Fanshawe's Pharmacy Technician program awarded accreditation

Fanshawe’s Pharmacy Technician program has been granted full accreditation by the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP).

The accreditation is in effect from Jan. 1, 2016 until Dec. 31, 2020.

Accreditation through CCAPP allows graduates of the Pharmacy Technician program to apply directly to the Qualifying Examination of the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC).

Wayne Hindmarsh, executive director of CCAPP, said earning a five-year accreditation means Fanshawe met rigorous standards. He said this includes having excellent staff, facilities and a high graduate success rate.

“We’ve reviewed a lot of schools and when you get full accreditation for five years that means everything is just really right at the top,” Hindmarsh said.

Graduates from a non-accredited program need to first pass the PEBC Evaluating Examination, which will determine if the program of study is comparable to one accredited by CCAPP, before taking the Qualifying Examination.

The mission of CCAPP is to grant accreditation awards to Pharmacy and Pharmacy Technician programs that meet the standards set by CCAPP as well as to promote the improvement of educational programs for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.

This is not the first time that Fanshawe’s Pharmacy Technician program has been awarded accreditation. In 2013, Fanshawe was one of 18 colleges out of 51 in Canada to be awarded full accreditation.

Fanshawe’s two-year Pharmacy Technician program is an excellent way to work in a pharmacy environment without the lengthy schooling that is required to become a pharmacist.

Pharmacy technicians work with pharmacists to safely and accurately process, prepare and release prescription medications.

The Pharmacy Technician program at Fanshawe involves learning how to safely and effectively prepare non-sterile and sterile products while working in a state-of-the-art pharmacy lab, with classroom instruction and many opportunities to complete field placements.

After graduation, pharmacy technicians have many opportunities for employment including pharmacies, home health care companies, pharmaceutical distribution wholesalers, pharmacy application software companies and pharmacy benefits administration.

The Ontario Pharmacists Association discusses on their website Bill 179, which expanded the scope of practice for many healthcare professionals including pharmacists.

The provincial government in 2010 passed the bill and in October 2012 new regulations came into affect as a result.

These regulations outlined the limitations of pharmacist’s new scope of practice.

As a result, pharmacists can now perform duties, such as renew or adapt prescriptions, prescribe certain drugs for smoking cessation and provide flu shots.

Bill 179 affects not only pharmacists, but also pharmacy technicians, as they must expand their duties in order to compensate for pharmacist’s new duties.

Following Bill 179, it is important for pharmacy technician programs to meet high standards of excellence to ensure that graduates are prepared for their dynamic careers.

Fanshawe’s award of accreditation is evidence of the quality of the program and the level of hard work that co-ordinators and teachers put into it.

Enrolment is still open for the September 2016 program, for more information visit fanshawec.ca/programs.