Legal status and functions of hospital-based pharmacy technicians and their relationship to clinical pharmacy services

Abstract

The relationships among (1) laws and regulations governing hospital-based pharmacy technicians, (2) functions pharmacy technicians perform, and (3) pharmacists' provision of clinical pharmacy services were studied. A state-level technician-restriction score was developed, based on state rules and regulations in effect in 1989. Scoring included (1) type of supervision required for hospital-based pharmacy technicians, (2) ratio of technicians to pharmacists, (3) pharmacist-only reconstitution of injectable products, and (4) pharmacist-only counting and pouring. Actual use of hospital pharmacy technicians was measured with the technician-use index, and overall provision of clinical pharmacy services was measured with the pharmaceutical-care index. Based on the technician-restriction scores, 25 states and the District of Columbia were categorized as having less restrictive laws and 25 states as having more restrictive laws. Technician use varied with hospital size, teaching affiliation, owner-ship, type of drug delivery system, and education level of the director of pharmacy. Use of pharmacy technicians increased with the severity of hospital-patient illness treated. A fair correlation was found between the pharmaceutical-care index and the technician-use index. A positive association was found between pharmacy technician use and pharmacists' provision of clinical pharmacy services.