Volunteer With Us: Committees
Advocacy Committee
Members of the advocacy committee:
- Stay abreast of changes in the practice environment to identify new advocacy opportunities.
- Work on strategic initiatives that will expand the pharmacy technician’s scope of practice, such as advocating for injection authorization.
- Help pharmacy technicians integrate into current practice by coordinating the development of tools that support working to full scope of practice.
Members that develop practice tools will receive an honorarium of $50 – $500.
Time Commitment:
The committee may meet monthly to several times per year for 1-2 hours at a time. Committee members will complete work between meetings which will vary depending on the campaigns underway.
2024-25 Draft Priorities:
- Respond to advocacy opportunities within the current environment (HPA changes, compounding, consultations).
- Continue to write a white paper/proposal to have pharmacy technicians granted authorization to inject.
- Work with other lead organizations to action ideas introduced at the Human Resource workforce forum.
- Ensure pharmacy technician scope is well known by everyone in the pharmacy profession (clarify roles with pharmacy employers / chain pharmacies).
- Investigate opportunities to collaborate with partner organizations on narcotic destruction advocacy.
Auditors
Awards Committee
Responsible for evaluating criteria, accepting nominations and selecting winners for the Society’s annual awards. The committee will also collaborate with other partner organizations (like ACP) to announce other pharmacy technician awards winners.
Time Commitment:
Committee members can expect to commit 4-5 hours over a several month period for each award. The committee will primarily communicate electronically but may meet virtually as needed.
2024-25 Draft Priorities:
- Facilitate the 2025 professionalism award.
- Facilitate the 2025 poster contest.
- Post electronic versions of poster contest submissions on the website.
- Investigate award expansion.
Bloggers
Identify topics and write short articles of interest to pharmacy technicians that can be posted on the website and shared on social media.
For each blog post written annually, a blogger will receive a chance to win a free conference registration or a $150 Amazon gift card.
Communications Committee
Responsible for communications and management of the website and social media accounts.
Time Commitment:
The committee may meet several times per year for 1-2 hours at a time. Ongoing work completed between meetings varies based on assigned areas from 1 to 5 hours per month.
2024/25 Draft Priorities
- Write and edit blog posts and coordinate submissions from other board/committee members and members at large.
- Maintain currency of posts on the website and respond to member comments.
- Facilitate an annual blog post contest.
- Distribute a bi-monthly newsletter and ad hoc email messages to the membership/event registrants.
- Manage PTSA social media platforms.
- Improve the newsletter (increase frequency, add regular columns and use a template) and social media presence.
Conference Planning Committee
The next conference will be held in Calgary in September 2025. Some committee members must be from the Calgary area, but members can be located from across the province.
Time Commitment:
The planning committee meets monthly starting in October for 1-2 hours at a time. Ongoing work completed between meetings varies based on assigned areas from 1 to 5 hours per month.
Continuing Education Authors/Speakers
Pharmacy technicians are needed to author self-study continuing education courses and present live webinars/in-person events.
CE authors/speakers will receive an honorarium between $250 – $500 for each eligible activity they author.
Time Commitment: will vary based on experience.
Continuing Education Reviewers
Pharmacy technicians with varied expertise review CE courses as they are written. CE reviewers will review CE materials according to CCCEP standards.
CE Reviewers will receive a $50 honorarium for each eligible activity they review.
Time Commitment: Most accredited activities take about 2-3 hours to review. Available opportunities will vary from year to year.
Education Committee
Responsible for planning, including author recruitment and submitting CCCEP accreditation, for PTSA education events and promoting external education events.
Time Commitment:
The committee may meet several times per year for 1-2 hours at a time. Ongoing work completed between meetings varies based on assigned areas and the number of CE being planned, from 1 to 5 hours per month.
2024-24 Draft Priorities:
- Use a variety of modalities for education (in-person, webinar, self-study CE).
- Facilitate access to at least one continuing education opportunity monthly.
- Promote the self-study CE modules currently available on the website.
- Plan a leadership-focused education opportunity.
- Coordinate education that provides support for burn out.
- Coordinate education about navigating a portfolio audit.
- Facilitate education with a focus on Truth and Reconciliation.
- Plan an indigenous-health focused education opportunity.
Mail Distributor
We need one volunteer who lives in Edmonton to pick up mail from the PTSA mailbox in the Garneau area and re-distribute it as needed.
Time Commitment:
Mail should be picked up and distributed every 2 weeks to monthly.
Membership Engagement Committee
Responsible for initiatives that will result in membership growth and retention and promotion of PTSA and/or pharmacy technicians.
- Welcome new pharmacy technicians to the profession.
- Provide presentations to pharmacy technician students.
- Coordinate membership recruitment promotions (e.g. refer a friend).
- Hold activities and promote RxTechDay 2024
- Hold activities and promote PAM 2025
- Facilitate a survey to gather information from the membership.
- Initiatives that follow student members through to full registration.
- Develop a mentorship program.
- Diversity representation initiatives.
Time Commitment:
The committee may meet monthly to several times per year for 1-2 hours at a time. Committee members will complete work between meetings which will vary depending on the campaigns underway.
Shared Drive Transfer
We need 1-2 volunteers to help transfer files between an old and newer file storage location.
Time Commitment: Work will be completed at your own pace for at least 1 hour per month until the project is complete.
How to Volunteer
Committee volunteers must maintain active membership status with PTSA during the time they hold a volunteer/committee position.
Complete the Committee Volunteer Form to express your interest in becoming a committee volunteer.