Professional Role Development competency

The PTCB exam is used and endorsed by many national pharmacy chains, many independent community and hospital pharmacies, and the U.S. military. Employers use the exam as a condition of employment as a requirement to perform selecfed functions, to justify career or salary advancement, and so forth. To create a minimum standard for pharmacy technician capabilities, a growing number of state boards of pharmacy require technicians to be PTCB cerhfied. In addition, many state boards of pharmacy have developed processes for technicians to register with the state. This process allows pharmacy boards to identify individuals currently employed as technicians in their states. Most professional pharmacy organizations and state boards of pharmacy oppose licensure of pharmacy technicians. As the roles of pharmacy technicians continue to evolve and the public becomes more aware of their contributions, the profession will need to provide the required training and competencies to assure the public that the technicians are able to fulfill their vital roles in pharmacy. 

Levy and Sidel (2003) have described four overall roles for all health professionals in terrorism and public health. These are (1) develop improved preparedness, (2) respond to the health consequences of terrorist attacks and threats, (3) take action to prevent terrorism, and (4) promote a balance between response to terrorism and other public health concerns. When aligned with the public health emergency preparedness competencies, these four roles create a framework for the public health nursing response to a biological event. 

Another contributing factor has been the need to help ensure lifelong competence in a rapidly changing, technologically complex field. The need to provide a means of standardization of practice has also had a role. Such a motivation was key, for example, to the development of the Federal Credentialing Program, which is creating a national database of health professionals that will include pharmacists. 

The competences of assistants and technicians are derived from the corresponding competences of the pharmacist. In this view they perform parts of the roles of the pharmacist. If properly organised, they can be responsible for carrying out the part of the work that has been delegated to them according to the local procedures. The responsibility remains with the pharmacist. The CanMEDS diagram can be used to develop a suitable educational program for these professionals as well. 

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