We all know that the Covid-19 pandemic has triggered change across multiple industries, particularly affecting healthcare, education, and the U.S. economy. Now more than ever, the role credentials play is top-of-mind, as having advanced certifications and skills serve to help job seekers stand out amongst other candidates in a very competitive job market.

Change is constant within health care, but the pharmacy profession has been driving change for decades, with even more happening in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Because of this change, our two recent podcast guests have been dedicated to leading the charge as it relates to research that highlights the pharmacy technician profession.  

When it comes to choosing the best classroom materials, educators often struggle with narrowing down their many options. While in bygone days, choices centered around hardbound or softbound options, today’s textbook offerings go beyond something you can hold in your hands.

Did you know that as recently as the 1990s, the use of case studies in teaching was almost nonexistent? Over the past twenty years, more and more health science instructors are seeing the value of using case studies in their teaching, with the lecture-only method quickly losing steam. To keep learners’ attention, educators must provide interactive, engaging content, with an emphasis on how the subject studied relates to and expresses itself in real-life situations.

In this episode, Jeremy and Jessica talk with Paul Sabatini, M.Ed, CPhT, FCSHP.  Paul has worked in the pharmacy profession for 30 years.  Most recently, he was recognized by the California Pharmacists Association (CPhA) and NHA as the recipient of the 2020 Pharmacy Technician of the Year Award.

In this episode of OnScript, Jeremy and Jessica have Jim Palatine, RPH, MBA, President of Pharmacy Times Continuing Education™ (PTce), as a guest to discuss continuing education and advanced training offerings for pharmacy technicians and what they have on the horizon for 2021. 

Good communication is perhaps more important in healthcare than in any other field. Quality care only happens when providers, clinicians and pharmacies all communicate clearly and effectively with the patient, with other healthcare providers and, most importantly, within their own teams.

It’s a new year, with a new federal administration, with a renewed focus on Career & Technical Education (CTE).

A year ago, no one would have ever believed that 2020 would have turned out to be one of the most devastating years on record. Amidst the most destructive hurricane season ever, ravaging wildfires and a world-wide pandemic, frontline workers – first responders and healthcare professionals - have been the most heavily impacted by the environment and its vices over the past 12 months. Appropriately, the topic of self-care for healthcare workers has grown in popularity, but unfortunately, many healthcare workers find themselves with barely enough time to breathe, much less breathe deeply.

In today’s world, many educators find themselves staring into the face of a computer screen rather than into the faces of their students. Determining whether your students are indeed present in class has become much more complicated as eye contact and body language can no longer serve as clues to a student’s level of attention, much less a student’s engagement.  

2020 has been a challenging year for everyone but especially for healthcare workers on the front lines. Due to this, it’s important, now more than ever, that pharmacy technicians practice at the very top of their license. While boards of pharmacy have traditionally limited pharmacy technician practice from performing such tasks like final product verification, administering immunizations to patients, or performing CLIA-waived point of care testing, more and more states are undergoing the process of reviewing, discussing, and in some cases, changing their rules to permit properly trained technicians to perform these and other tasks.

To further seize on this trend, NHA has spearheaded an initiative to bring together representatives from some of the biggest pharmacy organizations in the industry.  The initiative, The Coalition for the Advancement of Pharmacy Technician Practice, aims to work together to stay up to date with current state boards of pharmacy that are discussing this very important topic and to engage other state boards of pharmacy to consider broadening pharmacy technician scope of practice.

By bringing together retail pharmacy  giants like Albertsons Companies, Walmart, Kroger and Walgreens, along with state pharmacy associations, pharmacy academicians, and organizations such as the Pharmacy Technician Educators Council, the coalition’s collective voice and singular mission is to further expedite the spread of states allowing pharmacy technicians to do more.  This support from the industry will be key to continuing to elevate the pharmacy profession across the nation.