INSIDE: - Ontario College of Pharmacists

Proposed Regulation of Pharmacy Technicians
now
by the Pharmacy Examining Board
of Canada (PEBC) and is expected
to include a written and practical
or performance-based component.
The College is working in partnership
with PEBC to develop this
national examination which is
expected to be available late in
2009. Successful completion of
the entry-to-practice exam will
then allow individuals to move on
to the final stage of the process;
registration with the College. We
anticipate registration of the first
group of R.Ph.T.’s will take place
early in 2010.
Interested in taking the
certification exam?
The next exam will be offered April
27, 2007. Don’t wait, apply now -
the application deadline for credential
evaluation is February 1st.
Not quite ready?
There is still plenty of time to complete
your certification in preparation
for registration in the new role.
(It is anticipated that the first bridging
programs will not be available
until 2008.)
The certification exam is offered
each Spring and Fall – visit
www.ocpinfo.com for exam details.
Results of the OCP
Survey on the Regulation
of Pharmacy Technicians
Strong Support Shared by Pharmacy
Technicians and Pharmacy
Owners/Managers
Pharmacy technicians and owners/managers indicated
a strong commitment for the regulation initiative in
their response to the College survey last summer.
Over 3,200 pharmacy technicians and 1000 pharmacy owners/managers
participated providing the College with a
sound and representative sample from which to draw conclusions.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this
successful response!
Over 50% of pharmacy technicians responded they would
be very likely to pursue the new role and designation of a
registered pharmacy technician, despite the potential barriers
to do so (see figure 1 and 2 on page 18). This commitment
was supported by pharmacy technicians ranking personal
growth/job satisfaction as the principal reason for
wanting to earn the designation (see figure 3 on page 14).
Pharmacy technicians also told us they would prefer that
bridging programs be offered in a flexible format that
includes a mix of full and part-time course options and a
variety of delivery methods including online courses and
classroom instruction.
These survey results have provided us with a wealth of
information that will help us understand who intends to seek
the registered pharmacy technician designation. Not surprisingly,
certified pharmacy technicians, regardless of educational
background are significantly more likely to pursue this
new role. Survey respondents also represent a younger population
(60% with less than 10 years work experience and
50% under age 35) (figure 4 and 5). The strong support
demonstrated by all respondents reinforces the need for the
continued on page 15
Pharmacy Connection January • February 2007 13