NHA News Center

National Healthcareer Association (NHA) started with a modest, albeit ambitious goal to grow and re-position itself within the pharmacy market. What started as a small, grassroots effort eventually led to the creation and evolution of a small committee helping to achieve goals, establish success and create deeper, more meaningful relationships within the pharmacy technician industry.

NHA strongly believes in being advocates for the professions it serves, but recognizes this won’t happen without a little help. As a result, NHA certification and advisory boards have been established.

The State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy recently updated its rules regarding pharmacy technicians. Ohio will recognize three types of technician registrations: certified, registered, and pharmacy technician trainees. Per Ohio law, all pharmacy technicians practicing in Ohio must be registered with the Board by April 6, 2018.  The Board has begun accepting pharmacy technician registration applications and recommends that techs should submit their applications well before April 6.

October is an important month as we celebrate frontline healthcare workers in two of NHA’s key professions – medical assistants during MA Week (October 16-20) and pharmacy techs for National Pharmacy Technician Day (October 17).

September was a month focused on higher education and the shift in for-profit to non-profit realignment, the need for flexibility and to be directly aligned with employer-defined skills.

Academic institutions must recognize a gap in the development of students’ critical thinking. To combat this, educators can take on the role of coach or mentor who can assist students in understanding how to successfully evaluate and process information.

There are also critical shifts happening within the healthcare sector. Teleheath and the use of technology is finding its way in as a valuable tool in many areas. Read more below on September’s most relevant healthcare news impacting our partners as well as the professions we serve.  

For NHA, August was all about advocating for better futures. NHA had the opportunity to take part in some major industry conferences and panels, each centering around creating advocacy for allied health certification. Read on and discover what we heard at these summer meetings, plus more updates on what’s happening within the healthcare industry.

NHA was honored to not only attend, but to participate in multiple industry panel discussions at this summer’s Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) sesssion and the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Total Store Expo. Both conferences focused on current pharmacy technician workforce topics and the role they play in optimizing care within the pharmacy profession. 

It is well understood within the industry that pharmacy technicians have long been critical members of the pharmacy team. Technician education, certification, and registration have been a key point in pharmacy policy for the last decade or longer. Additionally, as pharmacists’ roles have evolved to include more clinical activities, there has been an increasing emphasis on utilizing pharmacy technicians to ease workflow challenges.

In support of the NHA mission to empower people to access a better future, NHA launches two new ways for certification holders to connect with each other while inspiring the next generation of healthcare workers.

July’s industry trends are all about collaboration - whether it be industry stakeholders promoting workforce development initiatives or educators and employers working together toward a common goal. These July updates illustrate numerous examples of valuable allied health partnerships.

Whether you want to enhance current relationships or secure new partnerships, being in-the-know about the industry’s most relevant news provides you (and others) with access to the relevant information that is shaping the future of healthcare.

As the field of medical assisting evolves and demand for these positions grow, National Healthcareer Association (NHA) has released the new medical assistant (CCMA) certification exam reflecting changes in the industry. After much rigor, and with the input of many practicing industry experts, this exam tests the most current and relevant competencies necessary to ensure proficiency as newly NHA certified medical assistants enter the workforce. To learn more about the value of certification, the examination development process, and the processes for assessing the validity of the exam and the reliability of scores, download the whitepaper here.

June was a busy month for the healthcare education industry. Many key themes focused on challenging educational institutions and businesses to think more creatively about experientallearning and the concept of apprenticeships. It’s challenging to keep up with regulatory updates, announcements, mergers, best practices, so we’ve made it more simple for you.  

Here is a collection of the top stories in allied health for the past month. Providing fast access to key industry updates and empowering individuals with this information is meaningful to the work we do here at NHA.