Transcript Chapter 14

Chapter 14
Your Future in
Pharmacy Practice
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc.
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Increasing Your
Employability
• Career outlook for pharmacy
paraprofessionals is bright.
• Pharmacy technicians are gaining
recognition for the roles they play in a
wide range of pharmaceutical
services.
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Terms to Remember
paraprofessional
a trained person who assists a
professional person
professional
someone with recognized expertise in a
field who is expected to use his or her
knowledge and skills to benefit others
and to operate ethically with some
autonomy
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Increasing Your
Employability
•
•
•
•
Adjusting to the work environment
Professionalism and the technician
Hierarchy of technician positions
Professional organizations
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Adjusting to the Work
Environment
• Transition to the pharmacy work
environment may require some
adjustments.
• Tips for adjusting to the workplace
– Attitude: Have a positive one and
remember that you are part of a team.
– Reliability: Be on time, available, and
dependable.
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Adjusting to the Work
Environment
Tips for adjusting to the workplace
(continued):
– Accuracy and responsibility: Develop work
habits that ensure accuracy.
– Relating to your supervisor: Be respectful of
your supervisor’s experience and knowledge.
– Personality: Be cooperative, self-confident,
and enthusiastic.
– Performance: Devote your full attention to
your job throughout your work shift.
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Adjusting to the Work
Environment
Tips for adjusting to the workplace (continued):
– Questioning: Do not be
afraid to ask questions.
– Dress: Follow the dress code
of your organization.
– Receptivity: Listen to advice
and accept criticism
gracefully.
– Etiquette: Pay attention to
your workplace culture
and emphasize courtesy.
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Adjusting to the Work
Environment
Tips for adjusting to the workplace
(continued):
– Alliances: Forge alliances with your
colleagues, but do not engage in “clique-ish”
behavior.
– Reputation: Make yourself indispensable to
the organization.
– Luck: You can control your own luck
somewhat by cultivating your alliances.
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Adjusting to the Work
Environment
Tips for adjusting to the workplace
(continued):
– Learning: Stay current with new
developments in the practice of pharmacy.
– Expertise: Deepen your knowledge in different
areas of the profession.
– Reflectiveness: Take time to reflect on your
career path so you can plan where you would
like it to take you.
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Professionalism
and the Technician
• Pharmacy technicians are increasingly
asked to seek credentials.
• As part of the pharmacy profession,
technicians are expected to
– Be qualified to perform the duties
required
– Use their specific skills and knowledge
– Adhere to a code of ethical conduct
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Professionalism
and the Technician
• Licensure refers to the granting of a license
by the state.
• Certification is the process by which an
organization recognizes individuals who
have met certain qualifications.
• Registration generally refers to a
requirement that individuals in a profession
sign up with a state agency.
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Terms to Remember
credential
a documented piece of evidence of
one’s qualifications
licensure
the granting of a license by the state,
usually to work in a profession, in order
to protect the public
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Terms to Remember
certification
the process by which a professional
organization grants recognition to an
individual who has met certain
predetermined qualifications
registration
mandatory signing up or registering with
the State Board of Pharmacy before
starting to practice
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Professionalism
and the Technician
• Certification is becoming a
requirement in many states.
• Other states recognize pharmacy
technicians through licensure or
registration.
• Renewal of licensure or registration is
required in three-fourths of US states.
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Professionalism
and the Technician
• The Pharmacy Technician Certification
Board (PTCB) was established in 1995.
• Its mission is to establish and maintain
criteria for certification and recertification of
pharmacy technicians.
• It developed the Pharmacy Technician
Certification Examination (PTCE), which
has certified over 275,000 technicians.
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Terms to Remember
Pharmacy Technician Certification
Examination (PTCE)
an examination developed by the
Pharmacy Technician Certification
Board (PTCB) that technicians must
pass to be certified and receive the title
of CPhT
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Professionalism
and the Technician
• Anyone with a high school diploma
and without felony convictions is
eligible to sit for the PTCE.
• The PCTE seeks to verify the
candidate’s knowledge and skill base;
it is comprehensive in scope.
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Professionalism
and the Technician
• The PCTE consists of 90 multiple choice
questions and is administered online.
• Scores are based on the total number of
correct answers; a passing score is 650.
• About 80%
of candidates
pass the test.
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Professionalism
and the Technician
• PTCB requires recertification every
two years.
• Technicians must earn 20 hours of
continuing education credit.
• Pharmacy-related continuing
education can be provided by
professional organizations,
employers, Web sites, or journals.
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Terms to Remember
Certified Pharmacy Technician
(CPhT)
a pharmacy technician who has passed
the PTCE examination
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Hierarchy of Technician
Positions
• Many organizations have different
levels of technician responsibilities
with corresponding job titles, such as
Technician I and II, Technician
Specialist, and Senior Technician.
• Responsibility and pay increase as
the technician moves up the company
ladder.
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Professional Organizations
• As part of the pharmacy profession,
technicians should get involved in the
decisions that affect the profession:
– Volunteering to serve on a committee of a
pharmacy organization
– Running for office in the local chapter of NPTA
or AAPT
– Attending a national pharmacy convention
• Sharing these service experiences with
colleagues helps advance the profession.
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Job Search
What characteristics do hiring
managers look for in a pharmacy
technician?
– Good communication and interpersonal
skills
– Ability to perform accurate and precise
work
– Dependability
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Job Search
•
•
•
•
Clarify your career goals
Write a good résumé
Establish a network
Identify and research potential
employers
• Write a strong cover letter
• Prepare for the interview
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Clarify Your Career Goals
• Determine your preferred pharmacy
setting (if uncertain, interview
pharmacy personnel in these settings).
• Consider what you want out of the job:
– Retail management experience?
– Experience preparing sterile products or
compounding nonsterile products?
– Experience in ordering, inventory, and
billing?
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Write a Good Résumé
• A résumé is the marketing tool; the
product being marketed is you.
• Your résumé should follow a
consistent, standard format.
• Be conservative when choosing
stationery and envelopes.
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Write a Good Résumé
• Check carefully for
– Spelling
– Grammar
– Usage
– Punctuation
– Capitalization
• Always have someone else proofread
your résumé.
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Write a Good Résumé
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Establish a Network
• Tell everyone you know that you are
looking for a job.
• Find out the needs of potential
employers.
• Join professional organizations,
attend meetings, and network with
colleagues.
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Write a Strong Cover Letter
• The cover letter is the first
communication you send to a
potential employer.
• It should highlight your qualifications
and call attention to your résumé.
• Proofread the cover letter carefully.
• Whenever possible, address the
cover letter to a specific person.
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Prepare for the Interview
• Find out all you can about the
employer before the interview.
• Review your research and role-play
an interview situation.
• Eat well and sleep
well the day before
and day of the
interview.
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Prepare for the Interview
• Rehearse answers to common
interview questions (see Table 14.5).
• Be ready to describe past situations
that illustrate your qualifications.
• Have your own questions ready to
ask if the opportunity arises.
• Always follow up with a thank-you
note.
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Ethics in Pharmacy Practice
• Codes of behavior
• Dilemmas and questions facing
healthcare professionals
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Codes of Behavior
• Ethical codes are based on a
relationship of trust between the
professional and the client (patient).
• The professional service is not
standardized; it is unique and
personal.
• The patient does not have the skills
and knowledge to “go it alone”; he or
she must rely on the professional.
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Codes of Behavior
A professional must meet certain criteria:
– Holds a specialized body of knowledge
– Has an altruistic set of attitudes that
influence his or her professional behavior
– Is subject to social sanction ─ the trust
between the society and the professional,
and the rewards it entails
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Dilemmas and Questions
• When faced with an ethical dilemma in the
pharmacy, the technician should ask these
questions:
– What is the dilemma?
– What pharmaceutical alternatives apply?
– What is the best alternative, and can it be
justified on moral grounds?
• Pharmacy technicians must recognize,
accept, and apply the ethical standards of
pharmacy practice.
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Trends in Pharmacy Practice
• Workforce issues
• New medicines and new drug
development technologies
• Increased healthcare and drug costs
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Workforce Issues
• The need for pharmacy technicians
will continue to grow.
• The volume of prescriptions is
estimated to double in the next 5 to
15 years.
• The number of pharmacists is
expected to grow only 30% in that
time.
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Workforce Issues
Pharmacy technicians will be needed to
fill the gap.
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Workforce Issues
Increased emphasis on mail-order
pharmacies
– Mail-order is the fastest growing
distribution channel.
– Mail-order pharmacies are basically
highly automated warehouse operations.
– Pharmacists and technicians will be
needed to oversee operations.
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Workforce Issues
Increased emphasis on managed care
– Pharmacy will be called upon to provide
the best drug therapy at the lowest cost.
– Technicians will find new opportunities in
support roles.
– Communication, writing, and computer
application skills will be needed.
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Workforce Issues
Increased geriatric applications
– Importance and volume of medication
will increase with an aging population.
– Medicare Part D will provide drug
insurance to a greater number of older
patients.
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Workforce Issues
Increased emphasis on home healthcare
– Home healthcare is growing rapidly
because of reduced cost and preference
of patients to be treated at home.
– More pharmacy technicians will be
needed to service this industry.
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc.
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Workforce Issues
Growth in clinical applications
– Educational and counseling functions
will become more important.
– There will be more pharmacy
specialization (cholesterol control, TPN,
pharmacokinetics, etc.).
– This growth will require increasing
support from pharmacy technicians.
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Workforce Issues
Increases in technician responsibility
and specialization
– Technicians will be given more
responsibility.
– Technicians will follow pharmacists into
increasing specialization.
– Technicians may be asked to work more
with patients to assist with medical
devices.
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New Medicines and New Drug
Development Technologies
The pace of innovation is increasing
rapidly for new dosage forms and drug
delivery mechanisms:
– Transdermal patches
– Ocular inserts
– Wearable IV infusion pumps
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New Medicines and New Drug
Development Technologies
Robotics and technology will play a
larger role:
– Automated compounding, filling,
labeling, and recordkeeping devices
– Increased emphasis on e-prescribing
and eMAR
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Increased Healthcare
and Drug Costs
• The US spends the highest
percentage of GNP on health care.
• The US is not among the leaders in
average life span:
– Risky health behavior
– 47 million citizens without health
insurance
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Increased Healthcare
and Drug Costs
• The costs for patient care are expected to
outpace inflation over the next decade.
• Patients are becoming more sensitive to
the costs of health care and prescriptions.
• Pharmacy staff will have to work with
patients to find the most cost-effective
options.
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