Pharmacy technicians assist and support licensed pharmacists in providing health care and medications to patients. Although people have been assisting pharmacists for many years, they have not always been recognized as skilled workers, nor have they always been called pharmacy technicians. Pharmacy Technicians have been called pharmacy helpers, pharmacy clerks, pharmacy aides, pharmacy assistants, and pharmacy support personnel. Some pharmacy technicians are still given these older titles in some areas of the country, while in other areas they may be called pharmacy technologists. Pharmacy technicians must have a broad knowledge of pharmacy practice, and be skilled in the techniques required to order, stock, package, and prepare medications, but they do not need the advanced college education required of a licensed pharmacist.
Pharmacy technicians may perform many of the same duties as pharmacists, however, all of a technician’s work must be checked by a pharmacist before medication can be dispensed to a patient. Pharmacy technicians can work everywhere pharmacists work, although some state laws may limit the duties pharmacy technicians can perform. Pharmacy technicians work in hospital pharmacies, retail pharmacies, home health care pharmacies, nursing home pharmacies, clinic pharmacies, nuclear medicine pharmacies, and in mail order prescription pharmacies. In addition, some pharmacy technicians have been employed in non-traditional settings by medical insurance companies, medical computer software companies, drug manufacturing companies, drug wholesale companies, food processing companies, and even as instructors in pharmacy technician training programs. Currently, hospital, home health care, and retail pharmacies hire the majority of pharmacy technicians.
A Brief History of PTEC
1989 August -The 1st Pharmacy Technician Educators Conference. Members met in Columbia, SC. Don Ballington organized this first conference as a networking / information sharing experience for technician educators.
1990 August - The 2nd Pharmacy Technician Educators Conference was again hosted by Don Ballington. Attendance at the conference increased and the idea of an organization dedicated to the interests and concerns of technician educators was discussed.
1991 August -The 3rd Pharmacy Technician Educators Conference in Charleston, SC, was the birthplace of the Pharmacy Technician Educators Council. Don Ballington, the founder of PTEC, was elected president, with Larry Nesmith elected Vice President, Vincent Druash elected Treasurer, Dick Kuschinsky elected Reporter, and Jan Keresztes elected President Elect.
1992 August - The 1st Annual PTEC meeting was held in Charleston, SC, with a meeting focus on pharmacy technician program curriculums, educational materials, and instructional techniques. PTEC selected the journal of Pharmacy Technology as its official journal
1993 August -The 2nd Annual PTEC meeting was hosted by President Jan Keresztes in Chicago, IL, with a meeting focus on pharmacy technology, pharmacy automation, and teaching critical thinking skills.
1994 August - The 3rd Annual PTEC meeting was hosted by President Peter Vonderau in Cleveland, OH, with a meeting focus on new duties and responsibilities for technicians. Discussions with the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy led to a resolution to hold the 1995 PTEC meeting in conjunction with the AACP annual meeting in Philadelphia, PA.
1995 July - The 4th Annual PTEC meeting, hosted by President Deborah Tapley, was held in conjunction with the AACP annual meeting in Philadelphia, PA. The joint meeting focus was "Revolution!" in healthcare and how it will change pharmacy education.
PTEC Recommendations & Goals
PTEC strongly recommends that all pharmacy technician education and training programs seek American Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ accreditation of their programs.
In the short term, PTEC will:
Work with AACP to design and implement programs which would provide step-wise technician training curriculum credits which could be used towards pharmacist training and education.
Advocate a PTEC representative attend AACP board meetings, and invite AACP officers to attend PTEC board meetings.
In the long term, PTEC will:
Within 5 years, advocate that all technician training programs evolve into at least 9 months and/or 45 quarter credit programs.
Within 10 years, advocate that all technician training programs evolve into 2 year associate degree programs.
PTEC Recommended Pharmacy Technology Program Content
PTEC strongly recommends that all pharmacy technician education and training programs seek American Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ accreditation of their programs.
Prerequisites: A strong background in reading, writing and mathematics, or remediation which enables the student to succeed in the program.
PTEC recommends a minimum of 760 contact hours (45 quarter or 32 semester credits) for each training program, in which at least the following information is covered:
Introduction to Pharmacy and the Healthcare System
Pharmacy Law and Ethics
Pharmacology, including:
Anatomy & Physiology
Prescription & OTC Medications
Chemistry
Microbiology
Pharmacy Operations including:
Drug Distribution Systems
Records Management & Inventory Control
Ambulatory & Institutional Practice
Compounding, including:
Aseptic Technique
Non-Sterile Compounding
General Education, including:
Medical Terminology
Interpersonal Relations
Communications
Computers / Keyboarding
Problem Solving and Critical Thinking
Experiential Training
PTEC recommends at least 320 hours be devoted to experiential contact, excluding laboratory hours. The experience should be obtained in multiple situations exposing the student to the broadest range of experience available to the training program.