Multicity tour set for community pharmacy certificate program

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Next month, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores plans to roll out a certificate program that will train pharmacists to administer point-of-care testing and other health assessments in pharmacies.

NACDS said Monday that it will kick off the Community Pharmacy-Based Point-of-Care Testing certificate program in April with multicity tour at pharmacy colleges and universities.

Targeted at community pharmacy, academia and pharmacy association staff, the certificate program will train participants to administer a range of point-of-care tests, as well as health and physical assessments. NACDS noted that point-of-care testing enables clinicians to use effective, rapid technology to assist their decision making at the  point of care to improve patient health.

The NACDS point-of-care testing certificate program was developed by faculty at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Ferris State University.

The accredited certificate program provides 20 hours of Continuing Pharmacy Education (CPE) credit for those who complete course requirements and assessments. That includes 12 hours of home study and eight hours of live training about disease states, physical assessments, point-of-care tests, collaborative practice models and business models.

With support from Quidel, a manufacturer of diagnostic health care solutions, the registration fee for participants of the two-day training programs during the national tour will be waived.

NACDS said pharmacists’ extensive education and training qualifies them to provide a host of services, including point-of-care testing, which is done as part of care coordination.

“While patients continue to look to their pharmacist as a steward of medication safety and effectiveness, more and more patients are looking to their pharmacists to provide innovative services that further help maintain their health and wellness, including point-of-care testing,” NACDS president and chief executive officer Steve Anderson said in a statement. “In light of the evolution of convenient and accessible health care care services, this NACDS certificate program demonstrates the education and training of pharmacists, and empowers greater access to services that can help improve patient health.”