Arlington, Va. (PRWEB) March 16, 2015

Illustrating its commitment to expanding access to patient services, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) announces the expansion and acquisition of a certificate program designed to provide training for pharmacists to administer point-of-care testing and other health assessments in pharmacies. The official kick-off of the Community Pharmacy-Based Point-of-Care Testing certificate program will begin in April with a national, multi-city tour at colleges and universities of pharmacies nationwide. At each stop of the tour, participants will complete the certificate program on the first day and a “train-the-trainer” program on the second day so that they can learn how to teach the program to other pharmacists.

Registration for the national, multi-city tour certificate programs is limited, so those interested in participating should complete this survey to begin the application process.

Point-of-care testing empowers clinicians to use effective, fast technology to aid their decision making at the “point-of-care” to improve patient health. Pharmacy-based point-of-care testing is done as part of care coordination.

Designed for community pharmacy, academia and pharmacy association staff, the Community Pharmacy-Based Point-of-Care Testing certificate program will train participants to administer a variety of point-of-care tests, as well as health and physical assessments. Specifically, the accredited certificate program includes 20 hours of Continuing Pharmacy Education (CPE) credit, for those who successfully complete course requirements and assessments, including 12 hours of home study and eight hours of live training about disease states, physical assessments, point-of-care tests, collaborative practice models and business models.

The extensive education and training of pharmacists qualifies them to provide a host of services, including point-of-care testing. The NACDS point-of-care testing certificate program, developed by faculty at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Ferris State University will further complement their robust pharmacy education.

“While patients continue to look to their pharmacist as a steward of medication safety and effectiveness, more and more patients are looking to their pharmacists to provide innovative services that further help maintain their health and wellness, including point-of-care testing,” said NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE. “In light of the evolution of convenient and accessible healthcare care services, this NACDS certificate program demonstrates the education and training of pharmacists, and empowers greater access to services that can help improve patient health.”

With generous support from Quidel, a leading manufacturer of diagnostic healthcare solutions that can lead to improved patient outcomes, the registration fee for participants of the two-day training programs during the national tour will be waived.

This release can also be found on the NACDS website.

NACDS is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.

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NACDS represents traditional drug stores and supermarkets and mass merchants with pharmacies. Chains operate more than 40,000 pharmacies, and NACDS’ 125 chain member companies include regional chains, with a minimum of four stores, and national companies. Chains employ more than 3.8 million individuals, including 175,000 pharmacists. They fill over 2.7 billion prescriptions yearly, and help patients use medicines correctly and safely, while offering innovative services that improve patient health and healthcare affordability. NACDS members also include more than 800 supplier partners and nearly 40 international members representing 13 countries. For more information, visit http://www.NACDS.org.

Pharmacies. The face of neighborhood healthcare.







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