Without the help of pharmacy technicians, patient care would be compromised and the pharmacy profession would crumble. This may sound like a bold statement, but the vital importance of pharmacy technicians can't be understated. Read on to find out why pharmacy techs are needed more than ever.
1. Pharmacy Techs Save Lives With Their Compounding Expertise
Nowadays, pharmacy technicians are mainly the ones who compound medications for patients, especially IV medications. They have the dexterity and adaptability in this working environment. They are mostly on their feet while they are working in the IV room. Due to the critical nature of the drugs, they must be made in a sterile environment and per protocol for certain drugs.
For example, with the COVID-19 pandemic, technicians prepare a novel COVID-19 medication, named Remdesivir, and it has short stability; hence, they have to communicate with both the nurse and pharmacist before making it. Some technicians work to make specialized hazardous medications, such as chemotherapy agents. These medications can be toxic if accidentally spilled on the preparer or incorrectly made, as it could harm or delay recovery. Many precautions are taken to avoid accidents from occurring in this arena. In addition, these medications tend to be high cost, upwards of thousands of dollars per vial, which require extra attention to avoid waste. Oftentimes, most patients know the nurses that administer the medications or the doctor that they see but may not think about other critical staff members who are behind the scenes. Hence, it is important to know that we have pharmacy technicians to thank and recognize for making it possible to get medications to patients.
2. Pharmacy Techs Prevent Medication Errors by Retrieving Appropriate Medication History
One of the advanced pharmacy tech roles is a medication history pharmacy technician in a hospital setting. When patients arrive at a hospital, most patients are either incoherent or unprepared to provide their full medical and medication history to the healthcare team. In addition, there are circumstances where doctors and nurses don't have time to take a full, complete medication history. This could lead to medication errors, delays in care, or adverse health outcomes from inappropriate treatment due to lack of information.
A medication history pharmacy technician is a dedicated healthcare team member who takes the necessary time to talk with the patient and their family members to retrieve an accurate medication history. Patients may be upset with a pharmacy technician if they have to repeat themselves if they have already talked to a nurse or a doctor. However, for one's safety, it is worth the effort – especially if the technician deems the information to be incomplete. Sometimes, a call to the patient's home pharmacy may be needed to retrieve the information, as the patient may not recall the actual dose or name of the medication, or it may have been entered incorrectly.
By getting the medication history right at admission, it will help with the discharge process of going home as well, where doctors can either safely resume home medications or change them depending on the patient’s therapy. When healthcare records are not shared between the health system institutions, doctor's office, and pharmacy, it is paramount to get a complete medication history to provide effective care. Having a medication history technician in the Emergency Department (ED) is a crucial decision to prevent medication errors and improve patient safety.
3. Pharmacy Techs Ensure Medications Are Available Despite Supply Chain Disruptions
Another advanced pharmacy tech role is the inventory specialist, who manages the purchasing of the medications. Due to natural disasters and other unforeseen circumstances, medication supply may be limited, which impacts patient care and the ways doctors treat patients.
For example, with Hurricane Maria, 80 manufacturing industries were located in Puerto Rico, which disrupted chain supply to hospitals in the US. In 2018, during the flu season, basic IV fluid such as sodium chloride was in short supply. In these situations, the inventory specialists collaborate with pharmacy leadership and the healthcare team to alleviate the stress on patient care. When a commercial product becomes unavailable, it falls back on pharmacy technicians to compound these items in bulk, which creates extra stress as it is an additional workload to their already hectic workflow. The inventory specialist serves as an important gatekeeper for inventory management and acts as a leader in the drug supply chain to ensure patients get their medications when they are needed.
Being a pharmacy technician is a very stimulating and challenging, yet rewarding role. Overall, pharmacy technicians are the lifelines to the industry of the pharmacy, as they help pharmacists to practice at the top of their profession. Without pharmacy technicians, patients would suffer by not having their treatment when they need it. The bottom line is that pharmacy technicians play a vital role in delivering effective care while maintaining patient safety. Let's recognize them each day and not just on #RxTechDay!
