Calling all RPh's from Florida !!!! Joy? Mark? Re: Formal schooling

[Guest guest]

THANK YOU Joy RPh, resident pharmacist!

You have made the law very very clear! I am going to reiterate and then ask a

question.

One MUST have training as of Jan 1, 2010 to become a registered tech in the

state of Fl, and has UNTIL Dec 31, 2010 to PROVE this. Many pharmacies are

providing the training, which does not have to be formal classroom education.

But if you did not get your grandfathering in by Dec 31,09, experienced or not

you will have to get your training done to become registered.

Joy, allow me to ASK these questions:

1.  Let us say a tech with 10 yrs exp, did not register by Dec 31, 09 (when all

that they needed was a CPhT or 1500 training on the job hours).  Does this mean

that the tech can not practice/work/get paid to work as a technician? Is it

illegal to work as a tech at this point in time until the tech gets registered

according to the new requirements? 

 

2. Give the scenario in #1, would it be correct to say that NOW the 10 yr exp

tech would go to his or her employer and say I need training.  And if that

employer does not provide training the tech would have to leave that job and

find another location/emploer that does?

 

3. You said anyone registering must have training. To clarify does the

Florida law also say  PLUS training PLUS CPhT? And does Florida law state PTCB

or ExCPT or does it state any test is acceptable as long as it is accredited by

NCCA (the newer way of writing testing within the law...and if this was written

it would include both mentioned but NOT NHA).

 

I am asking these questions because I think it will clarify specific situation

where the law will be applied and some techs will be in a 'tight' position. This

is reminicent of when CA first required registration in 1994, a deadline was

given but many did not heed the warning that they would lose their jobs if they

did not register by the deadline.  And many who did not qualify as a tech also

lost jobs.  So before a panic is created I would like this clarified for the

Florida members of this site, some of whom are experienced techs with most

studying at this time.  

 

 

For those of you who do not know, Joy is a Pharmacist who has taught a pharmacy

tech program, lives and works in Florida. She is a pharmacist who on her own

stays on this site to help out. If I need a pharmacists opinion, I have several

pharmacist members who have helped out in the past and I call upon them

 

Joy is one of a few pharmacist members of the site, joining Della and Mark who

have often times contributed to the site on their own. But they have been also

available when I need and ask for them.  I am TRULY BLESSED to have these

volunteers on my site.  I am proud and honored that they  have stuck around to

see when they are needed, to add to the site and to make any corrections and to

" be there " if I need or call upon them.

 

Having TEXPERTS (technicians in their field of expertise that contribute and can

be called upon and one resident pharmacist who is an expert in technician work)

and pharmacist members and experienced technician members is UNIQUE to this

site.  There are other sites where the blind are leading the blind....struggling

for answers and not  knowing which is correct or real. I am, you are, we all are

truly blessed and I am, humbled and honored to have this membership and to be so

active for so many years.  

 

So I do wish to take this opportunuty to THANK YOU the TEXTPERTS and Della RPh

Resident Pharmacist, Pharmacists Joy and Mark and experienced technician

members  (Karin, Annette, Dora Fred, Jule just to name a few) who post and add

their point of vies making this site what it is.

 

Regarding education, it seems to me that Florida missed the mark! Karin had

remarked that Florida appeared to be (can't recall her exact words) making the

right requirements for education. I seconded that. But now, according to what

Joy wrote, this unfortunately will open up a free for all with varoius

pharmacies now submitting for approval of their DIFFERENT training programs. You

can bet they will not be 1500 hours. The BIG guns, the BIG pharmacies made sure

of that....just like in CA they can have a short program as long as it is

approved by the state, which means they have coered specific topics. They donot

specify time and they do not specify how the " student " or tech must perform and

how it is to be assessed other than by a pharmacist.  Pressure will be on the

state by BIG pharm, can you say  P$arma ? Okay so this means we will NOW have

varying training programs with a very small guideline or standard, requiring

LESS than what the original

number of hours required. The original number of hours of training

meant: thrown in the work place sink or swim, but at least it was 1500 hours.

NOW it could be 6 weeks or 10 weeks or  a shorter specific # of hours and with

specific topics covered.  EACH training will be different in pedegogy or methods

of instruction. Therefore outcomes could also be different.

 

Just a thought!

 

Keeping and eye on Florida!

 

Respectfully,

 

 

Jeanetta Mastron CPhT BS

Founder/Owner

 

 

 

From: nerissafaye <nerissafaye@...>

Subject: Calling all RPh's from Florida !!!! Joy?

Mark? Re: Formal schooling

Date: Monday, January 18, 2010, 7:25 AM

Any tech registered in Florida by Dec 31, 2009 only has to have certification or

1500 hours in a pharmacy.  Anyone registering now and beyond must have

training.  Anyone can provide the training program if approved.  Many employers

are submitting training plans now.  It does not need to be formal education

unfortunately.  At this point I believe the Florida Board has just put together

what topics and time allotted that need to be in the training program and

everyone is still submitting their programs for approval.  I don't believe this

was the intent many of us thought the education would be.  At one point they

told me how many hours the training program had to be and it was minimal.  You

have until Dec 31, 2010 to prove you have what they wanted.  To renew it looks

like they will need 20 CE hours (every 2 years) with 2 of them being med errors,

4 hours live and in the first renewal period may need 1 hour HIV (I couldn't

find this in the law but

it was recently discussed at an FSHP Education meeting). No formal schooling

required.

Joy

> > >

> > > Hi, Possibly someone can offer a clear explanation to what is happening

with certification now that we are in a new year.  I have heard all technicians

must have fromal training starting in 2010.  I have heard there will possibly be

allowances for those who have worked over 3000 hours in their career. 

Grandfathering us in but still having us take the test.

> > > I personally have over 17 yrs as a technician but have not worked full

time as a tech in a couple years.  Did work a temp job for a couple of weeks

last year and have stayed abreast of as much information and news as I can.

> > > So my question is this. Will I be allowed to register for and take the

test or will I now have to go thru a formal school first? 

> > > Thanks for any information on this subject.  I have been online to

Florida, Tennessee and Ohio boards of pharmacy law sites and found no clear

answer.

> > >

> > > Sherry

> > >

> >

>

------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Thank you Jeanetta!

Right now it is very muddy as we are waiting for clarification from the Florida

Board on what training programs it is going to accept and where to go from here

on many of the tech issues. Originally it was said they would not need

certification once they got training but I could not find a specific statement

in the law for after Jan 1, 2011.

You are correct. If they did not get registered by Jan 1, they " cannot " work in

a pharmacy today, however, I don't know how they would police that at this

point. We are also waiting for the Florida Board to comment on who all needs

the registration. Some have said anyone who touches the prescription - so

delivery people, dispensary cashiers, etc. would need to be registered as

technicians while others say no, it is only those who are hired to be a

" technician " . Our hospital (per HR) will not even interview pharmacy tech

candidates unless they indicate they are already registered with the board so we

are struggling right now to find any applicants for our open tech lines.

Currently we are accepting the NCCA so it can be either PTCB or ExCPT but most

employers are only familiar with PTCB.

Our hospital paid the $150 initial fee for our techs as long as they registered

by Dec 1. We did have 2 or 3 that did not register by that date and had to pay

it on their own and were threatened with losing their job if they did not by Jan

1. I am hoping all pharmacies had this policy but I don't know if they did.

I think they may extend the deadline if they don't rule on the training programs

soon as it may be hard to get it completed by Jan 1 if it takes much longer to

approve what they want. Originally we had heard AA degree but it sounds like it

will be 10-16 weeks of training by employers so no college needed. Ugghhhh!

Joy