TECHNICIAN-CHECKING-TECHNICIAN PROGRAMS

To advocate technician-checking-technician programs (with appropriate quality control measures) in order to permit redirection of pharmacist resources to patient care activities; further,

To advocate state board of pharmacy approval of these programs.

This policy was reviewed in 2023 by the Council on Pharmacy Management and by the Board of Directors and was found to still be appropriate.

Rationale

Technician-checking-technician (tech-check-tech) programs create advanced roles for certified pharmacy technicians with appropriate training and education. These programs allow pharmacists’ time to be redirected to additional clinical and cognitive functions, such as drug therapy management activities. Tech-check-tech programs, with appropriate quality control, are an acceptable alternative to pharmacists checking unit dose medication carts. Many state boards of pharmacy still require that pharmacists perform this activity and will consider exceptions to this requirement only upon specific request. Not all states allow technicians to perform final checks or allow them to do so only after obtaining a variance from the Board in limited situations. In 2022, 17 states allowed tech-check-tech programs with varying degrees of oversight (NABP 2022 Survey of Pharmacy Law, p. 60).