Quick Pharmacy Tip: Tracking Licenses and Certifications

I live in Colorado, where relatively recent legislation now requires all pharmacy technicians to be registered with the State Board of Pharmacy. This state law also requires all pharmacy technicians to ultimately obtain certification from NCCA-accredited organizations (i.e., PTCB or NHA) after a provisional grace period.

So in order to renew licenses with the State Board, all pharmacy technicians also need to keep their PTCB/NHA certifications up to date. And these have different expiration dates than the state licenses. So the risk is that a PTCB/NHA certification could lapse, even though the pharmacy technician license with the State Board has not yet expired.

As a pharmacy manager, how do you keep track of all these?

The easiest way is with a spreadsheet.

The pharmacy manager (or delegate) checks and updates the spreadsheet at least monthly. Action items are highlighted and color-coded (e.g., yellow due in 60 days, red due in 30 days, etc.). Any pharmacy technicians with impending renewal dates could then be directly reminded (e.g., in-person or email) with advance notice.

While this worked very well for technicians, it could also be used for pharmacist licenses, permit renewals, DEA registration, etc. Separate tabs on the spreadsheet could be used for each one, and keeping it on a shared drive, like Google Drive, can ensure you always know where it is.

Nam Tran, PharmD

Detailed and reliable pharmacist with combined 14+ years of experience in medical writing, home infusion, specialty pharmacy, and hospice. Utilizes strong problem-solving and analytical skills to synthesize complex data from literature into concise clinical summaries. Skilled communicator known for collaborating effectively with multiple stakeholders, optimizing workflow processes, and fostering a culture of respect and results.

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