STOCKTON, Calif. — Thrifty White Pharmacy has received ASHP/ACPE accredition for its pharmacy technician training program.

Therapeutic Research Center said Thrifty White leverages TRC’s Pharmacy Technicians University (PTU) medication learning platform for the program.

The PTU National Standards program has a 600-hour curriculum comprised of 160 hours of didactic training, 80-plus hours of lab simulations and 360 hours of experiential training. It also provides preparation for national exams, including a retail/community pharmacy-specific focus on communication skills, as well as tracking and reporting capabilities via a centralized administrative view for managers and leadership.

TRC said the program is eligible for up to seven college credit hours via the ACE CREDIT recommendation program.

“Thrifty White is committed to a high-quality training program for all our pharmacy technicians nationwide, and TRC’s Pharmacy Technicians University, an enterprise medication learning solution, ensures our employees have convenient access to the appropriate training programs at all locations, tailored to meet the requirements of their state,” Dave Rueter, executive vice president of personnel at Thrifty White, said in a statement. “The PTU online learning platform also meets Thrifty White’s organizational needs and is more cost-efficient than building the program completely on our own or relying on brick and mortar education programs.

“Well-trained technicians make a material contribution to increasing the efficient operation of the pharmacy,” Rueter added, “while also playing a vital role in advancing quality and patient safety for Thrifty White. We couldn’t be more pleased at the official accreditation by ASHP/ACPE.”

Plymouth, Minn.-based Thrifty White has 97 pharmacies and 82 associated independent pharmacies operating in the rural upper Midwest, with locations in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Montana and Wisconsin.

“Skilled pharmacy technicians are critical to the economic and efficacy standards of a pharmacy in any provider setting,” stated Wes Crews, chief executive officer of TRC. “TRC’s Pharmacy Technicians University is an online, competency-based curriculum that simplifies the educational experience, improves efficiency and helps reduce medication errors.”