Target Audience

• Certified Pharmacy Technicians.

• Pharmacy Technician Students of Unitek College.

• This program is not approved for pharmacists.
  

Course Details

Chemotherapy Certification Course has been designed to train pharmacy technicians on the topic of sterile product preparation of cytotoxic drugs and aseptic technique, including standards of USP <797>.

Most health-system pharmacy settings require IV certification and/or prior experience for employment consideration. This course is designed to meet all applicable State Board of Pharmacy training requirements for IV Certified Pharmacy Technicians!
The ChemoChek Training and Certification Program is designed to provide a modular system for training an individual in the special technique necessary for safely handling chemotherapy drugs, and/or certifying Pharmacy Technician students as having mastered these special techniques.  It is intended for students who have already demonstrated competency in basic aseptic technique or as an adjunct to an aseptic technique training program.

Materials

• ChemoChek Training Kit

• Spill Kit

Why should you be certified?

There is potential health risks associated with handling chemotherapy drugs.  By using meticulous and correct preparation techniques and knowing the appropriate safety equipment to use, exposure can be minimized.

What are the goals of the certification?

To inform preparers of risks associated with handling chemotherapy and of the precautions necessary to reduce those risks.  To provide preparers with the skills and knowledge to safely prepare chemotherapy drugs.

How the course works?

Participants must complete seventeen separate modules of performance-based learning comprised of reading assignments and practical exams. A score of 70% or higher is required for each exam.  After completing the performance-based study modules and after all criteria of the performance objectives have been met, a Certificate of Completion will be sent to the participant. 

Purpose of the ChemoChek Certification Test.

To provide an objective system of evaluating the performance of individuals that ensures the skills and knowledge necessary to safely handle chemotherapy drugs have been mastered.

The course requirements include

• 17 Performance Based Modules

• Certification for performance and safety
  

Certification Criteria

Certain arbitrary limits have been assigned throughout the modules as the most conservative (not the most stringent) criteria to be employed.  For example, some modules require that if more than three dime-sized spots are visible under ultraviolet scanning upon completion of the procedure, the participant has not mastered the task and must repeat the procedure.  However, a participant of reasonable skill should be able to complete all of those modules with total of five or less dye spots visible when scanned.  Most breaks in the technique will produce spots that are quite small.  The use of the ‘dime-sized’ criteria is meant to eliminate the participant, who produces a large spill that results in only one spot from meeting the criteria of the Performance objectives.

Modules

 Text:  Introduction to Chemotherapy Drugs
 A1:  Don and Remove Protective Clothing
 A2:  Don and Remove Protective Clothing for Spills Cleanup &Preparing Chemotherapy Drugs Outside BSC
 B1:  Perform First Aid for Direct Skin/Eye Contact with Chemotherapy Drugs
 B2:  Clean up Spill Outside Biological Safety Cabinet
 B3:  Clean up Spill Inside Biological Safety Cabinet
 C1:  Disinfect Biological Safety Cabinet
 C2:  Decontaminate Biological Safety Cabinet
 D1:  Prepare Chemotherapy Drug for Transport and Delivery
 D2:  Set up Chemotherapy Drug Storage Area.
 E1:  Dispose of Chemotherapy Waste
 F1:  Withdraw Solution from a Vial and Inject into Small Volume Parenteral
 F2:  Withdraw Solution from a Vial and Prepare Syringe for Delivery.
 F3:  Withdraw Solution from a Vial and Inject into Large Volume Parenteral
 F4:  Withdraw Solution from Ampule and Inject into Large Volume Parenteral
 F5:  Prepare Chemotherapy Drug Outside Biological Safety Cabinet
 F6:  Prepare an Oral Chemotherapy Drug for Administration as a powder.

Training & Technique Validations

• Aseptic Hand Washing

• Vertical Laminar Airflow Hood Care or Biological Safety Cabinet

• Simulated Glove box

• Vial Manipulations

• Ampule Manipulations

• Hazardous Vial Manipulations

• Hazardous Ampule Manipulations

 What's Included?

Tuition includes: ChemoChek Training Kit and Spill kit, use of laboratory equipment and supplies, and an Official Certificate of Validated Kendall Tyco Training, upon successful completion.

Learning Objectives - IV Certification

At the completion of this program, you should be able to:

• Define aseptic compounding and explain the need for sterile products
• Distinguish between inhalants, enterals, topicals, ophthalmics, otics and parenteral dosage forms used in sterile products
• Explain why it is important that the parenteral administration route must be sterile or prepared aseptically
• Distinguish and explain the different forms of parenteral administration
• Explain the importance of aseptic technique in compounding.
• Explain the reason for each step in the proper procedure for cleaning a laminar flow biological safety cabinet.
• Describe the proper protective dress required in a clean room.  
• Show calculations related to products prepared using aseptic technique.
• Calculate the quantity of active ingredient needed for each preparation.
• Calculate the volume of active ingredient to add to an IV admixture.
• Describe how to prepare vials, bags, and ampules before placing them in the airflow hood.
• Explain the theory of clean air space.
• Define and explain the importance of proper aseptic technique.
• Explain how to manipulate supplies such as needles, filters and syringes.
• List and describe the different types of sterile products.
• Know the different uses for large-volume and small-volume IV bags.
• Describe what happens with cancer and cells.
• Explain how cytotoxic agents are used to treat cancer.
• Explain safety procedures for handling chemotherapy agents.
• Describe types of biological safety cabinets.
• Discuss appropriate procedures for preparing chemotherapy agents.
• List the hazards involved with preparing chemo agents.
• Describe how to clean a chemo spill.  
• Explain the necessity of quality control.
• State tasks that require quality assurance procedures.
• Help the pharmacist ensure the quality of all pharmaceutical services.
• List the principles of quality assurance to all pharmacy activities.
• Discuss the implications of USP chapter 797.
• Compare the various risk levels for differing compounded sterile preparations and the quality assurance requirements of each.