The Evolution of Pharmacy Practice — The Pharmacy Technician

Abstract

O ver the years the education of the pharmacy professional has evolved. Graduates of pharmacy schools are highly trained clinical pharmaceutical experts, who make an indispensable difference in the pharmaceutical care of their patients. The work of the pharmacy department in our health system includes complex evaluations of the pharmaceutical treatment plans, recommendations for appropriate drug therapy, collaborative drug therapy management, sterile product preparation, automated and manual medication distribution, and other traditional functions of a pharmacy department. In order to allow for the incorporation of the more complex activities that make up the overall care of the patient, the pharmacy technician has been employed to assist with the preparation of sterile products as well as other of the more traditional assisted functions that exist in the modern health-system pharmacy department. The training programs developed for these pharmacy technicians have resided in varied sources, including community college courses, private training programs, and of course the pharmacy itself. These programs lack standards, and the course work is as varied as the number of programs that exist. As the complexity of the work that pharmacy technicians perform expands, the need for welltrained employees is amplified. The nature of the work performed screams for standards in the training of these pharmacy technician professionals. These staff members are called upon to perform many functions that require complex mathematical calculations, expert dexterity, and timely and accurate performance. Their job frequently includes the handling of controlled substances and hazardous materials. Yet in many states, including New York,