Advisory Committee for the Pharmacy Technicians and Support Workforce Strategic Platform
Background
The Pharmacy Technicians and Support Workforce was established as a Domain for the FIPEd Education Development Team (EDT) in 2011. Following re-structuring within FIPEd, the Pharmacy Support Workforce (PSW) transitioned to a Workforce Development Hub (WDH) with pharmacy technicians and support workforce as a focused Strategic Platform. It is currently being led by Susan James (Global Lead).
The initial core activity was to plan and host the FIP-led Pharmacy Technician Symposium, which were held annually in conjunction with the FIP Congress since FIP Amsterdam in 2012 through 2019 in Abu Dhabi. Subsequent Pharmacy Technician Symposia have been hosted in:
2013 Dublin under the Congress theme of Cultivating the Unexplored Fields of Complexity;
2014 Bangkok under the Congress theme of Realising Better Outcomes Tomorrow;
2015 Dusseldorf– Achieving a Strong Pharmacy Technician Workforce: Driven by Evidence;
2016 Buenos Aires – Sustaining Pharmacy Services Globally – Reliance on the Pharmacy Support Workforce;
2017 Seoul – Evolution of the Pharmacy Support Workforce – Nurturing the Soul of Pharmacy;
2018 Glasgow – Partners in Health.
2019 – Abu Dhabi – under the Congress theme of New Horizons for Pharmacy – Navigating the Winds of Change
In 2015 BPP commissioned a Pharmacy Support Workforce Technical Working Group to produce a review and Report of different roles and responsibilities, a definition of different types of pharmacy support workers and identify practice models to make the best contribution possible within the pharmacy team, thus assisting in assurance of responsible medicine use. Members of the FIPEd Pharmacy Support Workforce Domain were actively engaged in this Technical Working Group and in 2017 FIP published the report, Technicians and pharmacy support workforce cadres working with pharmacists. An introductory global descriptive study. The report serves as a starting point to assist countries to consider how to organise the collaboration between pharmacists and pharmacy support workers to meet local and regional needs to improve patient care.
During the 2016 Global Conference on Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Education in Nanjing the pharmaceutical workforce was defined to include the whole of the pharmacy related workforce, including registered pharmacist practitioners, pharmaceutical scientists, pharmacy technicians and other pharmacy support workers. As a defined member of the pharmaceutical workforce, the pharmacy support workforce is also recognized within each of the workforce development goals.
Advisory Committee for the Pharmacy Technicians and Support Workforce Strategic Platform
The Advisory Committee comprises FIP stakeholders together with influential external organisations and individuals who are committed to providing guidance towards the mutual and continued development of the global pharmacy technician workforce, led by FIP.
The aim of the Advisory Committee is to provide informed guidance and expert advice for the development of leadership activities associated with global development of the Pharmacy Support workforce and ensure integration with the FIP workforce mission.
Pharmacy Technician Advisory Committee – Work Stream
1. Governance and strategy
Key activities:
- Establish strategic priorities for review by the PTAC and create a corresponding committee work plan including deliverables, milestones, resources and target dates
- Liaise with and coordinate activity of other PTAC work streams
- Liaise with and collaborate on activity of other the Workforce Hub and FIP sections, particularly related to FIP development goals
2. Events and symposia
Key activities:
- Lead the organization of the annual Pharmacy Technician Symposium, held digitally in October, coinciding with World Pharmacy Technician Day, including development of a proposed program and speakers for consideration by the PTAC
- Develop a digital events programme for 2 - 3 online webinars annually (establish topics, format and potential speakers) for consideration by the PTAC
3. Engagement and advocacy
Key activities:
- Develop a Communications plan to showcase the pharmacy technician workforce broadly and create a community of practice/global network, including creation of an e-newsletter for distribution to FIP members 3 – 4 times a year
- Create an FIP webpage to highlight PTAC activities/accomplishments and pharmacy technician support workforce resources
4. Evidence and resources
Key activities:
- Establish a plan and oversee development of publications and/or reports consistent with the priorities set out in the PTAC work plan.
- Establish a plan for development and publication of commentaries/thought pieces on pharmacy technician support workforce issues, aligned with the work of the PTAC
- Support the project to create the first global Competency Framework for Pharmacy Support Workforce, targeted completion in 2024.
- Support the project to publish a Glossary of workforce terminology, in collaboration with the Workforce Development Hub (DG4) including global mapping of education pathways, targeted completion 2024.