Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) Grants 300 Compounded Sterile Preparation Technician (CSPT™) Certifications

WASHINGTON, June 28, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) has granted more than 300 Compounded Sterile Preparation Technician™ (CSPT™) Certifications since the CSPT Program launched in December 2017. PTCB's first advanced certification program, the CSPT Program certifies pharmacy technicians in compounded sterile preparation, the process for compounding medications that must be prepared using aseptic techniques. Becoming certified as a CSPT is a way for PTCB-Certified Pharmacy Technicians (CPhTs) to further demonstrate their commitment to medication safety. Employers can incorporate the CSPT Certification into career ladders for their pharmacy technicians.

"Granting more than 300 CSPT certifications is an exciting milestone in the first year of PTCB's new CSPT advanced certification program," said PTCB Executive Director and CEO William Schimmel. "By meeting the rigorous standards mandated by PTCB's certification and recertification processes, CPhTs who obtain the CSPT credential stand out as highly qualified to meet today's expectations in sterile compounding safety. Unlike certificate courses, PTCB's CSPT Program requires continuing education and annual recertification."

"With pharmacy technicians progressing to more advanced roles, I am honored to be one of the 300 PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technicians who has received the CSPT credential," said Tiffany Kofroth, CPhT, CSPT, Specialty Pharmacy Technician on the Continuing Pharmacy Education Team at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Spring, TX. "Within each of our institutions, there are technicians who excel in the sterile compounding field. Until PTCB released this certification, there was no recognition available for them. Advanced certifications can prepare, evaluate, and guide technicians to specialty or management roles and are key to continued professional development for technicians."

Christine Flynn, RPh, Pharmacy Manager for Allegheny Health Network Home Infusion in Meadville, PA, is leading efforts to prepare technician employees to earn the CSPT credential. "Allegheny Health Network Home Infusion is committed to providing the highest quality products to our patients," Christine said. "As our technicians become certified through this program, we are confident that the level of expertise they employ will ensure that infusions provided to our patients meet the utmost level of safety and sterility." 

To apply to become a CSPT, a CPhT must either complete a PTCB-recognized sterile compounding education/training program and have one year of work experience in sterile compounding; or have 3 years of work experience in sterile compounding. Candidates must achieve a passing score on the CSPT exam and have a qualified supervisor attest to their competency within a one-year candidacy eligibility window. The CSPT Exam is a 2-hour, 75-question multiple choice exam covering hazardous and non-hazardous Compounded Sterile Products (CSPs). Exam content includes medications and components, facilities and equipment, sterile compounding procedures, and handling, packaging, storage, and disposal. CSPTs are required to recertify every year to maintain an active certification. They must complete 5 hours of CE in sterile compounding each year and submit an annual competency attestation from a qualified supervisor.

http://www.ptcb.org/about-ptcb/news-room/news-landing/2018/06/28/ptcb-grants-300-compounded-sterile-preparation-technician-(cspt)-certifications

About the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB)          
As the nation's leading certifying body for pharmacy technicians, PTCB has granted more than 645,000 Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) certifications since its founding in 1995. PTCB was established by the American Pharmacists Association; American Society of Health-System Pharmacists; Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists; and Michigan Pharmacists Association; and joined in 2001 by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. PTCB services more than 280,000 active Certified Pharmacy Technicians nationwide. PTCB's mission is to advance medication safety by certifying technicians who are qualified to support pharmacists and patient care teams in all practice settings. ptcb.org

SOURCE Pharmacy Technician Certification Board

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