Advancement of Technician Roles
Key Points
- Technician role advancement is an essential part of improving pharmacy workflow and patient care activities.
- With nationally certified technicians taking on more responsibility (e.g. receiving verbal orders, final product verification) pharmacists can delegate to have more time for clinical tasks.
- Nationally certified technicians: Individuals who have completed specified training and passed the national licensing exam.
Pharmacist Responsibilities - In many settings, the pharmacists’ workload exceeds the hours in a day. Problem - This limits the amount of time pharmacists spend on clinical tasks (e.g. patient counseling, drug interaction assessment, etc.).
Qualified Technicians - Technicians who have obtained national licensing have demonstrated they have the knowledge, skills, and clinical proficiency to assist pharmacists in healthcare settings. Problem - Current legislation has not caught up to this national certification accomplishment as there is room to broaden technician responsibilities.
Safety - A study assessing the safety of a tech-check-tech practice model in the community pharmacy setting was conducted in 2017. This study found that this model can be safe and effective in this setting. Problem - Currently, this model is only allowed in hospitals even though the safety benefit when practicing in a community setting is clear.
Continuing to advance technician roles within pharmacies improves patient safety and allows pharmacists to spend more time on clinical responsibilities to improve patient care. Nationally licensed technicians have proven capability to complete advanced roles through training, examination, and continued education.
Next Steps for Indiana
Pass legislation that helps to advance the practice of pharmacy technicians.