Historical Highlight
Effective 2021, registered Illinois pharmacy technicians are now represented in pharmacy advocacy with the creation of one seat at the table of the Illinois State Board of Pharmacy. As appointed by the governor, one designated pharmacy technician representative joins eight pharmacists and two public members and may serve up to two, five-year terms. This addition strengthens the patient safety initiative by reflecting the entirety of the pharmacy workforce in all practice settings. (Traynor, 2022).
In addition to this advancement, in 2017, the Illinois Board of Pharmacy enacted a recognition of elevated requirements for pharmacy technicians that highlight the importance of training and advancement by officially recognizing two categories of state licensure: The Registered Pharmacy Technician and the Registered Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT). (ASHP, 2022)
Illinois State Board of Pharmacy Law
The Illinois Board of Pharmacy allows its applicants to work up to sixty days while licensure is being processed. Within the sixty-day registration processing window, a copy of the application must be maintained by the applicant at the site of employment until notice of registration or disqualification is received. Otherwise, technician certificate of registration must be displayed within the pharmacy where employed. All documentation must be readily retrievable for review by auditors.
Foundational requirements of applicants for pharmacy technician registration differ by category, created with the intention of advancement. A pharmacy technician must renew his or her registration with the Division on an annual basis. "Division" is defined by Illinois as the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation-Division of Professional Regulation.
• Effective January 1st, 2017 Pharmacy Technicians registered after January 1st, 2008 have two renewal periods from their original application date to become nationally certified.
• Registered Pharmacy Technicians with an original licensure date prior to January 1st, 2008 are considered grandfathered in and not held to the requirement of national certification.
According to the General Assembly's Illinois Administrative Code, Subpart B Pharmacy Technician, of the Pharmacy Practice Act, Illinois acknowledges the following requirements for each certificate of registration: (igla.gov, 2022)
Section 1330.200 Application for Certificate of Registration as a Pharmacy Technician
- An applicant for registration as a pharmacy technician shall file an application on forms supplied by the Division and:
- Provide proof of a valid social security number
- Provide proof of the minimum age requirement of 16
- Education:
- Provide a copy of his or her high school diploma or its equivalent; or
- Provide proof of current enrollment in a high school program
- Pay a registration fee
- Sign attestation of good moral character, as determined by the Division
- Disclosure of felonies, DWIs, mental and physical limitations, student loan and child support defaults. (ASHP, 2022).
- Disclosure of felonies, DWIs, mental and physical limitations, student loan and child support defaults. (ASHP, 2022).
An applicant for registration as a certified pharmacy technician shall file an application on forms supplied by the Division and:
- Provide proof of a valid social security number
- Provide proof of the minimum age requirement of 18
- Education:
- A copy of his or her high school diploma or its equivalent; or
- Proof of current enrollment in a high school program
- Current Training Regulation:
- Proof of graduation from a pharmacy technician training program approved by a nationally recognized accrediting body; or
- Documented proof from the pharmacist-in-charge of the pharmacy where the applicant is employed verifying that he or she has successfully completed a training program as provided for in Section 1330.210(a)
- Future Training Regulation:
- Effective January 1st, 2024 all incoming technicians will be required to have graduated from an ACPE/ASHP-accredited Pharmacy Technician training program.
- Pay a registration fee
- Sign attestation of good moral character, as determined by the Division
- Disclosure of felonies, DWIs, mental and physical limitations, student loan and child support defaults
- Provide proof of successful passing of an examination accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (NCCA), as approved and required by the Board:
- The Division, upon the recommendation of the Board, has determined exams accredited by NCCA and are approved for state registration:
- The Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ExCPT) offered by the Institute for the National Health Career Association (NHA or its successor)
- The Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) offered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB or its successor) (igla.gov, 2022)
- The Division, upon the recommendation of the Board, has determined exams accredited by NCCA and are approved for state registration:
Roles and Responsibilities
It is the joint responsibility of pharmacy leadership to train all its pharmacy technicians or obtain proof of prior training in all the following topics as they relate to the practice site scope. All pharmacies shall maintain an up-to-date training program with easily retrievable records describing the duties and responsibilities of a pharmacy technician. Illinois pharmacy technician scope of practice is described as:
- Differentiation of the duties and responsibilities of the technicians and pharmacists.
- Tasks and technical skills, policies, and procedures.
- Compounding, packaging, labeling and storage.
- Pharmaceutical and medical terminology.
- Recordkeeping requirements.
- The ability to perform and apply arithmetic calculations
In alignment with the progression of pharmacy technicians and scope of practice updates, the Illinois Board of Pharmacy now also requires the following continuing education credits for state license renewal:
- Effective 1/1/20 Sexual Harassment 1.0 CE
- Effective 1/1/22 Implicit Bias Awareness 1.0 CE
Effective 12/30/20 the Illinois Board of Pharmacy integrated pharmacy technician practice advancement to include Covid/Influenza Vaccination Administration with the following requirements:
- Must be performed under pharmacist supervision
- Pharmacy technicians may vaccinate patients over the age of three years old
- Requirements to vaccinate include:
- Completion of an ACPE accredited practical training program
- BLS certification
- Completion of two ACPE accredited CEU per annual license renewal period
- Must be supervised by a pharmacist
- Must have remote access to employer software
- Must have appropriate HIPAA compliance training (igla.gov, 2022)
National Strides
On the national stage, strides are being made through advocacy efforts to elevate pharmacy technicians beyond the role of basic medication distributive tasks. The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) has introduced nationally recognized, standardized competencies and advancement opportunities for pharmacy technicians. They now offer a broad range of advanced credentials that can lead to the recognition of pharmacy technicians as subject matter experts in their respective specializations. (PTCB, 2023)
• Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT)
• Advanced Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT-Adv)
• Certified Compounded Sterile Preparation Technician (CSPT)
• Billing and Reimbursement Certificate
• Controlled Substances Diversion Prevention Certificate
• Hazardous Drug Management Certificate
• Immunization Administration Certificate
• Medication History Certificate
• Medication Therapy Management Certificate
• Point-of-Care Testing Certificate
• Regulatory Compliance Certificate
• Supply Chain and Inventory Management Certificate
• Technician Product Verification Certificate
• Nonsterile Compounding Certificate – Coming Soon!
Summary
The landscape of the pharmacy technician role is actively progressing through a season of growth and development. As professional organizations continue to lean into the concept of utilizing technicians to maximize pharmacy accuracy and efficiency, we see the pharmacy technician recognized as a valuable member of the healthcare community and fulfilling career path.
By defining two distinct categories of pharmacy technician status and scope of practice, Illinois has developed a way to elevate the roles and professionalism of pharmacy technicians in their state by delineating a pathway and parameters for advancement. Integrating pharmacy technicians into the state board of pharmacy governance is giving frontline technicians a voice to advocate for the future of the profession. #ASHPPharmTech
