Listening to Technicians—Revisited

Abstract

Who is listening to technicians? It appears, after many years of struggling to get the attention of pharmacists, that technicians are finally making inroads. The American Society of Hospital Pharmacists (ASHP) is taking a leadership position for pharmacy, and is focusing its attention on technician certification. ASHP needs the vocal support of techni­ cians as individuals, and collectively through their local chapters and APT. However, technicians need to be cer­ tain, in voicing support, that they are being heard, and that their needs are being properly addressed. In my March/April 1990 editorial on this same topic, I pointed out that 76 percent of the technicians in a sur­ vey favored certification.1 went on to say in my July/ August editorial, If APT could obtain a commitment from the American Pharmaceutical Association (APhA) or the ASHP to work toward the single goal of national certification, it could become reality in five years or less. It is too early to know to what extent technicians will have a voice in shaping their own destiny; we earnestly hope that ASHP will be listening to APT on this issue. One building block ASHP could construct to enhance dialog on all technician issues would be to either estab­ lish a joint committee with APT, or appoint a represen­ tative to serve as liaison with APT. Establishing a joint committee would be the preferred alternative. ASHP now has two joint committees: one with the American Hospital Association and the other with APhA. ASHP has 34 representatives to other organizations in its most recent listing. It includes pharmacy organizations as well as such bodies as: Ad Hoc Professional Advisory Planning Group for FDA, Health Industry Business Communications Council, National Coalition for Adult Immunization, Oncology Nursing Society, and Phar­ macy Manpower Steering Committee. Who else is listening to technicians? Some of the state boards of pharmacy are listening. In previous issues we have reported extensively on the California situation in which technicians have had the opportunity to be heard by the Board of Pharmacy, even though the outcome was not positive. 5 ' 6 More recently, the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy held an open hearing on tech­ nicians and heard testimony from technician Dorothyanne Lipps. Space restrictions do not permit publishing her remarks in their entirety; however, some excerpts appear below.