PHARMTECHX PROGRAM ADVANCES TRAINING FOR COMMUNITY PHARMACISTS

Written By: Ashlee Mattingly, PharmD, Abilities Lab Pharmacist and Technician Training Coordinator


The School of Pharmacy launched its PharmTechX program in 2014 to teach existing pharmacy technicians the skills needed to take their careers to the next level. Courses are taught by experienced pharmacist educators from the School, and is a collaboration between the School, the University of Maryland Medical Center, the Johns Hopkins Home Care Group, MedStar Health, and Walgreens Pharmacy.

Advancing Careers for Pharmacy Technicians

Designed for technicians who have been in practice for at least three years, PharmTechX is an online, ACPE-accredited program that includes three separate certificates to allow technicians to tailor their course of study to fit their individual career goals.

  • Certificate I: Released in June 2014, “Leadership and Patient Care” is the program’s core certificate that introduces technicians to patient management and describes their role in the patient care process. The leadership component encourages the exploration and expansion of human resources and team management skills to help technicians achieve managerial roles in their pharmacies. Students must complete Certificate I before continuing to Certificate II or Certificate III.
  • Certificate II: Titled “Excellence in Health-System Pharmacy,” Certificate II focuses on inpatient pharmacy. It is ideal for technicians who work in hospitals or other specialized pharmacies, and covers topics such as critical issues in pediatric pharmacy, infectious diseases, complex cardiac patients, oncology, and technology and information systems.
  • Certificate III: Titled “Community Pharmacy Practice and Management,” the newly launched Certificate III focuses on outpatient pharmacy. It is ideal for technicians who work in community pharmacies, and covers topics such as outpatient management, non-sterile compounding and calculations, medication therapy management, vaccinations, and point-of-care testing.

Bringing Our Expertise to Community Pharmacists

Just released this year, Certificate III: Community Pharmacy Practice and Management provides 15 hours of ACPE-accredited continuing education, and will prepare technicians to take on advanced operational and clinical roles in the outpatient setting. Building on the knowledge and skills from Certificate I, technicians will learn the basics of outpatient pharmacy management and will apply the steps of process improvement and project management to the incorporation of new clinical services, including:

  • Medication therapy management
  • Vaccination screening and administration
  • Point-of-care testing

Technicians will identify their role in these services to ensure the successful implementation and execution of these programs, while continuing to grow as leaders and managers through the customer service and human resource management modules. Non-sterile compounding and associated regulations, as well as the advanced calculations necessary to prepare the prescribed dose will also be addressed.

Once enrolled in the program’s interactive, online learning platform, technicians will gain immediate access to all of the course materials and be able to complete the modules at their own pace. If you or someone you know is currently working as a pharmacy technician in an outpatient setting and ready to advance not only your career, but also the field of community pharmacy, visit the PharmTechX program website for more information and to enroll.

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