2013/14 HOSPITAL PHARMACY IN CANADA REPORT:

FRONT LINE TECHNICIAN SURVEY

Millcroft ConferenceJune 7th, 2015

Kyle MacNair BSc.Pharm, ACPRRegional Pharmacy DirectorSouthern Heath-Santé Sud

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Kyle MacNair is one of the Editors for the Hospital Pharmacy in Canada Report, which is financially supported by Eli Lilly Canada Inc.

• Legislation regulating pharmacy technicians in place in 7 provinces, and in the process of development or enactment in another two

• PEBC has expanded the cities and provinces it is offering both the Qualify and Evaluating Examinations. As of November 2014, 5173 technicians have been added to the Pharmacy Technician Register (triple what it was in 2012)

• CCAPP has accredited 51 schools in Canada with either qualifying or provisional status

• As of April 2013 NAPRA launched the National Technician Bridging Education Program

A Profession in Upheaval:Legislation, Education, Accreditation and Regulation

Staff Surveys

• Surveys were developed for frontline pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to compliment the Directors’ survey– First issued with 2011/2012 survey– Rely on directors to forward invitation to staff– Results reported for all respondents & by region

• Technician Respondents – 515 respondents from 9 provinces (54% ON & QC)– 77% had formal technician training of 1 to 2 years

Views on Knowledge and Skills• Surveyed beliefs regarding knowledge & skills to

perform 35 core & expanded scope duties

• Majority of respondents agreed or strongly agreed they possessed K&S to perform 32 of 35 tasks

• Weakest support for 3 tasks:

Views on Regulatory Change• Education on regulatory change– Front-line staff survey

– Directors survey

Views on Regulatory Change• You have obtained your certification as a pharmacy

technician, through the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada or a similar certification body.– (N=503; Yes=206, No=297)

All ON BC/(YT) AB/(NT) NS MB QC SK NB0

50

100

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250

0%

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90%

Yes Respondents % Yes Respondents

• You are planning to become a PEBC certified pharmacy technician, eligible for registration as a pharmacy technician– (N=293, Yes=170; No=123)

Views on Regulatory Change

All NS ON AB/(NT) BC/(YT) MB QC NB SK0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

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Yes Respondents % Yes Respondents

Views on Regulatory Change• Knowledge regarding regulatory change– In all provinces except for Quebec a majority of

respondents were aware that provincial regulatory reform was either complete or in progress in most provinces

• Knowledge regarding educational and title reform– In all provinces except for Quebec a majority of

respondents were aware of the 2018 PEBC deadline and the implications regarding legislation to the “pharmacy technician” title

– Directors survey

Views on Regulatory Change• Perception regarding reforms within the

workplace– Front-line staff survey

– Directors survey

Open Commentary Responses• 148/515 pharmacy technician respondents

provided comment to open ended question at the end of the survey compared to 54/718 pharmacists respondents

• 33% of the comments came from Quebec respondents

Open Commentary Responses• Theme #1: Duties and Responsibilities• Split sentiment regarding the value of changes to duties

and responsibilities commensurate with regulatory change

Registration process is unnecessary, waste of time , money, stress inducing. There is no benefit for pharm. techs or pharmacies, only regulatory bodies and colleges. It is a huge cash grab with no proven benefit for the public. (ON)

I am a certified pharmacy technician with an expanding role in the field of pharmacy practice and am looking forward to further expansion as the role of pharmacy technicians in the practice of clinical pharmacy evolves. (BC)

Open Commentary Responses• Theme #2: Labor Relations• Concern expressed regarding issues with union representation in the

newly regulated environment• 10% of comments related to belief that pharmacy technician status

should have been grandfatheredAs a new hospital employee in a unionized environment, the differentiation between a pharmacy assistant and a regulated tech is largely misunderstood by the union… Movement of the regulated technicians from a hospital services union to a professional services union will promote forward development and broader development of the pharmacy technician in a hospital setting. (BC)

I have been working since 1993 as a Technician, I see the need for the new Techs graduating to be certified, but is there no way of someone with this many years working to be grandfathered into the system? (NB)

Open Commentary Responses• Theme #3: Financial Concerns• Concern expressed regarding costs associated with getting certified

and a lack of information regarding compensation changes.• Concerns expressed regarding salaries not keeping up with increased

expectationsWe feel that thee is no support for the staff here to go and get these coursed that we will need. They will not even pay us the day to go write an exam. They wont even tell us what we are going to have to do and how much money we will get paid.(MB)

Les ATP du Québec sont oubliés dans le processus de la certification et sous payés par le fait même! SOUS PAYÉ depuis la lois 90 qui nous délègues des tâches sans cesse en nous disant que ça fait partie de la redéfinition de tâches des ATP. Donc nouvelles tâches, nouvelles responsabilités, PAS PAYÉ! (PQ)

Questions?

www.lillyhospitalsurvey.ca

References:1. Doug Doucette. Highlights from the Hospital Pharmacy in Canada Report

2013/14 Presentation. 2015 Harrison Management Conference.2. Hall KH, Wilgosh C, et al. 2013/2014 Hospital Pharmacy in Canada Report:

20th Edition. In Press.