Trends in the Pharmacy Technician Field

Healthcare Trends and Pharmacy Technician Practice

Trends in the pharmacy field are continuously changing to meet the demands of the patient population. In the article Pharmacy in the 21st century: Enhancing the impact of the profession of pharmacy on people’s lives in the context of health care trends, evidence, and policies, it examines healthcare trends that are impacting the pharmacy profession.

The scope of practice for both pharmacy technicians and pharmacists is continuously evolving and varies between the provinces and territories in Canada (https://www.napra.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/NAPRA-Scope-of-Practice-Pharmacy-Technicians-EN-2023-08.pdf), but it is imperative that we keep up to date with the healthcare trends in to meet the needs of our patients; whether in acute-care, community , or long-term care pharmacy practice.

Healthcare trends that are impacting the profession of pharmacy include polypharmacy, deprescribing, government policies, patient-centered practice, and advancements in technologies to name a few. So, how do these trends affect the roles of pharmacy technicians? These trends impact the way that pharmacy technicians provide safe and effective care to their patients. It also establishes the pharmacy technician’s role as a member of the patient’s healthcare team. We are able to work collaboratively with pharmacists in the dispensing of medications by entering, filling, and checking a medication, receiving a verbal order from a patient’s health care provider (excluding narcotics, benzodiazepines, targeted and controlled substances); assist patient’s with selecting an appropriate medical device to manage their conditions (e.g., blood glucose monitor, blood pressure monitor, etc.), and teach the patient how to use their medical device.

Pharmacy technicians whether currently practicing or studying to become a pharmacy technician must be given opportunities to learn about:

• patient-centered care – having the patient/client involved in their care, health goals, and their medication treatment;
• medical devices and how to teach our patients;
• injection training in order to provide routine vaccines to their clients/patients;
• performing a best possible medication history (BPMH) to understand how a patient is actually taking their medication and to alert the pharmacist of any medication adherence that may be due to complicated medication regime, not understanding how and why they need their medication, and if financial reasons prevent the patient from taking their medication as prescribed;
• point-of-care testing performed with POCT devices including but not limited to blood glucose, coagulation (INR), urinalysis (basic), hemoglobin A1C, cholesterol, detection of microorganisms, and creatinine (Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists, 2023);
• trauma-informed care, including concepts such as cultural safety, harm reduction, to prevent traumatization or retraumatization to our patients;
• various technologies utilized in pharmacy practice to provide safe and effective care to our patients and reduce medication errors for example, automated dispensing systems, electronic health record management, bar-coding, and robotics.

As an instructor in a pharmacy technician program, I need to continuously assess my skills and continue my education in pharmacy practice in order to provide my students with the information and practices that they need to become regulated pharmacy technicians and meet the demands of their patients.

References:

Baehr, G. (2022). Trauma Informed Care Basics for Pharmacy Professionals. British Columbia Pharmacy Association. https://www.bcpharmacy.ca/tablet/fall-22/indigenous-trauma-informed-care-basics-pharmacy-professionals

Dolovich et al. (2019). Pharmacy in the 21st century: Enhancing the impact of the profession of pharmacy on people’s lives in the context of health care trends, evidence and policies. Sage Journals. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1715163518815717

NAPRA. (2023). Scope of Practice for Pharmacy Technicians in Canadian Jurisdictions. National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities.https://www.napra.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/NAPRA-Scope-of-Practice-Pharmacy-Technicians-EN-2023-08.pdf

Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists. (2023). Standards of Practice: Testing. https://www.nspharmacists.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SOP_Testing_March2023.pdf