Florida passes bill to require registration, training for pharmacy techs

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Florida Gov. Charlie Crist will have the opportunity to sign into law legislation that would require pharmacy technicians to register and train in order to be certified to perform their jobs, according to published reports.

Under the bill passed by Florida legislators, technicians would need to register with the Florida Board of Pharmacy by 2010. Starting in 2011, the legislation would require them to complete one of the following: a board-approved training program, 1,500 hours of work as a technician under a Florida licensed pharmacist or certification by a program accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies.

The Florida Society of Health-System Pharmacists secured legislative support for the bill and helped educate state senators and representatives and their staffs on the need for technician registration and training to improve patient safety.

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists recently launched an initiative to work with state affiliates to advocate for state laws that require, as a prerequisite for state board registration, completion of an ASHP-accredited pharmacy technician training and Pharmacy Technician Certification Board certification.