64B16-26.351. Standards for Approval of Registered Pharmacy Technician Training Programs

Pursuant to section 465.014, F.S., in order to be registered as a pharmacy technician in Florida, an applicant must have completed a pharmacy technician training program approved by the Board. The standards for approval of a registered pharmacy technician training program are as follows.

(1) Preapproved pharmacy technician training programs. The standard for approval of Registered Pharmacy Technician Training programs provided or offered by accredited institutions or entities is whether the program or institution is, as of December 1, 2018,

(a) accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency; a regional or national institutional accrediting agency; or a specialized accrediting agency recognized by the Secretary of the United States Department of Education;

(b) accredited by an accrediting agency whose accreditation establishes eligibility to participate in the Title IV student financial assistance program administered by United States Department of Education; or

(c) Pharmacy technician training programs within the public-school system of the State of Florida that comply with the Florida Department of Education Curriculum Framework for Pharmacy Technician (2018-2019), program number H170500; which is incorporated herein by reference and which can be obtained at https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-10356 or http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/18567/urlt/H170500-1819.rtf.

(2) Federal Armed Services programs. The standard for approval of pharmacy technician training programs provided by a branch of the federal armed services shall be whether the curriculum of such course was developed on or before June 1, 2018.

(3) Other non-employer based programs. The standard for approval of all programs offered or accredited by an entity not listed in subsection (1) or (2), and which are not employer based programs, is whether the program:

(a) Meets the requirements of and is licensed by the Commission for Independent Education pursuant to chapter 1005, F.S., or the equivalent licensing authority of another state or jurisdiction or is within the public school system of the State of Florida;

(b) Offers a course of study that includes classroom study and clinical instruction that includes the following:

1. Introduction to pharmacy and health care systems:

a. Confidentiality,

b. Patient rights and Health Insurance Portability               and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

2. Pharmacy law:

a. Federal law;

b. Florida State law;

c. Florida State rules;

d. Pharmacy technician Florida rules and law.

3. Pharmaceutical – medical terminology, abbreviations, and symbols:

a. Medication safety and error prevention;

b. Prescriptions and medication orders.

4. Records management and inventory control:

a. Pharmaceutical supplies;

b. Medication labeling;

c. Medication packaging and storage;

d. Controlled substances;

e. Adjudication and billing.

5. Interpersonal relations, communications, and ethics:

a. Diversity of communications;

b. Empathetic communications;

c. Ethics governing pharmacy practice;

d. Patient and caregiver communication.

6. Pharmaceutical calculations.

(c) Applies directly to the Board of Pharmacy on approved form DH-MQA 1239 “Application for Registered Pharmacy Technician Training Programs.” All applications must include the following information:

1. Sample transcript and diploma;

2. Copy of curriculum, catalog or other course descriptions; and,

3. Faculty credentials.

(d) Uses materials and methods that demonstrate that:

1. Learning experiences and teaching methods convey the content stated above.

2. Time allocated for each participant shall be sufficient to meet the objectives of each activity.

3. Principles of adult education are utilized in determining teaching strategies and learning activities.

(e) Demonstrates that the faculty is qualified to teach the subject-matter by complying with the following:

1. The program shall provide evidence of academic preparation or experience in the subject matter by submitting a job description, resume or curriculum vitae which describes the faculty member’s work experience and level of academic preparation.

2. When the subject matter of an offering includes pharmacy technician practice, a licensed pharmacist or registered pharmacy technician with expertise in the content area must be involved in the planning and instruction.

3. Pharmacy technician faculty supervising learning experiences in a clinical area in this State shall be licensed or registered.

(4) Employer sponsored training programs. All other pharmacy technician training programs not identified in subsections (1)-(3) must be employer sponsored by a Florida permitted pharmacy, or affiliated group of pharmacies under common ownership and, must:

(a) Meet the requirements of paragraphs (3)(b), (3)(d), and (3)(e), above;

(b) Be provided solely to employees of the permitted pharmacy or affiliated group;

(c) Contain a minimum of one hundred sixty (160) hours of training, which shall not exceed six (6) months. Employer sponsored pharmacy technician training programs may request the program length exceed six (6) months in length under the following circumstances:

1. For programs containing a minimum of one hundred eighty (180) hours, the program length shall not exceed nine (9) months;

2. For programs containing a minimum of two hundred (200) hours, the program length shall not exceed twelve (12) months.

3. In no event shall the total length of the training program exceed twelve (12) months.

For programs of any length, the Program Director may extend participation in the program for an individual employee. In no event shall an employee’s training be extended more than six (6) months beyond the program’s length.

(d) Give participants an opportunity to evaluate learning experiences, instructional methods, facilities and resources used for the offering. To ensure participants will be given an opportunity to evaluate the program, the applicant must submit a sample evaluation to be reviewed by the Board.

(e) Ensure that self-directed learning experiences, including but not limited to home study, computer programs, internet or web-based courses evaluate participant knowledge at the completion of the learning experience. The evaluation must include a minimum of one hundred (100) questions. The participant must achieve a minimum score of seventy percent (70%) on the evaluation to receive the certificate of completion. The evaluation must be graded by the provider.

(f) Designate a Program Director to assume responsibility for registered pharmacy technician training program. If the contact person is not a licensed pharmacist or registered pharmacy technician, provision shall be made for insuring licensed pharmacist or registered pharmacy technician input in overall program planning and evaluation.

(g) Establish written policies and procedures for implementation of the registered pharmacy technician training program.

(h) Maintain a system of record-keeping which provides for storage of program information.

(i) Maintain program records for a period not less than three (3) years during which time the records must be available for inspection by the board or department.

(j) Furnish each participant with an authenticated individual Certificate of Completion.

(k) Apply directly to the Board of Pharmacy on approved form DH-MQA 1239 “Application for Registered Pharmacy Technician Training Programs.”

(5) Reenrollment in employer-sponsored training programs. Any student who failed to complete an employer sponsored training program within the time periods established in paragraph (4)(c) must be terminated from the program. After termination, the Program Director may allow a student to reenroll in the program, at the Program Director’s discretion and pursuant to the program’s written policies and procedures. Reenrolled students must complete the entire program, including all required program hours, and no coursework or hours previously completed may be carried forward into the subsequent enrollment.

(6) All applications for approval of a Registered Pharmacy Technician Training Program shall be made on approved form DH-MQA 1239 “Application for Registered Pharmacy Technician Training Programs,” 06/18, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Applications may be obtained from https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-10116, or the Board of Pharmacy at 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin #C04, Tallahassee, FL 32399-3254, [phone], or the board’s website at http://floridaspharmacy.gov/Applications/app-reg-pharm-tech-prog.pdf, and must include the items required by subsection (3) or (4), above.

Rulemaking Authority 465.005, 465.014(4), (7) FS. Law Implemented 465.014(2), (4) FS. History–New 6-23-10, Amended 11-17-11, 6-19-17, 6-14-18, 12-10-18, 4-4-19.