January/February 2009 - Ontario College of Pharmacists

pharmacy technician Q&A
Susan James
Project Director, Pharmacy Technician Regulation
QI understand that when I register with the College
there is an annual fee that I will have to pay. Can
you tell me what the fee is, what it is for, and what
benefit I will receive in return for this fee?
Yes, there is an annual registration fee that all members of
the College must pay. The current proposal is that Pharmacy
Technicians should pay a fee that is two thirds of what
pharmacists pay. Based on the current fee structure, the
amount would be $358.57.
This fee is not set in relation to the profession’s earning
potential, but is based on the costs associated with self-regulation.
These costs include activities such as registering new
members, maintaining a continuing competency program,
ensuring there are standards of practice, and investigating
and resolving any practice concerns that are brought forward.
In fact, there is an argument to be made that the fee
should be consistent for all members of the College. In setting
the fee, however, the Council considered that the scope
of practice for pharmacy technicians is not as broad as that
of a pharmacist in Part A of the register.
It is difficult to describe the benefit of paying these fees.
To be a regulated professional means one has an exclusive
right and privilege to use the title of the profession and to
perform a function for society that others are not permitted
to do. A registered pharmacy technician will have the authority
and independent accountability to perform the technical
functions related to dispensing and compounding of
drugs. As a member of a self-regulated profession, you have
the added privilege of being held to account by a body of
your peers, as opposed to others who may not be familiar
with the realities of professional practice.
QWhen I become registered with the College, will
I also have to purchase professional liability
insurance, as pharmacists do?
It has not been proposed that pharmacy technicians be required
to maintain personal professional liability insurance
(as is now required for pharmacists and interns). Up until
last year, pharmacists were not required to have personal
coverage, because they were covered under the policies at
their place of employment. The new requirement for pharmacists
and interns to have their own policy relates to the
expanding roles and new environments that pharmacists are
working in, and their need for coverage to be more mobile.
At this time, it is expected that pharmacy technicians will be
covered within their place of employment, just as pharmacists
were in the past. The College will continue to monitor
this expectation and make adjustments if needed.
Although it is not required, the College strongly recommends
personal professional liability insurance for all members.
At a minimum, pharmacy technicians should confirm
that they are covered by their employer.
QI passed the certification exam several years ago.
What benefit has that actually given me since I
am still required to complete the bridging education
program and entry-to-practice and jurisprudence
exams to become registered with the College?
The certification exam was put into place to address a concern
that pharmacists expressed regarding the diversity of
training programs for pharmacy technicians. With applicants
for pharmacy technician positions having trained on
the job, at a private career college, or at a community college,
employers were unsure how to compare among them.
Pharmacy technicians who achieved certification demonstrated
they had at least the consistent level of knowledge
required to pass the exam. Over time, many employers
came to rely on the certification as a requirement to demonstrate
an applicant was qualified for the job. Individuals
who maintained their certification also demonstrated a
12 pharmacyconnection • January/February 2009