Pharmacy-based Test and Treat Certificate Training Program
The Pharmacy-based Test and Treat certificate training program is a practice-based curriculum based on national educational standards that prepares pharmacists to provide point-of-care testing (POCT) and diagnostic services for minor, nonchronic health conditions that can be managed with minimal treatment or self-care. Learners gain experience in identifying opportunities to expand patient-centered services across pharmacy settings with POCT, describing and performing appropriate physical assessments, and applying this information to patient cases. Newly added for the 2023 sessions is a complimentary module on the treatment of COVID-19 with Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir-ritonavir) to supplement your test and treat training!
Multiple live offerings are hosted virtually online. Each offering begins at 8:00 AM EST and concludes at 5:00 PM EST. Each session will be live, online - they will NOT be in person. To register and attend, please select “Add to Cart” and pay. Once paid, you will receive access to the course within 48 hours through your My Training landing page via the Learning Library, at which time you will be able to select the session you want to attend. (You are only required to attend one session.)
The scheduled sessions are:
- Saturday, June 8, 2024 - Live virtual session from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern Time
- Saturday, August 24, 2024 - Live virtual session from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern Time
- Saturday, October 26, 2024 - Live virtual session from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern Time
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Program summary
The Pharmacy-based Test and Treat certificate training program is a practice-based curriculum based on national educational standards that prepares pharmacists to provide point-of-care testing (POCT) and diagnostic services for minor, nonchronic health conditions that can be managed with minimal treatment or self-care. Learners gain experience in identifying opportunities to expand patient-centered services across pharmacy settings with POCT, describing and performing appropriate physical assessments, and applying this information to patient cases.
Pharmacy-based Test and Treat empowers pharmacists to perform diagnostic tests in an in-person clinical setting. This pharmacist-led service increases patients’ access to health care by allowing pharmacists to perform appropriate physical assessments and diagnostic tests and to treat patients based on a combination of physical and diagnostic test results. This on-site, pharmacist-led clinical service uses Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments-waived (CLIA-waived) laboratory tests and increases patients’ access to clinical care and treatment in addition to potentially reduce the number of patient sick days by increasing access to health care services.
Pharmacists will gain the skills necessary to perform physical assessments and identify appropriate testing and diagnostic procedures to treat the following health conditions:
- Infectious diseases including influenza and streptococcus
- Skin conditions and fungal infections including mild acne, vaginal candidiasis, and tinea infections
- Minor, uncomplicated viral and bacterial infections including urinary tract infection, allergic rhinitis, and herpes zoster
This certificate training program includes a live, online seminar with a practical hands-on training session. Learners will be expected to demonstrate techniques for the following diagnostic tests:
- Throat swab
- Oral fluid collection
- Nasal swab
- Finger stick testing
Activity preview
The Pharmacy-based Test and Treat certificate training program prepares pharmacists to provide POCT and diagnostic services for minor, nonchronic health conditions that are manageable with minimal treatment or self-care. Participants will learn how to develop, implement, and grow POCT and diagnostic services to benefit patients, the profession, and business performance. The program also focuses on the relationship between the pharmacist and other clinicians in the goal of providing patient-centered care.
The purpose of this certificate training program is to develop pharmacists in all areas of pharmacy practice and to prepare pharmacists with comprehensive knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to provide POCT services to patients across the life span.
- Activity Type: Practice-based
- Target Audience: Pharmacists in all practice settings
- Learning Level: Level 3
Goals and learning objectives:
Educate pharmacists about
- Pharmacists’ ability to effectively provide point-of-care and diagnostic services
- Appropriate POCT for minor, nonchronic health conditions
- Contraindications to treatment, exclusion criteria for testing and treating, and physician referral criteria
- Good Laboratory Practices for preparing the testing site, sample collection, testing, and recording and reporting test results
- Pharmacist-led POCT and diagnostic services
- Best practices related to the pharmacists’ patient care process
- Development and maintenance of a relationship with clinicians
Prepare pharmacists to
- Advance public health and patient care through improved access to POCT and diagnostic services.
- Select, recommend, and/or prescribe effective treatments.
- Discuss CLIA-waived laboratory requirements.
- Safely administer and perform POCT services.
- Partner with physicians to increase patient-centered care.
Direct pharmacist to resources necessary to
- Effectively communicate with patients and other stakeholders about health resources.
- Provide POCT and diagnostic services in compliance with legal and regulatory standards.
- Access regularly updated information about CLIA-waived diagnostic tests.
About the self-study learning
The first component of the certificate training program is composed of 4 modules and focuses on reviewing POCT, managing nonchronic health conditions, and implementing and entering into a test-and-treat protocol with a supervising physician. This portion of the program also includes a final assessment that requires the learner to pass with a score of at least 70%.
Self-study learning objectives
Module 1: Overview of test-and-treat and point-of-care testing
At the completion of this module, participants will be able to
- Describe the role of pharmacists and opportunities for expanded roles for pharmacists in POCT.
- Identify opportunities for pharmacists to use POCT under an established protocol in pharmacy practice.
- Describe research findings regarding pharmacists’ use of POCT to test and treat minor nonchronic conditions such as influenza and Group A streptococcus.
- Describe the steps for developing a pharmacy-based CLIA-waived laboratory.
- Develop processes to meet Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Bloodborne Pathogen Standards.
- Apply criteria to select point-of-care devices.
- Develop policies and procedures for a CLIA-waived laboratory.
- Summarize Good Laboratory Practices for preparing the testing site, sample collection, testing, and recording and reporting test results.
- Describe the basic process of specimen collection for POCT.
- Describe the technique involved for the specimen collection types discussed.
Module 2: Pharmacotherapy for POCT, part 1
Common viral and bacterial infections (i.e., mild acne, burns, vaginal candidiasis, tinea infections, headlice, and bite prophylaxis)
At the completion of this module, participants will be able to
- Identify patients who should receive treatment for these conditions according to current recommendations.
- Perform patient assessment, including identification of “red flags” indicating more severe illness and appropriate actions.
- Conduct appropriate POCT for these conditions.
- Select safe and effective treatments.
- List contraindications to treatment and exclusion criteria for testing and treating for these conditions in the pharmacy setting.
- Identify when referral to a physician is necessary.
Module 3: Pharmacotherapy for POCT, part 2
Skin conditions, fungal infections, and uncomplicated viral and bacterial infections (i.e., allergic rhinitis, cough, urinary tract infection, herpes zoster, and cold sores)
At the completion of this module, participants will be able to
- Identify patients who should receive treatment for these conditions according to current recommendations.
- Perform patient assessment, including identification of “red flags” indicating more severe illness and appropriate actions.
- Conduct appropriate POCT for these conditions.
- Select safe and effective treatments.
- List contraindications to treatment and exclusion criteria for testing and treating for these conditions in the pharmacy setting.
- Identify when referral to a physician is necessary.
Module 4: Implementing test-and-treat protocol supervision
At the completion of this module, participants will be able to
- Explain the purpose of a business plan.
- List the core components of a typical business plan.
- Describe the elements required for an effective patient-focused POCT and treatment service.
- Discuss considerations and preparations needed prior to performing POCT.
- Identify issues related to billing insurers for POCT in a pharmacy.
- Review successful business models for POCT in the pharmacy, best-practice billing techniques, and patient and provider communication strategies.
About the live online seminar
The second component of the Pharmacy-based Test and Treat certificate training program is an active learning seminar focusing on pharmacy practice implementation of POCT and diagnostic services. The live training seminar is based on the experience of practitioners involved in POCT advocacy and administration. The training seminar reinforces and expands on the self-study program and addresses areas such as the pharmacist-physician relationship, writing and entering into a supervised protocol agreement, and developing a business model.
Participants will be expected to perform physical assessments and techniques for the following diagnostic tests:
- Throat swab
- Oral fluid collection
- Nasal swab
- Finger stick testing
At the completion of this module, participants will be able to:
- Review considerations, preparations, and successful business models for performing POCT.
- Identify opportunities for expanding patient-centered services in community pharmacy settings using POCT.
- Discuss the value and limitations of patient-reported symptoms, medical history, and drug allergies.
- Describe and perform physical assessments when appropriate to patient care, which may include but are not limited to
- Blood pressure
- Pulse
- Respiratory rate
- Oxygenation
- Cervical lymph node inspection
- Body temperature
- Examination of throat and lungs.
- Perform the following specimen collections used in POCT:
- Throat swab
- Oral fluid collection
- Nasal swab
- Finger stick
- Apply this information to patient-specific cases.
Seminar Agenda
- Check-in
- Welcome, introductions and acknowledgments
- Part 1: Application of knowledge and skills for minor, nonchronic health conditions
- Lunch
- Part 2: Writing and entering into a supervised protocol agreement
- Part 3: Developing a business model
- Part 4: Selecting POCT devices, developing policies and procedures, and employee training
- Part 5: Review of specimen collection administration and collection technique and skills assessment
Accreditation Information
The American Pharmacists Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. The Pharmacy-based Test and Treat certificate training program is approved for a total of 20.0 contact hours of continuing pharmacy education (CPE) credit (2.0 CEUs). The ACPE Universal Activity Numbers (UAN) for this activity are listed below.
Successful completion of the self-study component involves passing the self-study assessment with a grade of 70% or higher and will result in 12 contact hours of CPE credit (1.2 CEUs). ACPE UAN: 0202-0000-22-135-H01P
Successful completion of the live online seminar component involves attending the full live seminar, performing physical assessments and techniques, and completing the online assessment and evaluation. Successful completion of this component will result in 8 contact hours of CPE credit (0.8 CEU). ACPE UAN: 0202-0000-22-136-L01-P / 0202-9999-22-136-L01-P
To obtain 20.0 contact hours of CPE credit (2.0 CEUs) for the Pharmacy-based Test and Treat certificate training program, the learner must complete all components listed above and claim credit for each component. Participants will need to have a valid APhA (pharmacist.com) username and password as well as a CPE Monitor account to claim credit. After credit has been claimed, please visit CPE Monitor for your transcript. The Certificate of Achievement will be available online upon successful completion of the necessary activity requirements on the participant’s My Training page.
- Release Date: March 18, 2022
- Expiration Date: March 18, 2025—PLEASE NOTE: NO Home Study credit granted after this date; Live Credit can only be granted within 60 days from the day of the seminar attended.
Development
APhA's Pharmacy-based Test and Treat certificate training program is a joint program between APhA and the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. The program was developed by the University of Florida. Copyright © 2021 by the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. All rights reserved.