A program developed in 2016 to combat the pharmacy technician shortage is "developing a pipeline of talent" for Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health, according to the health system's chief pharmacy officer and vice president.
The 23-weekslong pharmacy technician training program recently removed a cost barrier for applicants outside of the health system, who account for about 80 percent of the cohort. Some people who pass the training program get their tuition cost — which is $3,600 including textbooks — covered and get hired by the health system after graduating.
"This is a unique program because we're providing the training so that when these individuals graduate the program, they can hit the ground running," LeeAnn Miller, PharmD, told Becker's.
Dr. Miller said workforce shortages are hitting healthcare sectors at different rates, with hiring and retention of nurses being the most difficult, but pharmacy technicians are steadily leaving Yale New Haven at a 12 percent rate.
It's a natural "churn" for the system because nursing students will work as pharmacy technicians while they earn their degree, according to Dr. Miller, so the training program adds stability to the five-hospital system's pharmacy workforce. So far, 80 people have graduated, and Yale New Haven has hired 88 percent of its graduates.
Sharee Parker, the supervisor for the pharmacist technician training program and a certified pharmacy technician, told Becker's the program is ripe for those seeking a career change.
"It's frustrating when you love what you do, but at the same time, you need to grow professionally as a person, you need to grow your finances and those opportunities aren't there," Ms. Parker said.
The program is currently only housed at the New Haven, Conn., location, but the success rate, along with being the state's only program accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, will soon propel it to more locations.
"It's not just a job as a pharmacy technician," Dr. Miller said. "This gives them that path forward."