Embracing the Evolution of Pharmacy Technicians Post Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, like all of us, I could not help witness the extreme impact that it had on health care and our communities. There was an immediate need to highlight and maximize the role of pharmacy technicians by expanding their responsibilities in groundbreaking technology, medication safety, and vaccine distribution.

The excitement of these new responsibilities is contagious for technicians and provides hope for what the future might hold for their professional growth. Whether you are a new technician getting into the field or a seasoned professional, expanding technicians’ roles and responsibilities is a milestone within the profession and a game-changer within pharmacy for those who have a desire to be more involved and engaged with patients and other areas within the pharmacy. Technicians have come a long way from doing clerical work and filling prescriptions, and the scope of work has been dramatically broadened.

Through increased patient engagement and expanded scope, greater pharmacy technician involvement has helped streamline other pharmacy operations. As technicians, we are now trained to conduct various pharmacy duties, which frees the pharmacist to manage more intricate challenges and other areas of care management.

This is a collaborative effort that has been beneficial for both parties in providing a basic level of primary care to patients in our communities. In addition, it gives technicians a new and empowering sense of need, value, and potential for career growth and opportunity. During the global vaccination effort, our role as pharmacy technicians was, and remains, crucial. Specialized training for vaccine administration and the use of universal precautions while administering vaccines were critically important during the pandemic, in addition to providing patient education about the virus and potential treatment.

READ MORE