According to the American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC), “Specialty drugs represent the fastest growing sector of pharmacy spending today.” What are Specialty Drugs? The AJMC article from February 18, 2013, (“The Growing Cost of Specialty Pharmacy—Is it Sustainable?”) states that, while there is no universal definition for specialty pharmaceuticals, common criteria include drugs that [...]
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) have announced their joint effort to accredit pharmacy technician programs, beginning in 2014. The new commission, called the Pharmacy Technician Accreditation Commission (PTAC), “will be tasked with assuring and advancing the quality of pharmacy technician education and training programs” (press [...]
Up to three billion medications are prescribed per year in the United States, states the FDA’s Drug Safety and Availability “Safe Use Fact Sheet.” The Fact Sheet adds, “The Institute of Medicine (IOM) estimates that at least 1.5 million preventable adverse drug events occur within the healthcare system each year.” Fortunately, medication reconciliation procedures are [...]
Typically to become a pharmacy technician, you would take an accredited education or training program, become certified or licensed (depending on your state) and start working at a local pharmacy, hospital or another setting requiring your specialized services. An alternative route is to apply for a Pharmacy Specialist position (MOS 68Q), which is categorized as [...]
The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) is now accepting nominations for Certified Pharmacy Technician of the Year. In order to be nominated, the technician must have active certifications, and must have been certified for at least two years. Submission of a candidate can be done online, and you will be asked a series of questions [...]
Since 1982, the Elks Club has fostered a community-based drug abuse prevention program by partnering with local, community based organizations as well as those on a national level, such as the DEA. Their focus is “to teach all children and parents about the dangers of illegal drug use and prevent the abuse of legalized and [...]
Pharmacy technicians are multi-taskers and multi-talented. They are communicators, providing patients with quality customer service, conferring with other healthcare departments or organizations, not to mention the pharmacist (whose job they make so much easier). They are knowledgeable in their field and their roles of dispensing medications with 100% precision, maintaining inventory, updating electronic files and [...]
In a recent article in the Pharmacy Times, Editor in Chief Fred Eckel, RPh, MS, discusses the sometimes controversial expansion of the role of pharmacy technicians. Mr. Eckel suggests that “the pharmacy technician’s role should be expanded to allow pharmacists to practice at the top of their license”, including a “specific suggestion of what activity [...]
Most of us have been subject to spam selling everything from Viagra to baldness cures, many of them sold under the guise of “Canadian pharmacies”. These fraudulent online pharmacies pose a real risk to our health when they promote and sell illegally made drugs and market them as FDA approved. The FDA recently announced that [...]
On this day in history, in 1973, the Drug Enforcement Administration was established by President Richard Nixon to combat the growing illegal drug trade. Quick Facts The DEA has 226 offices in the United States and 85 offices in 66 countries around the world. Almost 10,000 men and women work for the DEA. From 2005 [...]