Whenever a customer walks into a pharmacy, the pharmacist generally knows what to expect. The big question though is, what about all those other people surrounding the pharmacist? Are they interns, are they techs, and what can they do to help a patient receive their prescription accurately and in a timely fashion?
The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board defines a pharmacy technician as a person who works under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist and performs many pharmacy-related functions. The technician has a vital role in the pharmacy, although recent media reports might tell a different story.
Indeed the nation’s papers have featured a number of stories about medication errors at the pharmacy, and many of these reports have questioned the role of the tech. One highly reported pharmacy error even led to the drafting of a national bill that supports a national standard for pharmacy technician certification.
More than two years ago, 2-year-old Emily Jerry received a compounded prescription. But, instead of using a pre-packaged solution containing less than 1
percent salt, a technician filled the bag with almost 26 times that level. The infant’s reaction to the mix was fatal. In response, U.S. Rep. Steve La Tourette, R-Ohio, proposed “Emily’s Act,” otherwise known as the Pharmacy Technician Training and Registration Act of 2008, which calls for all pharmacy technicians across the country be trained, registered and certified.
Some groups argue the La-Tourette bill is not a perfect fix, and disagreements have arisen regarding how many technicians there should be per pharmacist. The La Tourette bill calls for a two-
to-one ratio, but some argue that there shouldn’t be a ratio at all; rather, it should be left up to the company, independent pharmacy owner, or state board of pharmacy.
A survey released by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board in December suggested that Americans had serious misperceptions about requirements and qualifications of the techs that help pharmacists prepare prescriptions. According to the research, it seems the vast majority of Americans believe that all pharmacy
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