ASHP Encouraged By Bill Requiring Pharmacy Technician Registration And Training
"We applaud many of the concepts in this bill and look forward to working with Rep. LaTourette and other members of Congress to improve and strengthen the bill." said ASHP President Janet A. Silvester, M.B.A. These issues are at the heart of an initiative ASHP is launching to achieve standardized requirements for pharmacy technician training, education, certification, and registration.
ASHP is pleased to see the inclusion of state grants to establish pharmacy technician registration programs. The Society also supports the bill's requirement that technicians become certified by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). ASHP, which is a founding member of the PTCB, advocates that all pharmacy technicians should establish competency through a certification process and examination that is psychometrically sound. ASHP also applauds the requirement that pharmacy technicians must complete a training program accredited by ASHP. These programs must meet very stringent standards set by ASHP and are subjected to a very rigorous evaluation process.
ASHP seeks to improve some of the provisions in the bill, specifically regarding error reporting and specific technician-to-pharmacist ratios. "We recommend that the requirement for annual reports on errors by pharmacy technicians should be made a part of the recent proposed regulation by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) concerning medication error reporting by patient safety organizations," said Silvester. "We believe that this process is superior because it is designed to confidentially share information about medication errors to promote broad-based learning about errors and improve the medication-use process."
ASHP is concerned about the bill's provision recommending specific technician-to-pharmacist ratios. The Society believes that patient needs are best met when pharmacy staffing is based on the acuity of patients being cared for, the type and number of medications being prepared and administered, and the use of safety-enhancing technology. "An arbitrary staffing ratio cannot simply be applied to all pharmacy settings," said Silvester. "As new, best practices are established, there needs to be the flexibility to implement staffing models that are proven to be the most safe for patients."
For more than 60 years, ASHP has helped pharmacists who practice in hospitals and health systems improve medication use and enhance patient safety. The Society's 30,000 members include pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who practice in inpatient, outpatient, home-care, and long-term-care settings, as well as pharmacy students. For more information about the wide array of ASHP activities and the many ways in which pharmacists help people make the best use of medicines, visit ASHP's Web site, http://www.ashp.org, or its consumer Web site, http://www.SafeMedication.com.
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
ASHP încurajat de proiect de lege care necesitã Farmacie tehnician de înregistrare ºi de formare - ASHP Encouraged By Bill Requiring Pharmacy Technician Registration And Training - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate