WashingtonWatch.com - H.R. 5491, Emily's Act

Comment by LiAnne in TX (December 12, 2008, 01:00:00)

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST

This bill, or some version thereof, is long overdue. Having worked as a technician for over 15 years, and for the past 2 and a half years as a technician educator, it baffles me why I continue to hear that the profession of pharmacy is "not ready" to yield to formal technician education. Let's set aside the opportunity to advance our profession, and focus on the whole point of why we chose a health profession in the first place: patient care. From a patient safety standpoint, in view of the National Patient Safety Goals, education holds such great importance. At the very LEAST, pharmacy technicians need to have a clear understanding of the rationale for medication therapy, as well as a solid working knowledge of various classifications of drugs. It's well known that ours is the only allied health profession in which one isn't required to attend formal training prior to sitting for the board exam. Patients' lives hang in the balance, it's that important....

Comment by Mignon (November 5, 2008, 01:00:00)

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST

I am attending school to be a certified Pharmacy Tech. and i find that by doing so it will be my responcability to look out and take care of those patiens in my care. I believe that no one should be able to adminiser any med without proper education to do so. This act, in my opinion, should have been in affect from the get go....

Comment by Sarah Campbell (October 15, 2008, 01:00:00)

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

I have a cpht for 6 years and have appalled at how the retail pharmacies treat techs. There really needs to be a setting for a techs and people off of the street should not be allowed to just come in and work with no training....

Comment by Randall (October 15, 2008, 01:00:00)

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

All techs should be certified by the PTCB. This act is long overdue. Too many people walking in off the street and making a mess out of many pharmacies because they don't have the skill set necessary to become competent. AT least certification and training will give some basic assurance that there is a genuine interest and a basic competence that will allow health care providers to separate those who can from those who cannot....

Comment by Mike from San Diego (July 3, 2008, 01:00:00)

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Although something like this bill is needed, this is not the bill. It takes no consideration for accumulated knowledge via testing or grandfathering, it ignores other NCCA Pharmacy Technician certifying agencies, it dismisses every other Pharmacy Technician educational program save ASHP's, of which 15 states don't even have one, and it does not acknowledge the differing educational needs of institutional, retail, industry and mail order. It is a grossly incomplete bill....

Comment by DJ (July 2, 2008, 01:00:00)

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

I work in a large retail grocery chain as a pharmacy technician. When hired 3 1/2 years ago, I had a specific range of time to complete my employer's tech training program. Fail to do so and you're eliminated. Although I'm studying for the PTCB test, It's SO far over the top for anything performed in a retail pharmacy! I could ill afford the training CD but purchased it anyway as I'm self supporting. No one will want to be a pharmacy tech if they have to take such a rigourous test to make $10 an hour. I pray this bill goes to defeat or something a lot more sensible takes it's place....

Comment by Lisa From MS (June 27, 2008, 01:00:00)

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Please let this bill pass! I am one of many other certified technicians w/ an Assoc. Degree who would like to see our profession recognized and respected for what it really is. We take our career seriously and have already pursued the proper avenues that will be required of Emily's Act. If the general public is made aware of the current Tech. requirements in MS, they would back this legislation 100%. A National Standard for Pharmacy Technicians is greatly needed....

Comment by A.B. Texas (June 21, 2008, 01:00:00)

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

I am a teacher and use a Program that has ACPE accreditation. I have a 98% pass ratio of students who have completed my course and have taken the PTCB exam. The course is a interactive CD sold by a company called PassAssured. Check out there web site at www.passassured.com...

Comment by David - R.Ph. (June 19, 2008, 01:00:00)

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

I am a Pharmacist and agree that we need training for Pharmacy technicians. If the ASHP is the only accrediting agent then we as a industry are in trouble. All colleges of Pharmacys are accredited by Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. (ACPE) The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education is the national agency for the accreditation of professional degree programs in pharmacy and providers of continuing pharmacy education. ACPE was established in 1932 for the accreditation of professional degree programs in pharmacy. In 1975 its scope was broadened to include accreditation of providers of continuing pharmacy education (www.acpe-accredit.org)....

Comment by Mary (May 11, 2008, 01:00:00)

Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

People need to know there are different criteria for pharm techs in different work situations. I work in a pharmacy for Long Term Care facilities, with no retail or mail order, and there are different knowledge levels needed internally. Our pharm techs do not do the work of the pharmacists, and pharmacists must check every order multiple times before it clears. Four to one ratio of techs gets the job done. Changing to two to one would cripple the closed-door pharmacy industry and severly raise the costs of pharmaceuticals to nursing homes....

Comment by P. Valentin (May 8, 2008, 01:00:00)

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

This is long overdue! I have been a pharmacy technician for over 30 year's and have been pushing for Proper Educational requirements and standards. ASHP has had these standards published for years. If these standards are inacted upon without being watered down then we will have Pharmacy Technicians who are educated and ready to work in any and all Pharmacy Settings!!...

Comment by Elaine (April 30, 2008, 01:00:00)

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT

In my 38 years as a pharmacy technician, I am devastated by the standards in which retail pharmacys are training a technician and then calling them such. Some technicians are only being given an online HIPAA and OSHA test. Pharmaceutical calculations are a foreign object to them. That is one reason that prepared technicians are not decently paid! Please drug stores, require more of your technicians. When we hire technicians from your facilities-we want properly trained,knowledgeable technicians!...

Revision by webmaster (April 21, 2008, 01:00:00)

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT

H.R. 4591 would amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants to States to establish and implement programs for registering pharmaceutical technicians.

Detailed Summary

Pharmacy Technician Training and Registration Act of 2008 or Emily's Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to states to establish and implement a pharmaceutical technician registration program that requires a state to: (1) prohibit an individual from performing the duties of a pharmaceutical technician unless the individual is registered by the State Board of Pharmacy; (2) require for registration that the individual meet certain requirements related to education and training; and (3) submit an annual report to the Secretary on pharmaceutical technician errors in the state.

Allows a state receiving a grant to provide a transitional period for individuals who began practicing as pharmaceutical technicians before the date of the enactment of this Act to comply with the requirements of the registration program.

Expresses the sense of Congress that State Boards of Pharmacy should strive to ensure: (1) a ratio of two pharmaceutical technicians to each pharmacist in hospital settings; and (2) a ratio of three pharmaceutical technicians to each pharmacist in other settings, including drug stores.

Status of the Legislation

Latest Major Action: 2/26/2008: Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Points in Favor

(Log in to edit the wiki and be the first to show why the bill should pass!)

Points Against

(Log in to edit the wiki and be the first to show why the bill should not pass!)

Comment by Raven (April 7, 2008, 01:00:00)

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT

It's about time that a standard was in place. I have only been a PTCB Certified Tech for under a year but I have already seen what kind of under trained personnel can do. We need a national standard and to quit letting people walk in off the streets. For Pete's sake beauticians have to have more schooling than a Pharmacy Tech...

Comment by Gina (April 2, 2008, 01:00:00)

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT

IT'S ABOUT TIME!!! I have been a technician for 20 years and I am appalled at the caliber of technicians that are in the field today. If you knew what I knew you would be scared to death and the employers don't care. They just want a warm body to fill the position....

Revision by webmaster (February 27, 2008, 01:00:00)

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST

H.R. 4591 would amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants to States to establish and implement programs for registering pharmaceutical technicians.

Detailed Summary

(Log in to edit the wiki and be the first to provide a detailed summary of the bill!)

Status of the Legislation

(Log in to edit the wiki and be the first to update the status of the bill!)

Points in Favor

(Log in to edit the wiki and be the first to show why the bill should pass!)

Points Against

(Log in to edit the wiki and be the first to show why the bill should not pass!)

Revision by webmaster (February 27, 2008, 01:00:00)

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST

H.R. 4591 would amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants to States to establish and implement programs for registering pharmaceutical technicians.

Detailed Summary

(Log in to edit the wiki and be the first to provide a detailed summary of the bill!)

Status of the Legislation

Latest Major Action: 2/26/2008: Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Points in Favor

(Log in to edit the wiki and be the first to show why the bill should pass!)

Points Against

(Log in to edit the wiki and be the first to show why the bill should not pass!)

Status as of February 26, 2008

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST

2/26/2008: Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.