Medication Tech

A Medication Assistant is defined as an individual who completes a Board approved 16 hour Medication Administration Training Program. In addition, the law also required that Medication Assistants be registered with the Board of Nursing. Once the Medication Assistant is registered with the Board, the Medication Assistant can administer selected medications to individuals in selected community based setting, when: 1) a registered nurse has delegated this function; and, 2) the registered nurse was available to supervise, instruct and evaluate the Medication Assistant's performance. The settings that the Medication Assistant could function in included but were not limited to: assisted living, a Developmental Disabilities alternative living unit, the Department of Juvenile Service's residential placement programs, and the school health setting. In order for the individual to be eligible to take the Board approved Medication Assistant Training Program, the person had to be employed in the setting and be recommended by their employer. An individual is not required to be a Certified Nursing Assistant to become a Medication Assistant.

How to Become a Medication Technician

The Certified Medication Technician (CMT), is an individual who has completed the Board approved 20 hour training program in medication administration. The medication technician who has completed this required training and who is certified by the Board may administer medications at the delegation of and under the supervision of registered nurses to clients in a community based setting. The registered nurse, case manager/delegating nurse must make an on site home visit to the client setting at a minimum of every 45 days.

Only registered nurses may teach the 20 hour Board approved medication administration training program for the medication technician. There are medication technician training programs specific to Juvenile Service, Developmental Disabilities, Assisted Living and School Health. You must be employed in one of these settings to be trained as a medication technician.

Upon successful completion of the Board approved medication technician training program and submission of the medication technician application for certification to the Board, an individual may function as medication technician under the delegation and supervision of the registered nurse, case manager/delegating nurse for no more than 90 days while awaiting certification by the Board. Should an individual not appear on the web page as a certified medication technician within 90 days, the individual must cease practice. Each individual medication technician will be issued a MBON certificate as a medication technician. The initial certification process takes approximately six weeks.

It is the responsibility of the registered nurse, case manager/delegating nurse who taught the medication training program and/or who is delegating to the medication technician to verify that the medication technician certification appears on the Board's web page.

Each medication technician must renew the certification as a medication technician every two years following the date of the first renewal. In addition, the CMT must also practice as a CMT for 100 hours in the two (2) years immediately preceding the renewal date in order to renew his or her certification. The medication technician certification renewal process consists of two steps. The first is completing the required four (4) hour Clinical Update. The second step is completing the paper renewal form which will be mailed by the Board to the individual's last known address.

Only the registered nurses, case manager/delegating nurse who has completed the RN, case manager/delegating nurse 16 hour training program may teach the Board approved Medication Technician Training Program and the required two year Medication Technician Clinical Update.

An individual is not required to be a certified nursing assistant to become a certified medication technician. Employment in the Juvenile Service setting, or the Developmental Disabilities setting or the School Health setting or Assisted Living setting is required for entry into the medication technician training program.

Initial Certification For New Medication Technicians)

The applicant must:

• Complete a Board approved medication technician training program.
• Complete a medication technician application including submitting 2"x2" passport size photo and paying a twenty dollar initial application fee.
• Be 18 years of age to apply for certification as a medication technician.
• The application must be signed by the RN approved to teach the medication technician training program.
• The Board will certify the eligible applicant and issue a medication technician certificate.
• Should the medication technician change practice settings, the employer is responsible for assuring that a RN approved to teach the Medication Technician Training Program specific to the practice setting, teaches the medication technician course content specific to that new practice setting.
• Effective January, 2008 the new medication technician will receive the designation for the practice setting in which he/she were initially trained e.g. "Medication Technician – School Health."
• The initial CMT certificate will be effective until applicant's next birth date. This may be less than 2 years for the initial CMT certification.

Renewal of the Medication Technician Certificate

The medication technician:

1. Will renew the certificate every two years following the date of the first renewal.
2. Certification will expire on the 28th day of the individual's birth month.
3. An individual born in an even year will renew in an even year. An individual who was born in an odd year will renew in an odd year.
4. The Board will mail the medication technician a renewal form for renewal of the certificate 60 to 90 days prior to the expiration date of the certificate. If the MT does not receive a renewal application it is the MT's responsibility to contact the Board and request a renewal application.
5. The medication technician must successfully complete a Board approved Clinical Update specific to his/her practice setting within 90 days prior to the medication technician certificate expiring. For example, if the individual CMT certificate expires September 28, 2007 the individual would need to complete a CMT Clinical Update sometime between June 28, 2007 and September 28, 2007.
6. In addition, there is a thirty (30) day grace period beyond the date of expiration of the certificate to renew. Therefore, the individual has an additional 30 days following expiration of the certificate to obtain the Clinical Update.
7. Effective October 1, 2007 the CMT must have 100 hours of practice as a CMT in the two (2) years immediately preceding the CMT renewal.
8. The Registered Nurse approved to teach the medication technician training program must submit the MT's Clinical Update verification electronically, (please see - Online License Renewal, MT Update at www.mbon.org).
9. The individual must complete the renewal form, pay the fee and return the renewal form to the Board. The renewal form fee is $30.00.
10. The Board will electronically match the Clinical Update verification and the medication technician renewal form. Please refer to the Board's Online Verification System at www.mbon.org or the automated phone verification system at 410-585-1994.
11. If one fails to obtain the Clinical Update before the expiration of the grace period the CMT will be required to repeat the 20 hour CMT Training program.