# COMAR Title 10 — Maryland Department of Health

## Subtitle 34 — Board of Pharmacy

### Chapter 34 — Pharmacy Technicians

#### Regulation .07 Standards for Pharmacy Technician Training Programs.

*COMAR 10.34.34.07*

A. Minimum Standards.

  (1) Pharmacy technician training programs shall, at a minimum, cover the following areas of pharmacy practice:

    (a) Roles and responsibilities of the pharmacy technician;

    (b) Knowledge of prescription medications;

    (c) Knowledge of strengths or dose, dosage forms, physical appearance, routes of administration, and duration of drug therapy;

    (d) The dispensing process;

    (e) Pharmaceutical calculations;

    (f) Interacting with patients;

    (g) Third party prescriptions;

    (h) Extemporaneous compounding;

    (i) Requirements and professional standards for:

      (i) Preparing;

      (ii) Labeling;

      (iii) Dispensing;

      (iv) Storing;

      (v) Prepackaging;

      (vi) Distributing; and

      (vii) How medications are administered;

    (j) Confidentiality;

    (k) Drugs used to treat the following indications:

      (i) Hypertension;

      (ii) Antihyperlipidemia;

      (iii) Diabetes mellitus;

      (iv) Arthritis;

      (v) Gastrointestinal disorders;

      (vi) Asthma and allergy; and

      (vii) Infectious diseases;

    (l) Federal and State laws and regulations governing the practice of pharmacy; and

    (m) Knowledge of special dosing considerations for pediatric and geriatric populations.

  (2) Pharmacy technician training programs may be offered by:

    (a) Pharmacy employers;

    (b) Nationally recognized pharmacy technician training programs;

    (c) Accredited educational institutions pharmacy technician programs;

    (d) Pharmacy technician programs approved by the Maryland State Department of Education and the Maryland Higher Education Commission; and

    (e) Pharmacy technician training programs offered by the U.S. Armed Forces.

  (3) Training programs may not be longer than 6 months.

  (4) Training programs shall include 160 hours of work experience, which shall be completed within 6 months of the date of the pharmacy technician trainee’s enrollment in the program.

B. Board Approval of Pharmacy Technician Training Programs.

  (1) A program shall submit an application on a form provided by the Board.

  (2) A program shall provide the Board with the course outline and any other information requested by the Board.

  (3) A pharmacy that pairs 160 hours of on-site work experience with a pharmacy technician training program that is Board-approved for its didactic content only shall obtain independent Board approval as a pharmacy technician training program prior to the delegation of any pharmacy act to a pharmacy technician trainee.

  (4) Any changes in course content shall require notification and approval from the Board.

  (5) The Board shall have final approval of a pharmacy technician training program.

  (6) The Board may withdraw approval of a program if the Board finds that the program is in violation of this chapter.

  (7) The Board shall approve pharmacy technician training programs offered by the U.S. Armed Forces.