Knesset approved today (third) The arrangement of the pharmacy technician profession. The purpose of the move is to ease the pharmacists and allow them to focus on the clinical and expert work, while the technicians will deal with the administrative and logistics tasks. The profession already exists in many countries around the world, including the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, where the technician has broader powers than those set out in the Israeli bill.
A pharmacy technician is not a qualified pharmacist, but it functions as an integral part of the pharmacy team. As part of his role, the technician will engage in administrative and logistical work, including drug arrangement, preparation of certain preparations, extending (the mass of dust in fluid) and pouring and half liquid preparations. It will also be able to provide prescription drugs and prescription drugs for patients.
Today there is a severe shortage of about 700 to 1,000 pharmacies in Israel. As a result, pharmacists are forced to spend a lot of time to administrative tasks such as shelves, treatment of orders and managerial work, rather than engaging in medication and providing medical advice. The introduction of the pharmacy technician will allow pharmacists to focus on providing professional service to patients and reducing the waiting time in the pharmacies.
The law states that a pharmacy technician will undergo comprehensive training in higher education institutions or health institutions such as health funds and hospitals. The curriculum will include 200 hours of study, of which 180 hours in Hebrew and 20 hours in English to ensure control of the professional terms. At the end of the course, the participants will undergo a summary examination in Hebrew and English, and then a 400 -hour practical training for several months.
In many countries around the world, pharmacy technicians play more advanced roles. In the United States, for example, they are qualified to measure quantities of prescription drugs and mix certain drugs. In Canada, they can choose products based on professional knowledge and measure precise doses. In New Zealand, their role also includes preparation and mixing drugs. In Israel, in the first stage, the powers of the technicians will be more limited, but in the future they may broadcast according to the needs of the system.
“Arranging a Pharmacy Technician profession is an important and significant step for the public and the pharmacy profession in Israel,” the Minister of Health said Uriel Boso“Pharmacy is an expanding area, not only as a source of medication but as an essential and advanced profession, which combines rules, personal care adjustment, improvement of drug -detention and continuous monitoring of patients.”
Chairman of the MK Health Committee Ions from whistles He added: “We have brought a significant line to improve the pharmaceutical service.