Did you know that the pharmacy workforce is the third largest regulated workforce in the world? Despite that status, there is a growing shortage of pharmacy technicians and pharmacists. This issue is one of national and global concern and hits close to home because it can affect the care provided to Albertans.
PTSA was given the opportunity to explore this issue and contribute ideas about how we can address this growing challenge. On March 7 & 8, 2024, President Bullock and I attended a Human Resource Forum hosted by the Alberta College of Pharmacy (ACP). We represented PTSA as part of a select group of leaders, with various experiences and insights, that came together to identify opportunities to build the capacity of pharmacy teams.
Here are some stats to set a picture of the current state of our workforce:
Led by expert facilitator, Don Winn (some of you may remember him from the 2018 Alberta Pharmacy Technician Conference), we were tasked with trying to better understand factors contributing to current state and what could be improved in three areas:
We delved into discussions focused on innovative strategies to attract and recruit new talent into the pharmacy professions, exploring issues like job satisfaction, work-life balance, and professional development opportunities, as well as optimizing workflows and leveraging technology to enhance efficiency in pharmacy practices.
It was quickly apparent that there are similarities between issues affecting pharmacy technicians and pharmacists. Gaps may exist between students’ expectations and the reality of pharmacy roles. There is value in mentorship to enhance job satisfaction and career development. Streamlined workflows can enable pharmacy professionals to meet the needs of patients. Despite some alignment, the pharmacy technician profession faces unique challenges too, and solutions for both professions are needed.
At the end of the day, we left the forum with some ideas for how pharmacy technicians, pharmacists, organizational leaders, employers, academics, and even members of the public can start to facilitate change. But that is just the beginning! The leading organizations, including PTSA, ACP, the Alberta Pharmacists Association (RxA) and University of Alberta are now tasked with deciding how to develop coalitions to prioritize and work on achieving the proposed solutions.
Want to learn more about the proposed solutions? Stay tuned for regular updates.
Leave a comment below to let us know what challenges you are facing in your practice or share your ideas for improvements.
About the Author: Teresa Hennessey is a pharmacy technician with 25 years of front-line and leadership experience in both community and hospital pharmacies. She is the Administrator for PTSA.
PTSA is thrilled to offer a chance to attend the upcoming Education event, ‘Strategies for Microbial and Hazardous Drugs Residue Control’, for free! Simply answer the following question on our instagram or facebook post for a chance to win:
What are the potential impacts of microbial contamination in your workplace? Whether you’re involved in preparing sterile or non-sterile compounding, conducting vaccine clinics, or educating on device usage, contamination poses a significant risk.
Regardless of your field of expertise, it’s crucial to address this issue. Share your insights on the topic to win a complimentary spot at the seminar on April 2, 2024.
Even if you’ve already registered for the event, you’re eligible to enter the contest. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!
The deadline for submissions is March 17th, 2024.
For the month of March watch our social media platforms for questions and clues to our #PAMscavengerhunt
Engage, answer, like and share for your chance at 3 incredible prizes!
These will be announced on March 1st along with how it works and the Rules!
So make sure your notification settings for our pages are turned on so you don’t miss a single one!
Watch the PAM 2024 Introduction video here.
#PAM2024 #ptsascavengerhunt #pharmacytechnician
This workshop will be assessed by the Canadian Council on Continuing Education in Pharmacy for accredited continuing education units.
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Mark Wiencek, PhD is the Principal Microbiologist with Contec, Inc. He received a B.S. in Marine Biology from UNC-Wilmington, a M.S. in Microbiology from North Carolina State University, and a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Maryland. During 25+ years of industrial experience in microbiology and microbial ecology, Mark has focused on control of objectionable microbes in multiple applications including water treatment, medical devices, and environmental surfaces in the built environment. Research interests include development of cleaning tools and chemistries for control of microbial and hazardous drug contamination in cleanrooms, pharmacies, and healthcare facilities.
Michael Myers brings a wealth of expertise and a longstanding dedication to Contec, Inc., having joined the company in 1998. Throughout his tenure, he has held various key positions, including product development, sales management, and technical support. For over a decade, Michael has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the success of Sterile Compounding Pharmacies, focusing on their specific needs and challenges.
As the Clinical Support Manager for Contec’s Healthcare division, Michael plays a pivotal role in developing educational resources and conducting in-service training for pharmacy technicians. His mission is to equip them with the best practices for maintaining clean and disinfected environments in 503A compliant compounding pharmacies, ensuring compliance with the stringent guidelines outlined in USP Chapters <797> and <800>.
In recognition of his outstanding contributions, Michael was honored with the prestigious John Martin Outstanding New Member Award by the Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology (IEST) in 2022. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Appalachian State University, which further strengthens his ability to effectively communicate and provide valuable support to pharmacy professionals.
With his extensive experience, industry knowledge, and commitment to excellence, Michael continues to drive innovation and foster the success of Sterile Compounding Pharmacies under the Contec Healthcare division.
Melanie Dorey is a registered pharmacy technician and has worked in the compounding industry for over 16 years. She graduated from a 2-year Pharmacy Technician program in 2006 and at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) where she acquired a passion for sterile and nonsterile compounding. While attending the Sterile Compounding Boot Camp in Denver, Colorado in 2007, Melanie met several key industry experts who ignited her passion for sterile and nonsterile compounding. In 2014, she joined the team at CriticalPoint and Kastango Consulting Group where she continued to hone her skills while developing eLearning, standard operating procedures, as well as in person and virtual lectures. She also traveled to client locations to perform competency assessment and customized training. Melanie has served on a variety of committees with NAPRA and the Ontario College of Pharmacy. Melanie is the owner of Critical Compounding Resources which offers services to compounding operations across North America.
The National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) is inviting pharmacy professionals to participate in a survey about the competencies for pharmacy technicians and pharmacists at entry-to-practice. This survey is part of the project to review and update the current competencies.
The survey reflects the format of the proposed new competencies and asks respondents to confirm each competency’s level of importance for safe and competent performance of an entry-level pharmacy technician. It also asks about the frequency with which each competency is demonstrated in practice. The proposed draft reflects 5 competency areas in comparison to 9 areas in the current version.
In addition to an overall change to the number of competency areas, changes have been proposed that will impact how new pharmacy technicians are prepared to enter practice. Currently, pharmacy technicians must be able to demonstrate that they can prepare and compound non-sterile and sterile products at entry-to-practice. The new competencies state that pharmacy technicians must be able to compound non-sterile, non-hazardous products at entry-to-practice but only understand the general principles of sterile and hazardous compounding (proposed competencies 1.7.2 to 1.7.4).
At this year’s Townhall during the Annual General Meeting, PTSA introduced our plans to develop a position paper regarding sterile compounding competencies, specifically. From feedback collected by NAPRA in the Spring of 2023, it was apparent that changes to this competency were being considered. Through the passionate discussion, it was clear that the membership feels that compounding, including sterile compounding, is a core competency for all pharmacy technicians. More information about that work can be found here: Have your say! Sterile Compounding Competencies Position Paper – PTSA.
The proposed changes will mean that pharmacy technicians would no longer be authorized to compound sterile products when they first enter practice and would need to complete additional assessments and apply for additional authorization in order to practice sterile compounding. PTSA has concerns that these changes will negatively impact pharmacy technician practice. Read the Position Paper: Compounding Competencies for Pharmacy Professionals for more information.
Members of the PTSA advocacy committee, along with representatives from the Canadian Association of Pharmacy Technicians and Pharmacy Technician Society of British Columbia reviewed the draft competencies. Generally, the proposed amendments create broad competency statements that reflect current competencies. There was consensus that competencies 1.7.2 to 1.7.4 must be further revised to reflect pharmacy technicians and pharmacists continuing to be required to safely compound quality hazardous and non-hazardous, sterile and non-sterile compounds at entry to practice. Additionally, the committee agreed that these competencies are critical for the safe and competent performance of an entry-level pharmacy technician. A letter has been sent to NAPRA to provide this feedback along with comments regarding several other competencies.
The survey also asks pharmacy technicians to assign a frequency rating for each competency that reflects how often the competency is demonstrated. Since practice settings and professional practices vary so greatly, the committee feels that ALL competencies have the potential to be demonstrated daily where applicable.
We encourage you to review the position paper and feedback letter so that you can be better informed when you respond to the survey yourself. The response deadline has been extended to January 3, 2024.
Drop a comment below when you’ve reviewed submitted your survey response.
