Structured Practical Training for Pharmacy Technician Applicants
Structured Practical Training for Pharmacy Technician Applicants
| Orientation Webcast for Structured Practical Training click here |
Completion of structured practical training (for CCAPP graduates) is a requirement of registration as a pharmacy technician with the Ontario College of Pharmacists.
Structured Practical Training (SPT) is a 12 week training period that is directly supervised by an approved preceptor at a site approved by the Registration Committee. The preceptor must be a pharmacist or a pharmacy technician who has completed the College’s orientation requirements, and holds an active license in the province of Ontario for a minimum of 1 year.
For SPT Preceptor Criteria - Technician Applicants, click here.
For SPT Practice Site Criteria - Technician Applicants, click here.
Orientation Workshops for Preceptors
Attendance at an Orientation to Structured Practical Training for Pharmacy Technician Applicants workshop is a requirement to be a preceptor.
The workshops cover the background of SPT for pharmacy technician applicants, clarify the registration requirements and the scope of practice for pharmacy technician applicants. We discuss the various roles of the SPT team members.
A significant amount of time is allotted for review and discussion surrounding the SPT activities as well as the on-line portal that is used to manage the SPT.
The afternoon session of the Orientation Workshop offer preceptors instruction (and/or reinforcement) on feedback and assessment skills as well as providing a forum for preceptors to meet and exchange ideas.
Click here for upcoming workshops
There are two key program components to SPT:
- completion of structured activities
- assessment of the pharmacy technician applicant’s competence
SPT assists with standardizing the training to ensure that every applicant has the opportunity to demonstrate each of the competencies outlined by NAPRA published in the Professional Competencies for Canadian Pharmacy Technicians at Entry-to-Practice (NAPRA, 2007).
Evidence of the competencies will be assessed by the preceptor throughout completion of the activities.
One of the activities within the SPT will specifically address the new role in the pharmacy technician’s scope of practice related to Competency #5, Drug Distribution: Product Release.
This activity involves the evaluation of accurately applying an independent double check to 500 prescription/orders/products for final release. This activity allows for a maximum of 50 items per day and can only begin after four weeks of SPT.
This individual activity will also be completed by pharmacy technician applicants in the profession, upon completion of the Drug Distribution course within the Bridging Education Program. It is called Structured Practical Evaluation (SPE).
Management of the SPT program will be completed through an online portal. The system is entirely paperless and will require that both the pharmacy technician applicant and the preceptor have the ability to access their portfolio online.
More information about SPT can be found here.
Structured Practical Training Online Registration
In order to register for structured practical training you must initiate pre-registration with the College first. Graduation from an approved education program will need to be verified before you may begin your training. To start your pre-registration and/or apply for Structured Practical Training click here
SPT Program – Online Training Portal
Demo tutorial videos of the training portal are available to view from the perspectives of a preceptor as well as the preceptee:
- For Preceptors video, click here.
- For Preceptees video, click here.
