Effective January 6, 2021, ACP has amended its Structured Practical Training (SPT) program rules for internationally educated provisional pharmacy technicians (IEPT). Under the new rules, IEPTs must secure a pharmacy technician or an experienced preceptor for the SPT program who will provide standardized opportunities to learn, observe, experience, practise, and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, judgement, and attitudes important to pharmacy technician practice in Alberta.
For all participants in the SPT program for pharmacy technicians, each rotation must be supervised by a pharmacy technician registered on the pharmacy technician register or a pharmacist registered on the clinical pharmacist register who meet the following requirements:
- has been registered on the ACP pharmacy technician register or ACP clinical pharmacist register for a minimum of two years,
- has no restrictions on their practice permit that will impact ability to provide a good learning experience,
- has no outstanding complaints that have been referred to a Hearing Tribunal, and
- is not in a close personal relationship with the provisional pharmacy technician being precepted.
In addition, if the provisional pharmacy technician is an IEPT, their preceptor for each level of SPT must either be
- a pharmacy technician, OR
- a pharmacist who has precepted at least two pharmacy technician students in a CCAPP accredited pharmacy technician program within the last three years (experienced preceptor).
Requiring a pharmacy technician or an experienced preceptor to be the preceptor can further support IEPTs to understand the role and scope of practice of pharmacy technicians in Alberta. Preceptors who are pharmacy technicians can model and demonstrate behaviours that are reflective of expectations for the pharmacy technician profession. Experienced preceptors are equipped to provide a structured and standardized approach to SPT for IEPTs.
