Should well-trained pharmacy technicians assume more responsibility for nonjudgmental activities in the pharmacy?
Expanding the role of the pharmacy technician is a very emotional issue. Does giving the well-trained pharmacy technician independent responsibility for nonjudgmental activities free up the pharmacist for an expanded role? Or will it simply allow managers to replace some pharmacist positions with lower-salaried pharmacy technicians? For me, these are the 2 sides of the story that revolve around the issue of why we should or should not expand the role of the pharmacy technician. Perhaps complicating this decision, most recently, is the growing oversupply of pharmacists. Although I do not believe we should let the need to assure jobs for pharmacists determine the appropriate pharmacy technician role, this trend does factor into it for many pharmacists with whom I interact. Most of those who are promoting an expanded pharmacy technician role are basing their position on using well-trained pharmacy technicians who have completed an accredited pharmacy technician training program and passed
