NHA News Center

On Wednesday, March 14, the South Carolina Board of Pharmacy approved the ExCPT. Here are some important details:

• Effective immediately, pharmacy technicians can submit their ExCPT certificates for registration by the Board as a SC State Certified Pharmacy Technician.
• Technicians must first register as a SC Pharmacy Technician.
• Along with proof of certification, candidates must also submit a certificate or diploma from an ASHP accredited training program and an affidavit documenting 1,000 hours of practice in a pharmacy under a licensed pharmacist to become registered with the state as a Certified Pharmacy Technician.

To learn about eligibility requirements, click here.  For general information on the ExCPT exam, you can learn more on nhanow.com.

Questions? Contact your NHA representative or the South Carolina Board of Pharmacy.

Higher education was a hot topic during the month of March as stakeholders across the education sector engaged in rigorous advocacy and political outreach The data across this sector highlights sensitivity around educational preparedness and workplace rediness with only a third of students believing they will graduate with the skills and knowledge to be successful in the job market (34%) and in the workplace (36%).

In addition to discussions around education, there is continued excitement around advancing the roles of allied health professionals in fields like medical assisting and pharmacy tech. This month I had the opportunity to attend and speak on an industry panel discussing how pharmacy technicians are being seen as the back-bone of our pharmacies and the need for awareness around the topic.

NHA is in the process of launching our TEAM Based Care™ Assessment Based Certificate Program. This is an online learning and assessment tool for team-based and coordinated care teams that includes a psychometrically sound exam to prove competency. It was created to unite care teams, while empowering professionals within each role to work to the top of their credentials.

February is CTE Month®, a time to bring recognition and awareness to the impact Career and Technical Education has on the lives of so many hospitals, patients, teachers and students. NHA is happy to support the efforts of so many and to provide not just credentials but empower people to thrive. Check out additional ways that CTE is being recognized this month.

The middle skill economy was also discussed this month as both the Higher Education Act and Perkin’s Reauthorization is still being debated on Capital Hill. By identifying job market needs and providing programming aimed at helping to retool the skill sets required for middle-skill jobs, universities and colleges can help middle-skilled workers increase their earning potential while cashing in on a lucrative new revenue stream.

What does the future of healthcare look like as e-commerce giants such as Amazon look to disrupt the healthcare industry at an attempt to lower health cost at a time when they are forecasting that healthcare cost will represent 19.7% of the economy by 2026, up from 17.9% in 2016.

As the holiday season is in full swing, value based care remains a hot topic. Many organizations -especially entities like CVS -are working to connect its importance to public health, as healthier individuals make healthier communities. Regardless of the confusion in federal healthcare regulation, the underlying principles are simple: provide good care and do it at as low a cost as possible.

Many healthcare organizations are aiming to create patient-centered environments, focusing on the patient while simultaneously providing improved health care. Federal regulations are also pushing for a value-based system, and new practitioners are needing to be educated on the importance of quality measurements, care coordination and population heath management to see success in their practices.

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.

Certified Pharmacy Technicians (CPhTs) now have the opportunity to be recognized for their professional role and as a valued member of the pharmacy team. Prior to 2016, pharmacy technician’s duties and responsibilities were lumped into one category, which stated that an individual performing those duties did not have to document formal education, training or
certification.