The Continuing Education of the Pharmacy Technician

Podcast Host Nick Dorich, PharmD, PQS Associate Director of Pharmacy Accounts, welcomes Zachary Green, CPhT, Associate Director, Partnership Development at the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) to the Quality Corner Show to talk about PTCB involvement with the Pharmacy Technician Educators Council (PTEC).

Green provides a little history on PTEC and promotes a new conference slated for summer 2024 that would provide continuing education for Pharmacy Technicians.

https://www.ptec.org/

Transcript

Copy Transcript Copied

00:00:01:02 - 00:00:29:08

Zack Green

So PTCB and PTEC, as we refer to it as we love acronyms in pharmacy, right at these two organizations, PTCB and PTEC have really had a long standing relationship with a very similar mission. So as industry leaders and our respective areas where we share that mission to ensure the highest professional and patient safety standards know PTCB being PTEC is truly an investment in the future of the pharmacy technician workforce.

00:00:29:10 - 00:00:54:11

Intro

Welcome to the Pharmacy Quality Solutions Quality corner show where quality measurement leads to better patient outcomes. This show will be your go to source for all things related to quality improvement and medication use and health care. We will hit on trending topics as they relate to performance measurements and find common ground for payers and practitioners. We will discuss how the platform can help you with your performance goals.

We will also make sure to keep you up to date on pharmacy quality news. Please note that the topics discussed are based on the information available at the date and time of reporting. Information or guidelines are updated periodically and we will always recommend that our listeners research and review any guidelines that are newly published. Buckle up and put your thinking cap on the quality corner show starts now.

00:01:32:03 - 00:01:57:01

Nick Dorich

Hello Quality Corner Show Listeners. Welcome to the PQS podcast, where we focus on medication, use, quality improvement and how we can utilize pharmacists to improve patient health outcomes. I'm your host, Nick Dorich and audience. I got to tell you, as I get started with our introduction for the episode, it's time that we actually look at revising that because we talk about utilizing pharmacists to improve patient health outcomes.

00:01:57:03 - 00:02:26:04

But that's not exactly what we're talking about in this episode because we're going to be talking about pharmacy technicians, an important and essential member of the pharmacy team that are a big part of how we as the pharmacy community improve patient care and how we help patients achieve optimal health outcomes. So making a future note for myself to revise our introduction, but with that being said, I'm going to jump right into our conversation with our guest for today's show.

00:02:26:06 - 00:02:48:16

Nick

And that guest is Zack Green. Zack is Associate Director, Partnership Development at the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board, or TCB. Zack, welcome to the show today. And how are you doing? 

Zack

Thanks, doing pretty well. Very glad to be here. 

Nick

Excellent. Well, you're not the first member from PTCB that we've had on the show, and I'm starting to think you're not going to be the last either.

00:02:48:18 - 00:03:15:22

Nick

We've got a lot of topics to cover with the PTCB team and how pharmacy technicians are increasingly being utilized in the environment, in and in the landscape that we currently see in health care. But, Zack, you're going to be helping us to talk specifically about pharmacy technician, education, training and standardization. But I'm getting ahead of ourselves here. Before we get into that conversation, our audience needs to know who Zack is.

00:03:15:24 - 00:03:41:15

Nick

So do you mind giving us a quick rundown? You know, what is your background in health care and then what do you do in your current role at PTCB? 

Zack

Absolutely. So I worked as a pharmacy technician, I guess I started in 2007 at then I became certified in 2008 in my home state of Ohio, where I worked as a hospital pharmacy technician at a hospital in inner city Columbus, Ohio.

00:03:41:17 - 00:04:07:17

Zack

So I worked as a pharmacy technician while going to school at the Ohio State University for Public Affairs and Public Policy. And, you know, I honestly thought that was going to be my ticket out of pharmacy. I hadn't looked at being a pharmacy technician as a career until I was training an intern. One night. And we were talking, you know, maybe this could be like a long term career where I get to marry both of my education with my professional work experience.

00:04:07:17 - 00:04:32:18

Zack

And in 2013, I finished school and applied for one single job at PTCB in Washington, D.C. And here I am ten years later, working as the Associate director of Partnership Development. So now I work with employers of pharmacy technicians and educators of pharmacy technicians who either advocate for or require their technicians or technician students to get certified through P.T.E.C.

00:04:32:20 - 00:05:01:07

Nick

Excellent. Zack, thank you for the background history on yourself and how you've gotten involved with PTCB. I don't think I realized that we had a Buckeye on the show today, and I have to start keeping a tally, you know, for what we do. We typically had a lot of folks from Iowa. We've typically had a lot of folks from the state of Washington, Ohio, and or folks who have been and have spent time in Ohio like yourself are probably up there along with North Carolina, of course, four states that are very popular.

00:05:01:07 - 00:05:32:12

Nick

So I may need to consider that as well as how we get other states, professionals or other states covered in the episode, because we are looking at national and even national international considerations. But, Zack, with that, we're going to go ahead. We're going to get into today's conversation again. We're going to be talking about education, training for pharmacy technicians and really how we help to elevate that workforce and how we help to really kind of promote this as a as not just as a job, but as a career and as a career trajectory for pharmacy technicians.

00:05:32:12 - 00:05:39:04

Nick

But before we go ahead and get into that, we're going to hear a quick message from PQS..

00:05:39:06 - 00:06:03:19

Breakdown

Now it's time for the breakdown as quality corner show host little as three main topic questions, Our guests will have a chance to respond, and there will be some discussion to summarize the key points This process will repeat for the second and third questions, which will wrap up the primary content for this, the 14. After that, it's to end on a closing summary, usually containing a bonus question.

Now that we have the start of the process, let's jump into the questions.

00:06:10:21 - 00:06:31:18

Nick

All right, Zack. So we're ready to begin today's conversation. And I guess we're going to start with a little bit of a background or maybe a history lesson. So in December 2022, the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board, and from here on out, I'll just refer to it as PTCB, So I don't have to say the whole thing. And that helped shorten up the episode for our listeners just a little bit.

00:06:31:24 - 00:07:05:23

Nick

But PTCB officially welcomed the pharmacy technician educator’s Counsel or PTEC into part of its organization. What does this partnership an opportunity with these organizations under one roof and working together mean for the future of pharmacy technician training and education? 

Zack

Sure. So PTCB and P-TEC, as we refer to it as we love acronyms in pharmacy, right? These two organizations, PTCB and P-TEC, have really had a long standing relationship with a very similar mission.

00:07:06:00 - 00:07:29:16

Zack

So as industry leaders and our respective areas where we share that mission to ensure the highest professional and patient safety standards in P-TECH is truly an investment in the future of the pharmacy technician workforce. 

Nick

Excellent. So with with these groups and let's start with definitions, right? Pharmacy technician certification board is going to be that certification for for pharmacy technicians.

But educators council is this a group that is is this is this a group that is kind of its own or was its own standalone company? Was this something that was more so a professional organization or maybe more set based on volunteers? How did that work or how did that function prior to this update in December 2022? 

Zack

Yeah.

00:07:51:15 - 00:08:19:22

So regarding the history lesson, so back in 1989, is when it was called the Pharmacy Technician Educators Conference. That's when the first conference was held of pharmacy technician educators. It was rather small. And then the subsequent two years as they they repeated that. And then in 1991, P-TEC, as an educators council, was actually formed as a membership association because the conference had been so well attended.

00:08:19:24 - 00:09:03:23

Zack

So it turned into an annual meeting at an annual conference in 1991. It was a completely volunteer run organization. So, you know, that is rather sustainable for quite some time. I mean, P-TEC had been around before PTCB even started in 1995. But fast forward through challenges that the pandemic, you know, we all face through the pandemic and you know, volunteers who have to successfully run an organization who are already tasked with their full time jobs, you know, even being tasked further with the challenges of the pandemic, being in the pharmacy profession, you know, it just really it this is where PCB kind of came in and said, hey, how about we just join forces, We

00:09:03:23 - 00:09:31:00

have all the operational support that we can provide. And that is really what led to PTEC becoming part of PTCB so that the volunteers who are on the leadership Committee now, or what you traditionally think of as a board for PTEC, they can focus on what a Border leadership committee can do, which is engaging the members and developing education content and, you know, engaging the members and finding out what's important to those members rather than are those emails being sent.

00:09:31:00 - 00:10:07:15

Zack

Let's schedule, let's create a conference and make sure that's all run properly. So yeah, we're that's how it came together. 

Nick

Excellent. One final question that I want to ask. Again, going to somewhat of our history lesson and just understanding the landscape. Pharmacists, we know that there are roughly about 300,000 pharmacists that are licensed in the US. I say licensed because there's folks like myself that are licensed as a pharmacist, but not necessarily actively practicing, you know, patient care services and on a daily basis, pharmacy technicians and or the number of certified pharmacy technicians.

00:10:07:17 - 00:10:29:04

Nick

I would my own experience knowing the pharmacy industry, I have to imagine there's quite a bit more than 300,000 that we are dealing with. But certification is something that is sort of new and it may not apply in the same way based about practice sites or states of practice. But when it comes to pharmacy technicians, kind of what's the size and scope that we currently have here in the US?

00:10:29:06 - 00:11:14:09

Zack

That's an excellent question. I know speaking to certification, we're approaching 300,000 certified pharmacy technicians, but according to BLS, the Bureau of Labor Statistics were at least around the country, well over or well over 420,000 pharmacy who are working as pharmacy technicians. But as you know, there are no two states that are alike when regulating pharmacy technician. So there are some states that call pharmacy technicians, pharmacy technicians, but they may not be pharmacy technicians or pharmacy clerks or, you know, it varies so widely that getting a you know, like a solid number, solid count of those people who are working as a pharmacy technician proves to be pretty difficult.

00:11:14:11 - 00:11:42:12

Nick

Yeah, that's a definitely a key part. And as I've worked with and even Zack in setting up this episode, that was part of our conversation where, you know, pharmacy technicians, what, what does that actually mean to a pharmacy or to a pharmacy owner or to a chain pharmacy that is looking to employ pharmacy technicians or hiring the pharmacy technicians that there is there is the certification, but it's not necessarily required or standardized across everywhere.

00:11:42:15 - 00:12:11:10

Nick

So that can make things very difficult. And having trained and adequate and adequately prepared pharmacy technicians. But that's where groups like PTCB and PTEC are really coming in to set the stage here so that we can again raise elevate what if pharmacy technician is going to be doing and expectations from the start. So Zack, with that, I'll transition us and thank you for helping us, myself and our audience walk through the history lesson as I've referred to it here.

00:12:11:12 - 00:12:45:04

Nick

But let's talk specifically about PTEC. This is an organization, really a volunteer organization that unites supports and empowers education and training for pharmacy technicians. Can you help us go through some examples? Because those items in a lot of different areas are thrown around. It can mean different things. Maybe you can give us some some tangible examples on how PTEC and what the what their work is going to be doing, how that can further the efforts of PTCB and how that can be working with pharmacy technicians very differently.

00:12:45:06 - 00:13:13:16

Zack

So back to the operational support of the organization itself to make sure that, you know, communications are going out in a timely manner and organizing and planning and put together a conference. So all of that stuff is happening. And then first, in addition to all of that, I'd say that we've already begun providing continue education to the members of PTEC and that continue education isn't just your typical run of the mill CE.

00:13:13:18 - 00:13:36:10

Zack

It's specifically catered toward teaching and training pharmacy technicians. We have a few sessions out there right now with more to come throughout the year. And then second, we're extremely excited to be bringing back that annual conference that I was talking about earlier here in the history lesson of PTEC. So as I mentioned, it started in 1989 as a conference and then moved to PTEC.

00:13:36:10 - 00:14:05:08

Zack

The educators Council, holding an annual meeting and an annual conference. What's really exciting about that is the first time that PTEC, the Educators Council, held a conference was in Charleston, South Carolina, and we're bringing it back to Charleston, South Carolina, kind of like a revival or back to the future, if you will, for PTEC members. So that's being held Well, it's being planned right now, but being held in Charleston, South Carolina, next July, July 11th through the 13th in Charleston.

00:14:05:10 - 00:14:36:08

Zack

And, you know, bringing together thought leaders, pharmacy technicians, pharmacists, other types of educators who are teaching pharmacy technicians and training pharmacy technicians, maybe some special guest, if I can throw that in there. Some long standing members of P-TEC who have been there almost since the beginning, and then also introducing the association to New Educators is it's going to be the place where these talented professionals, inspiring professionals, look forward to to come every year for new ideas.

00:14:36:10 - 00:15:01:22

Zack

And I hope one day we can maybe even come to a consensus for standardizing pharmacy technician education and training across the entire U.S., which will ultimately lead to higher patient and medication safety outcomes. 

Nick

As it relates to this and where my mind immediately goes around this education and see components are there, how is this done or how is this provided, I think in community pharmacy or when I think pharmacy generally.

00:15:01:22 - 00:15:21:01

So maybe it's like if I'm going to attend an AP conference or HP or any state based pharmacy organization, there may be different tracks of program, if you will, where some of it's some there may be, you know, some general or, you know, general medication updates. There may be some tracks that are based on community pharmacy practice versus hospital.

00:15:21:07 - 00:15:42:04

Nick

We know pharmacy technicians practice and a number of different settings. Are there different tracks related to related to these sort of settings or, you know, how would it differ attending this conference for, say, someone that is a community based pharmacy technician or interested in that education versus someone that's more so on the hospital side? 

Zack

That is an excellent question.

00:15:42:06 - 00:16:09:14

Zack

Right now, the conference schedule at a glance hasn't been built to have separate tracks, but I will say that all of the education that's being provided at the conference will be accredited for both pharmacists and technicians. And in addition to that, we will have very specific breakout like roundtable discussions where they will be guided by our leadership committee with topics of interest.

00:16:09:14 - 00:16:37:14

Zack

So if you have an interest in training in a community setting and we have a specialist in that, then there would be a roundtable for that type of discussion. 

Nick

Got it. So there there's enough pick and choose your own adventure elements, if you will, for folks, whether they focus on community hospital or something else that's included there. And I will reinforce that or call out your your statement as well that continuing education at this program for pharmacy technicians and for pharmacist as well.

00:16:37:14 - 00:16:56:23

Nick

So if you want to be able to if you're a pharmacist or a pharmacy technicians and as Zack said, want to spend a couple of days in Charleston, South Carolina, which is a lovely place to visit, it's a little hot in July, but it's still a lovely place to visit. That's a good way to knock out some CE and also get some great food, get a great experience while you're there.

00:16:57:00 - 00:17:19:14

Nick

Zack, We'll move to our last question for the for the topic and folks that are listening, they may want to come down say, or they should want to come down for that of the conference next July. And they may want to support pharmacy technician workforce and the entire pharmacy team by being more involved. So where can folks find out more information about PTEC?

00:17:19:19 - 00:17:49:01

And then from your standpoint, are there ways or are there particular recommendations for ways that people can get involved? 

Zack

Yeah, absolutely. So first I would say PTEC.org, That's w w w.ptec.org. All of our information is there for everyone. And the most exciting part about this is in our effort to re envision the way membership looks for PTEC.

00:17:49:07 - 00:18:13:16

We've actually extended free membership to all pharmacy technician educators and trainers through March 31st of 2024. So take advantage of that free membership so you can get access to that. CC One of the great things too is we have a members only forum that we're kind of revamping now, but it's a great place where pharmacy technician, educators and trainers can bounce ideas off of one another.

00:18:13:18 - 00:18:32:09

You'll have anything from, you know, industry leading experts in that forum all the way to somebody who just might be starting a new program in their town and you might need some guidance or might need some guidance on how to get accredited. So that forum is a great place to start the conversation with fellow members leading up to the conference there.

00:18:32:11 - 00:18:57:09

Zack

It will. We do have dedicated newsletters and then again, that CE is catered toward educating and training pharmacy technicians and then all the conference details will be available on the conference tab of the website at Accord. So schedule at a glance and registration and everything like that will be there whenever it all becomes available. 

Nick

Fantastic. Well, Zack, thank you for the rundown on PTCB and PTEC.

00:18:57:11 - 00:19:27:03

Nick

They're now collaboration going forward and all the information about how to become involved with P-TEC and again for folks out west at one or I'll mention here one additional time, July 11th through 13th 2024 in Charleston, South Carolina. That'll be the next tech conference. So whether you are a pharmacist or pharmacy technician, you're able to go and get see, able to get involved with some of the opportunities that are there and further the collaboration and efforts around pharmacy technician, education, advocacy and coordination.

00:19:27:03 - 00:19:50:05

Nick

So lots of cover that's there. Zachary, before we wrap up this episode, before we go, we've got a couple of questions for you. These are not necessarily about pharmacy technicians and they are not necessarily related to health care, but these are just a couple of questions. We've been talking about the formal business part, but we want to get to know you, the Zack, the person for a few brief moments before we wrap up wrap up today's episode.

00:19:50:07 - 00:20:12:03

Nick

So are you ready for this set of questions? 

Zack

Yes. 

Nick

Ready? Okay. First question. Are you a morning person or night owl? 

Zack

I am absolutely a morning person. 

Nick

Okay. When you say you're a morning person, what define like what is the wake up time? 

Zack

430 in the morning. 

Nick

Oh, okay. I assume then, you know, you get up, are you having coffee?

You know, gym workout. Like what? How do you start your day so early? Do it successfully. 

Zack

Coffee. And then the gym and then meditation. And then I just like the quiet, like the peaceful start of the day. Like that. Yeah. 

Nick

Excellent. Okay, That might be our most extreme time for morning person we've had on the show yet. I may have to check our records, but I think that one, I think that one's the new trend setter.

00:20:36:01 - 00:20:55:06

Nick

Zack So next question. Do you prefer to read the book or watch the movie? 

Zack

So I don't know. I'm probably reading a little bit here and saying that I love to read the book, but I like to do it first and then watch the movie to see if there are any, like similar, you know, creative overlap. 

Nick

Mm hmm.

00:20:55:08 - 00:21:13:14

Nick

Yeah, I, I kind of fall in that same. It depends on what it is. There's there's been a good number of things where I've seen the movie or the TV show or TV series and then have gone back to read the book just because there's so much content that's out there nowadays. And it's very easy to be able to watch the shows and they're often quicker than the books are.

00:21:13:20 - 00:21:35:18

But I get where you're coming from because if you know something you've read in love for a long time, you do want to go and see how it's put into the visual format as well. Zack, Next question. What is your recommendation for living a healthy life?

Zack

Waking up at 430 in the morning? No joking. Definitely a balance though.

00:21:35:18 - 00:22:00:12

Zack

I found myself waking up early to have that time of the day for myself. You know, nobody's working at 430 in the morning, at least not in my time zone, at my organization. So it's nice to have that balance of like the morning where I can, you know, start at my own pace and I can meditate and, you know, have a decent breakfast and not rush through anything before the workday gets started.

00:22:00:12 - 00:22:23:12

Zack

So balance 100% that 

Nick

yeah, it sounds like there's a bit there of just savoring or living in the moment as well. If I if I can read into that exact last last question here for this section, what is one goal that you are working towards currently? This can be personal or this can be professional totally up to you, but what is one goal that you are working towards?

00:22:23:14 - 00:22:50:03

Zack

Yeah, this is a professional and a personal goal. When I first started at PTCB, the PTEC group was very supportive of my success as a new person at PTCB because the organization had, you know, as I said, they had a long standing relationship, so they relied on each other for communication and things like that. So I quickly was drawn to this group and how excited they were about their annual conference.

00:22:50:03 - 00:23:13:17

Zack

And it hadn't it hasn't been held in person since 2019. And now that I'm the one responsible for putting all these pieces together to make sure that this conference goes successfully as its one of my largest personal and professional goals that I'm working on right now. 

Nick

Excellent. Well, I've taken a lot of your time here today to cover all of the information that here, but it is related to your goal of working towards the conference.

00:23:13:17 - 00:23:32:10

Nick

So I will check that box. Zack, before you go, final question for you if folks want to you already said it once, but if folks want to find out more about PTEC, where can they go? If they have questions about the tech conference, where can they go? And then if they want to ask any follow questions directly for you, where can they find you?

How can they contact you? 

Zack

Sure. Yeah. Again. So PTEC board, we have a general email address that's contact at PTEC. Or you can email me directly. I'll throw it out there. It's Zgreen@ptcb.org. 

Nick

Excellent. Zack, thank you again for appearing on today's show. A lot of fun with this conversation and look forward to.

00:23:54:09 - 00:24:11:02

Nick

We may have to do a follow up with you after the PTEC conference next year just to see how it went and some of the great conversations and opportunities that that occurred at that conference. But for our listening audience, that means we have wrapped up this episode of The Quality Corner Show. We thank you for joining us today.

We hope you listen to our next episode. Before we go, we have one final message from the PQS team.

00:24:17:08 - 00:24:38:21

The Pharmacy Quality Solutions Quality Corner show has a request for you. Our goal is to spread the word about how quality measurement can help improve health outcomes. And we need your help in sharing this podcast to friends and colleagues in the health care industry. We also want you to provide feedback, ask those questions and suggest health topics you'd like to see covered.

If you are a health expert and you want to contribute to the show or even talk on the show, please contact us. You can email info at pharmacy quality dot com. Let us know what is on your mind, what we can address so that you are fully informed. We want you to be able to provide the best care for your patients and members, and we wish all of you listeners out there well.