RFPTN LEADERSHIP ADVOCATES FOR ADVANCED PHARMACY TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATIONS IN SOME AREAS OF SPECIALISATION
Do you know that pharmacy technicians don’t just work behind the counters in pharmacies?
In fact, they can work in hospitals, specialty clinics, outpatient care centers, long term care facilities, specialty pharmacies, online/mail-order pharmacies, research labs, pharmaceutical companies, colleges of health sciences & technology, health insurance companies, pharmaceutical industries, Pharmacy Units of Military Departments and of the Defense Academy, Road Safety, NDLEA, NAFDAC, etc.?
Workplace duties vary depending on their job location. For example, a pharmacy technician could assist with clinical trials of drugs. For insurance companies, they may function as someone who is a prior authorization representative. At hospitals, apart from the dispensaries, they may be delivering medications for patients in the wards under unit dose dispensing system.
The point being, there are so many more job opportunities available for Certified Pharmacy Technicians than you may realize.
In the area of Pharmacy Technician Specialties, Pharmacy Technicians gains wealth of experiences and knowledge while on the job from experienced members of the pharmacy team as well as continuing education programs such as courses through the Advanced Academic Pathways.
By way of advice for pharmacy technicians, before you take a continuing education courses, be sure it is approved and will be honored by your regulatory agency (Pharmacy Council of Nigeria) and or your employers if in service.
Some of the Pharmacy Technicians areas of specialization include:
- Compounding Pharmacy Technician
- Oncology Pharmacy Technician
- Peadiatrics Pharmacy Technician
- Procurement (Market Survey and Product Selection).
- Sterile products preparation (eg. IV)
- Anti Retroviral Therapy
- Vaccines and immunizations
- Particular technologies such as automated medication dispensing systems (Robots filling)
- Instructors at institutions of Health Sciences and Technology.
- Gynecological Pharmacy Technician
- Theatre Services Pharmacy Technician
- Accident & Emergency Services Pharmacy Technician
- Administrative Pharmacy Technician
- Inventory Management Pharmacy Technician
- Logistics and Supply Chain Management Pharmacy Technician
- Medicines Information Management System Technician
- Health Insurance Reconciliation Pharmacy Technician
- Psychiatric Pharmacy Technician
In light of the above, there is an ongoing approach to advance the career of Pharmacy Technicians in Nigeria by the leaders of the Reformed Forum of Pharmacy Technicians in Nigeria (RFPTN) who interestingly, has unveiled this vision of Advanced Pharmacy Technician Certifications in some areas of specialization as witnessed in the nursing education and career advancement in Nigeria.
Quite perturbing to the leadership of RFPTN is the comparism with the fact that Basic Nursing Certificate holders undergo a one year Post Basic Nursing Training in areas like Orthopedic, Theater, Opthalmology, ENT, Rehabilitation, Emergency, Psychiatry etc making their entry placement in jobs far above their contemporaries (Pharmacy Technicians).The Medical Records Technicians today advances for higher ranks with few additional year(s) of further specialist studies. Similarly, the Community Health, Environmental Technicians amongst others do.
Aware of the fact that, Direct Entry into Pharmacy was approved by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, JAMB in the recent time delisted Pharmacy Technicians for continual enrollment for Direct Entry. Unfair as it is, the RFPTN Leadership and members observed this ugly situation from JAMB that befell prospective applicants in this category.
RFPTN, advocating seriously for Advanced Certification with advance entry placement for those qualified is ideal. This is in line with paving ways for our members to still progress career wise, especially those who by virtue of certain challenges, may not be to pursue university education to become pharmacists.
RFPTN leaders believes that this will also enhance qualitative services delivery by our members (Pharmacy Technicians) and ease the Pharmacists to able to take up more advanced roles in the clinical domain.
Worthy of note is that, in no distant time, some members of RFPTN will be completing CERTIFICATE COURSE on Logistics & Supply Chain Management powered by RFPTN leadership.
In the forgoing, RFPTN leaders calls for all Pharmacy Technicians in Nigeria to embrace the unification agenda by legalizing their membership with RFPTN and contribute towards the roles the leaders are playing towards optimizing the overall welfare of Pharmacy Technicians in Nigeria.
This is really a wonderful idea
This is a good move , pharmacy technician’s to enhance and upgrade
JAMB should still look into our direct entry process
The RFPTN National Leaders have approached the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria in this regards. The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria has been extensively working on this matter. Going forward, the issue of Direct Entry of Pharmacy Technicians is being included in PCN’s strategic plans (under review)
The RFPTN Leaders are still utilizing other approaches to ensuring that the ugly situation that befell members (Pharmacy Technicians in Nigeria) concerning DE in this very year, 2023, receives a permanent solution.
Regrettably, Pharmacy Technicians (members) of RFPTN should kindly bear for the interim while the quest for victorious emancipation should be anticipated.
Good update
This is commendable, at least the world will know us
This a good move
This is a good move
I can’t wait to experience the actualization of this certification.
This is highly commendable.
I pray this is resolved before DE forms for 2024 is out because the process this year was not funny.
Wao. I don’t know that a reform forum like this is in existence. I really appreciate all your efforts. You labor of love this noble profession will not be futile