Technician Registration Form on BOP Web Site

Last Updated (Wednesday, 23 June 2010 13:51)
Written by Michael A. Jackson
Tuesday, 21 July 2009 00:00

The Florida Board of Pharmacy has been in rule development since passage of Senate bill 1360 during the 2008 legislative session. This bill requires pharmacy technicians to register with the Florida Department of Health. Other issues in the legislation include the following:

Requires the Board of Pharmacy to adopt rules on registration
Requires registered technicians to be 17 years old
Requires 20 hours of CE (4 hours live, 2 hours med errors)
Registration must be available to the public as well as board inspectors
Pharmacy interns exempt from registration
Technician students exempt from registration
Pharmacist with discipline not eligible to register as technician

By January 1, 2011 Registered Technicians must have:

Completed a Board approved training program or
Have completed a certification program approved by NCCA or
Have worked a minimum of 1,500 under a licensed pharmacist

The FPA has been informed by the Department of Health that technician registration will begin around the 1st of October. Technicians will have until December 31st to register. An on-line application is available through the Board's web site (ENTER HERE). We do not know at this time what that application will look like. Technicians will need to be able to demonstrate that they have completed one of the three registration requisites by the end of next year (2010). The Florida Department of Health is also making available a way for employers to apply for an "other payer code" if they plan to proactively register their pharmacy technicians. Information on how to do that can be found through this link under "Other Payer Code Information".

For a list of frequently asked questions from the Department of Health enter here.

FOR TRAINING PROGRAM RULE DRAFT SEE BELOW

64B16-26.351 Standards for Approval of Registered Pharmacy Technician Training Programs (DRAFT)

(1) The following programs are approved Registered Pharmacy Technician Training programs:

a) Pharmacy technician training programs accredited, approved or licensed on or before January1, 2011 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists,

b) Pharmacy technician training programs accredited, approved or licensed on or before January 1, 2011 by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools,

c) Pharmacy technician training programs accredited, approved or licensed on or before January 1, 2011 by the Florida Department of Education, or Florida Commission for Independent Education,

d) Pharmacy technician training programs provided by a branch of the federal armed services forwhich the applicant possesses a certificate of completion.

e) Pharmacy technician training programs accredited, approved or licensed on or before January 1,2011 by the Council on Occupational Education.

(2) All other training programs must be employer based. Any pharmacy technician training program sponsored by a Florida permitted pharmacy or affiliated group of pharmacies under common ownership, must contain a minimum of 160 hours of training, that extends over a period not to exceed 6 months; is provided solely to employees of said pharmacy or affiliated 'group; and has been approved by the Board. An application for approval of a Registered Pharmacy Technician Training Program shall be made on Board of Pharmacy approved form DH-MQA 1232 "Board of Pharmacy Registered Pharmacy Technician Training Program Provider Application," effective February 2010, which is hereby incorporated by reference. To obtain an application, contact the Board of Pharmacy at 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin #C04, Tallahassee, FL 32399-3254, or (850)488-0595, or download the application from the board's website at http/!: www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/pharmacy. The application must be accompanied with a nonrefundable application fee. The following objectives must be met:

(a) Program content:

1. Introduction to pharmacy and health care systems:

a. Confidentiality,

b. Patient rights and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA),

2. Pharmacy law:

a. Federal law,

b. State law,

c. State rules,

d. Pharmacy technician rules and law,

3. Pharmaceutical medical terminology, abbreviations, and symbols:

a. Medication safety and error prevention,

b. Prescriptions and medication orders,

4. Records management and inventory control:

a. Pharmaceutical supplies,

b. Medication labeling.

c. Medication packaging and storage,

d. Controlled substances,

e. Adjudication and billing,

5. Interpersonal relations, communications, and ethics:

a. Diversity of communications,
b. Empathetic communications.
c. Ethics governing pharmacy practice.
d. Patient and caregiver communication.

6. Pharmaceutical calculations.

(b) Materials and Methods. Evidence satisfactory to the Board shall be presented that:

1. Learning experiences and teaching methods are appropriate to meet the content stated above.

2. Time allotted for each activity shall be sufficient for the participant to meet the objectives.

3. Principles of adult education are utilized in determining teaching strategies and learning activities.

1. The faculty shall provide evidence of academic preparation or experience in the subject matter.

2. When the subject matter of an offering includes pharmacy technician practice a licensed pharmacist or registered pharmacy technician with expertise in the content area must be involved in the planning and instruction.

3. Pharmacy technician faculty supervising learning experiences in a clinical area in this State shall be currently registered.

4. When an offering includes clinical practice training in Florida, a Florida licensed pharmacist competent in the practice area shall provide supervision.

(d) Evaluation. Evidence satisfactory to the Board shall be presented that participants are given an opportunity to evaluate learning experiences, instructional methods, facilities and resources used for the offering. Self-directed learning experiences including but not limited to home study computer programs, internet or web-based courses, are required to evaluate participant knowledge at the completion of the learning experience. The evaluation must include a minimum of 100 questions. The participant must achieve a minimum score of 70% on the evaluation to receive the certificate of completion. Theevaluation must be graded by the provider.

(e) There shall be a designated person assuming responsibility for registered pharmacy technician training program. If the contact person is not a licensed pharmacist or registered pharmacy technician, provision should be made for insuring licensed pharmacist or registered pharmacy technician input inoverall program planning and evaluation.

(f) Required documentation.

1. Providers shall establish written policies and procedures for implementation of the registered pharmacy technician training program.

2. Providers shall maintain a system of record-keeping which provides for storage of programinformation.

3. Records of programs shall be maintained for three years and be available for inspection by the board or department.

4. Providers shall furnish each participant with an authenticated individual Certificate of Completion.

5. Providers shall securely maintain all participant records and copies of certificates issued for a period of three years and said records shall be available for inspection by the board or department.

Rulemaking Authority 465.014 FS. Law Implemented 465.014 FS. History-New