PHARMACY TECHNICIAN STUDENT DRUG TESTING

To advocate for the use of pre-enrollment, random, and for-cause drug testing as a mandatory component throughout any accredited or unaccredited pharmacy technician training program and practice experience, based on defined criteria with appropriate testing validation procedures; further,

To encourage pharmacy technician training programs to develop policies and processes to identify impaired individuals; further,

To encourage pharmacy technician training programs to facilitate access to and promote programs for treatment and to support recovery; further,

To encourage pharmacy technician training programs to use validated testing panels that have demonstrated effectiveness detecting commonly misused, abused, or illegally used substances.

Rationale

Pharmacy technicians are essential members of the healthcare team and help ensure the health, safety, and welfare of patients. They have access to controlled substances and confidential information, and operate in settings that require the exercise of good judgment and ethical behavior. In addition, some state boards of pharmacy have reported that drug- abusing and -diverting persons are enrolling in pharmacy technician training programs to access drugs during experiential training and employment. Thus, an assessment of a pharmacy technician student’s possible impairment, which could diminish his or her capacity to function in such a setting, is imperative to promote the highest level of integrity in healthcare services.

ASHP recognizes that drug testing pharmacy technician students, whose responsibilities may bring them into contact with controlled substances, is an essential element of diversion prevention programs. Pre-enrollment, random, and for-cause drug testing should be performed based on defined criteria, with appropriate testing validation procedures, and have demonstrated effectiveness detecting commonly abused or illegally used substances.