIANS

To advocate that pharmacy move toward the following model with respect to the evolving pharmacy technician workforce as the optimal approach to protecting public health and safety: (1) development and adoption of uniform state laws and regulations regarding pharmacy technicians, (2) mandatory completion of an ASHP-accredited program of education and training as a prerequisite to pharmacy technician certification, (3) mandatory certification by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board as a prerequisite to licensure by the state board of pharmacy, and (4) licensure of pharmacy technicians by state boards of pharmacy granting the technician permission to engage in the full scope of responsibilities authorized by the state; further,

To advocate, with respect to certification, as an interim measure until the optimal model is fully implemented, that individuals be required either (1) to have completed an ASHP-accredited program of education and training or (2) to have at least one year of full-time equivalent experience as pharmacy technicians before they are eligible to become certified; further, 

To advocate that all pharmacy functions be performed under the general supervision of a licensed pharmacist and that licensed pharmacists and technicians be held accountable for the quality of pharmacy services provided. 

(Note: Licensure is the process by which an agency of government grants permission to an individual to engage in a given occupation upon finding that the applicant has attained the minimal degree of competency necessary to ensure that the public health, safety, and welfare will be reasonably well protected. Certification is the process by which a nongovernmental agency or association grants recognition to an individual who has met certain predetermined qualifications specified by that agency or association.)

Rationale

Licensure is the process by which an agency of government grants permission to an individual to engage in a given occupation upon finding that the applicant has attained the minimal degree of competency necessary to ensure that the public health, safety, and welfare will be reasonably well protected. Certification is the process by which a nongovernmental agency or association grants recognition to an individual who has met certain predetermined qualifications specified by that agency or association.

Recommendation D8 of the 2010 Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative Summit and subsequent discussion by the ASHP Board of Directors called for licensure of pharmacy technicians. Subsequent ASHP initiatives, including the Pharmacy Advancement Initiatives 2030, support licensure and certification of pharmacy technicians.

Optimal use of pharmacy technicians will enable pharmacists to devote more time to drug therapy management. Uniformity among state laws is essential to achieve the preferred vision for practice. Moreover, requiring licensure rather than registration will enable state boards to require competency, impose disciplinary sanctions, and hold technicians accountable for their actions.

The process proposed for pharmacy technicians to achieve licensure follows the same steps outlined in ASHP policy 0815: education and training, followed by examination and certification, as prerequisites to licensure. The movement to technician licensure was essential to assure the public that the medication-use system includes individuals competent to assist pharmacists to provide and manage their medication regimens. Licensure will provide state boards with the tools necessary to provide that assurance to the public.