You HEARD it hear FIRST people!

[Guest guest]

Dear ALL,

IF you have been a member for over one year you have read my rant and rave that

the PTCB exam " PTCE " and the ICPT exam " ExCPT " NEED to be evealuated to see how

different or alike they actually are!

And HERE, on THIS site, I 'spoke' to YOU; the readers; my members LONG before

any court said that they were equal WITHOUT such a comparison. While we must

honor the courts decision, this does not mean that we can not challenge it in

the interim!

And so it seems while trying to get the state of California Pharmacy Board to

require BOTH the passing of a national exam AND education, the State Board of

Pharmacy also decided to persue an evaluation of the two exams. I KNOW that I

'personally' have asked for this in many letters before, but I have never seen

anything documented that anyone was actually listening to my rant/rave.

I am tired of PTCB stating that they are the only ones who have a validated exam

without any proof. IF they are then let's see the proof.

If they are not then let us see that proof too. I am upset that the courts

accepted that these two exams are equal without having a third party evaluate

them. IF this happened then where are the results? who or what entitly did the

evaluation?

I am tired of having faculty and professional friends and other educators

support only one exam without knowing the truth. If the truth is that PTCB exam

is superior then let's see the truth the differences and celebrate it. If it is

not different then let's uphold the current courts decision and move on with

using the words: National Certifying Exam. IF ICPT's ExCPT is superior then lets

have the truth and deal with the 'fall out'.

There are several outcomes of this pending evaluation:

1. BOTH exams are psychometrically sound and they are equal.

2. Neither exam is psychometrically sound and they are equal.

3. Neither exam is psychometrically sound and they are not equal.

4. Only one exam is psychometrically sound and they are not equal.

IF there is another possiblility please let me know.

Could they be both psychometrically sound, but not equal?

Hm.....

In any case I am so PROUD of the state of California for deciding to evaluate

these two exams. Finally we shall have some answers.

HOWEVER I must say that I want to be sure that the evaluating process ONLY

includes a NON-BIASED group of individuals with NOTHING to gain, not even a

favor from a friend or associate, let alone money.

Let me see the list of the names of the people evaluating these exams!

Further if these two are equal then there could be NO reason why they can not be

both used! If they are not equal then there is reason why only ONE or Neither

should be used! So the GAME is on!

Let us also hope that what ever tests are submitted are the ACTUAL exams that

are being used and will continue to be used AFTER the evaluation and not watered

down shortly thereafter or changed or altered in any way.

What is that you say? How could anyone suggest such a thing? How can Jeanetta

suggest this? Well sorry folks, but I have seen my share of corruptness in

society, in government and in business;o I am not so naive.

Just my two cents!

What does it all mean? Well if the evaluation process is not corrupt and the

final evaluation/analysis is not challenged by either entity and IF one is found

psychometrically sound and the other is not, then the courts would have to over

turn its decision that they are equal. Fall out: it could mean that states that

have legislated that they are both equal may have to overturn their state laws

(Oregon and other states that have recently adopted ICPT's ExCPT are you paying

attention?). All states that have been using PTCB's PTCE are you paying

attention? And what would we do about the current PTCB certified techs in

California? or other states for that matter? Would other states have to accept

what the CA findings are? WEll most likely they would unless the process or the

findings are corrupt!

Read on as to what fueled my fire!

From CSHP InfoSource:

" PTCB and ICPT Pharmacy Technician Certification Exams to be Evaluated "

On Thursday, April 30, the Board of Pharmacy voted in favor of initiating an

analysis of the pharmacy technician certification exams offered by the Pharmacy

Technician Certification Board (PTCB) and Institute for the Certification of

Pharmacy Technicians (ICPT). Currently, PTCB's certification exam is the only

exam accepted and recognized by the Board of Pharmacy as a valid method for

pharmacy technician licensure. Under California Business and Professions Code

Section 139, all exams must be validated as being psychometrically sound and

meeting certain requirements. The board intends to have both exams validated in

the future to ensure they meet the criteria set forth in Section 139. "

YEAH!

Most LIKELY REALITY:

1 The reasonable time that this evaluation and CA legislative process would

commence and be completed would be 1 to 2 years.

If there is a difference in the two exams:

2. All who have been certified prior to the court stating that the two are equal

would be grandfathered. In other words they would not have to take another exam.

3. All who would have been certified after the court stated that the two are

equal would be subject to their states decision. Most likely they would be

grandfathered and all newbies to test would have to take the exam that is

considered psychometrially sound.

4. States would have the option of acceptign CA evaluation process findings or

not.

Agan just my two cents. If you think this is TOO early to speculate, THINK

again! I CALLED this over a year ago people! I said it should have been done

then! This is NOT the first time I have " CALLED it " before anyone else! for

over TEN years I have been speculating on the future of techs, testing,

certifying and educating them, along with growing medical and pharmaceutical

errors. I don't usually go around tooting my own horn. But by God I am blowing

loud and clear right now.

If you do not agree with me that is fine, but I expect ONLY KIND words and NO

name calling. Been through that before: this site and on others. Warning if you

do not adhere to the rules of conduct, you will no longer be allowed to post on

this site.

Respectfully,

Jeanetta Mastron CPhT BS

Founder/Owner of this site