New ASHP Training Program Aims to Help with Pharmacy Tech Shortage

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) is launching PharmTech Ready, a training program that will help bridge the professional development and training gaps that are among the drivers of the current nationwide shortage of pharmacy technicians, the organization said in a statement.¹ 

“The growing shortage of pharmacy technicians poses a significant challenge to achieving optimal medication outcomes and protecting patient safety,” said Paul W. Abramowitz, PharmD, FASHP, CEO of ASHP. 

“PharmTech Ready draws on ASHP’s extensive experience in developing education and practice resources for the pharmacy workforce and will help technicians build the skills needed to fulfill their essential role on the healthcare team,” Abramowitz added.

A majority of hospital and health-system pharmacy administrators reported turnover rates between 21% and 30% in 2021; nearly 1 in 10 had lost 41% or more of their technicians, according to a recent ASHP survey.² 

In addition, the survey found that a growing number of health systems are responding to technician requests for professional development by implementing internal training programs.

PharmTech Ready provides healthcare organizations with tools to develop internal training programs to strengthen their ability to recruit, retain, and advance the pharmacy technician workforce, ASHP said.

The program aligns with the didactic learning requirements of the ASHP/Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Model Curriculum. It features over 160 hours of entry- and advanced-level content on more than 70 topics and includes supplemental materials that will allow healthcare organizations to leverage their sites for experiential training.

PharmTech Ready also includes access to a range of exclusive ASHP continuing education, tools, and other resources to “bolster pharmacy technicians’ professional development and support their career advancement as critical members of the healthcare team,” ASHP said.

References

1. ASHP launches pharmacy technician training program to address workforce shortages. News release. American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. May 3, 2022. Accessed May 19, 2022. https://www.ashp.org/news/2022/05/03/ashp-launches-pharmacy-technician-training-program-to-address-workforce-shortages

2. Pharmacy technician shortage survey findings executive summary. American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists. Published March 2022. Accessed May 19, 2022. https://www.ashp.org/-/media/assets/pharmacy-technician/docs/Technician-Shortage-Survey-Exec-Summary.pdf