BILL ANALYSIS
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|Hearing Date:June 21, 2010 |Bill No:AB |
| |2551 |
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SENATE COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS, PROFESSIONS
AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Senator Gloria Negrete McLeod, Chair
Bill No: AB 2551Author:Hernandez
As Amended:April 26, 2010 Fiscal:Yes
SUBJECT: Pharmacy Technicians: scholarship and loan repayment
program.
SUMMARY: Establishes the California Pharmacy Technician Scholarship
and Loan Repayment Program (Program) for pharmacy technician students
who agree to serve in medically underserved areas within the state.
Existing law:
1) Provides for the licensure and regulation of pharmacy
technicians by the Board of Pharmacy (Board).
2) Establishes the California Pharmacist Scholarship and Loan
Repayment Program, administered by the Office of Statewide Health
Planning and Development, to provide for the educational expenses
of pharmacy students and to repay qualifying educational loans of
pharmacists who agree to serve in areas of the state where unmet
priority needs exist, as specified.
3) Establishes the California Pharmacist Scholarship and Loan
Repayment Program Fund in the State Treasury, which is funded by
voluntary contributions made by pharmacies or pharmacists upon
renewal of their license, and requires that the moneys in the fund
be available for the purpose of implementing the above program,
upon appropriation by the Legislature.
4) Authorizes the Health Professions Education Foundation (Foundation)
to implement various loan repayment programs and scholarships for
nurses, mental health service providers, and physicians.
AB 2551
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This bill:
1) Establishes the California Pharmacy Technician Scholarship and Loan
Repayment Program (Program) to provide scholarships to pay for
educational expenses of pharmacy technician students and to repay
qualifying educational loans of pharmacy technicians who agree to
serve in medically underserved areas within the state.
2) Requires the Foundation to administer the Program by following the
existing general guidelines of the federal National Health Service
Corps Scholarship Program. Specifically, this bill:
a) Authorizes a pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician
student as eligible for the Program if he or she agrees to
provide pharmacy technician services in a practice site located
in a specified area of the state as determined by the Health
Workforce Policy Commission.
b) Does not require matching funds from any entity in the
practice site area.
3) Establishes the California Pharmacy Technician Scholarship and Loan
Repayment Program Fund (Fund) in the State Treasury and requires
monies in the fund to be available for the purpose of implementing
the Program, upon appropriation of the Legislature and once the
Foundation determines the accumulation of sufficient moneys in the
fund.
4) Authorizes the Foundation to solicit and receive funds from
specified sources for the purpose of providing financial assistance
through the Program and deposit those moneys in the Fund.
FISCAL EFFECT: According to Assembly Appropriations Committee
analysis dated April 26, 2010, no direct fiscal impact is created by
authorizing the Health Professions Education Foundation to accept
donations to support the loan fund established by this bill.
COMMENTS:
1. Purpose. The Author is the Sponsor of this bill. According to the
Author, pharmacy technicians are the second largest field amongst
allied health professionals, but there is no comprehensive
statewide public or private financial aid program to meet the needs
of pharmacy technicians. Becoming a pharmacy technician requires
an associate degree in pharmacy technology, completion of a
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240-hour training course accredited by the American Society of
Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), or graduation from a school of
pharmacy accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical
Education (ACPE). Post-secondary education tuition ranges from
around $1664 in fees at a community college ($23,306 total cost) to
over $23,000 at a career or vocational college (not including
supplies or cost of living). Unfortunately, very few community
colleges in California provide training to become pharmacy
technicians, so most students rely on private, costly education to
become licensed.
2. Demand for Pharmacy Technicians. A report released in 2003 by
UCSF's Center for the Health Professions titled, Pharmacy
Technicians in California: Snapshot of an emerging profession,
highlighted the pharmacy technician field and some of its critical
issues. Specifically, the report states that the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics (BLS) recognizes pharmacy technicians as one of
the fastest growing occupations nationally through 2010. The
report also mentions the Pharmacy Manpower Taskforce created in
2001 by the Board, which acknowledged the important role played by
technicians in providing patient services and in ameliorating staff
shortages in California and discussed policy changes for staffing
ratios and for raising educational requirements.
In most practice settings, the primary role of a pharmacy
technician is to assist pharmacists in preparing and dispensing
medication. Under the direction of a pharmacist, they may
measure, mix, count, label, and record amounts and dosages of
medications. They may also clean equipment and sterilize
glassware, count stock and maintain medication inventory
records. Generally, in order to qualify for licensure as a
pharmacy technician, applicants must obtain an associate degree
in pharmacy technology, complete a training course accredited
by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, complete
a course that provides a minimum of 240 hours of instruction in
specified pharmacy-related areas, or graduate from a school of
pharmacy accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical
Education. In addition to preparing, packaging and
distributing prescriptions, pharmacy technicians often serve on
the frontline of health care delivery, assisting pharmacists
and patients to overcome linguistic and cultural barriers.
The pharmacy industry, in general, has ballooned over this
decade. The demand for pharmacy technicians across the country
will increase significantly through 2014 due to higher
pharmaceutical demands by a growing aging population, the need
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to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or leave
the labor force, and increased reliance on pharmacy technicians
by insurers, pharmacies and health systems for the purposes of
cost-containment. Many allied health professions are projected
to reach or have already reached critical shortages in
California.
As with physicians, nurses and dentists, there are many
challenges to the recruitment and retention of allied health
professionals in underserved areas.
3. Governor Schwarzenegger's Allied Health Initiative. On April 13,
2009, Governor Schwarzenegger unveiled his Allied Health Initiative
to provide the workforce demanded by our health care industry. This
three-year, $32 million public-private partnership plans to train
individuals for critically needed "allied health" professions,
including pharmacy technicians. This program, which plans to
utilize $8 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
(Recovery Act) funds, $8 million Workforce Investment Act funds,
and partners with Private contributors, such as schools and
hospitals to provide $16 million in matching funds or in-kind
contributions.
Starting fall 2009, the Allied Health Initiative planned to enroll
more than 700 additional allied health students in 25 community
colleges, and the program will continue for three years. This will
add to the over 50,000 students currently enrolled in health
occupation programs at the participating community colleges. While
the Governor's Office asserts that health care is a growing sector
in California, with 27,000 jobs created between January 2008 and
January 2009, there are still massive personnel shortages
throughout the state in hospitals and community clinics.
4. Previous Legislation. SB 615 (Oropeza, 2007-2008) would have
established a fee funded scholarship and loan repayment program for
pharmacy technicians. SB 615 was amended several times to reflect
changes requested by interested parties. The measure was vetoed by
the Governor and his veto message states:
"While I share the Author's goal of improving access to health
care in underserved areas, I cannot sign this bill as it
duplicates existing efforts. A similar scholarship program
already exists and is available to pharmacy technician students.
Specifically, the Healthcare Professional Education Foundation
administers the Allied Healthcare Scholarship Program which is
available to qualified individuals who apply for the scholarship.
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In addition, the shortage of pharmacy technicians is not well
documented by current workforce data. I am directing the
California Health and Human Services Agency to review the
potential shortage in the pharmacy technician workforce and
consider including this profession in health care workforce
discussions and activities underway."
NOTE : Double-referral to Health Committee (second.)
SUPPORT AND OPPOSITION:
Support: None on file as of June 15, 2010.
Opposition: None on file as of June 15, 2010.
Consultant:Antoinnae Comeaux