HOUSTON — As COVID-19 continues to spread across the United States and vaccine distribution to begin possibly this week, the National Pharmacy Technician Association (NPTA) is announcing the launch of a nationally-recognized pharmacy technician administered immunization training program.

Developed under the guidance of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), NPTA’s Immunization Administration Training Program is by far the most affordable, accessible and scalable program of its kind. The program has been designed to train hundreds of thousands of technicians within weeks, enabling the rapid deployment of vaccines to the public.

Unlike the majority of comparable training programs—which typically charge a high fee per technician trained—the NPTA program charges one low, fixed cost per pharmacy to provide the program to an unlimited number of technicians, including new hires, without incurring additional costs.

Designed for both large-scale chains and independent pharmacies, NPTA’s program enables businesses to train more technicians in less time, at a lower cost. For the general public, this means that more vaccines can be administered in less time, potentially limiting the spread of COVID-19 and saving lives.

“The faster we administer vaccines, the more lives we can save,” said Mike Johnston, founder and CEO of NPTA. “Pharmacy technicians will be vital to administering COVID-19 vaccines to the public. It’s critical to the public health that we train a large number of technicians in a matter of weeks, so we can efficiently distribute and administer vaccines across the nation. That’s exactly why NPTA created this program.”

In October, as part of the federal government’s “Warp Speed” vaccine development, production and distribution initiative, the HHS issued guidance under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act authorizing qualified pharmacy technicians and interns to administer COVID-19 vaccines. NPTA’s Immunization Administration Training Program was developed to train hundreds of thousands of technicians in a matter of weeks, fulfilling a pivotal role in the country’s pandemic response.

“Pharmacists and their staff are critical to the COVID-19 response,” said Assistant Secretary for Health ADM Brett P. Giroir, M.D. in an October statement. “Together with pediatricians and family physicians, they are ensuring that Americans receive the vaccines they need where they need it.”

Companies interested in the program can learn more at www.pharmacytechnician.org/immunizations