Future Role of the Pharmacy Technician

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Future Role of the Pharmacy Technician
June, 2009 Wendy Harris Deputy Registrar and
Director of Regulation Royal Pharmaceutical
Society of Great Britain
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Future Role of the Pharmacy Technician

• Introduction
• Drivers and enablers to developing the role
• Core and specialist / advanced roles
• Regulation from voluntary to statutory
• Regulatory perspective of the legislative changes
  affecting the role of technicians
• Challenges for the future

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Drivers and Enablers (i)

• Establishment of APTUK 1952
• Qualifications for support staff
• Pharmacy in a New Age 1995
• RPSGB review of skill mix within pharmacy 1998

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Drivers and Enablers (ii)

• Health Act 1999
• NHS Plan and Pharmacy in the Future 2000
• Pharmacy Workforce in the New NHS 2002
• Regulation of Healthcare Support Workers 2004
• NHS Pharmaceutical Services contract 2005
• Agenda for Change 2004
• Trust Assurance and Safety 2007
• Pharmacy White Paper 2007 (England)
• Healthcare Associated Professions No 2 Order

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What is skill mix?

• .the balance between trained and untrained,
  qualified and unqualified, and supervisory and
  operative staff within a service area. The
  optimum skill mix is.. associated with efficient
  deployment of trained, qualified and supervisory
  personnel and the maximisation of contributions
  from staff.
• (Adapted from Nessling, 1990).

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Pharmacy technician core day-one role (i)

• Prescription receipt and collection
• Dispensing medicines and products, including
  in-process accuracy checking
• Preparing medicines extemporaneously for
  individual use
• Ordering, receiving, storing and issuing
  pharmaceutical stock

(Based on revised L3 national occupational
standards qualification structure, Skills for
Health 2009)
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Pharmacy technician core day-one role(ii)

• Dealing with pharmaceutical queries
• Reflecting on and developing practice
• Providing a pharmacy customer service
• Processing pharmaceutical queries
• Reducing risks to health safety in the
  workplace

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Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
Draft Pharmacy Practice Framework for
Pharmacy Technicians
Function A Understand and observe professional
obligations and guidelines
Be aware of the requirements of the Code of
Ethics and follow the principles it lays down
Function B Secure, whenever responsible, the
safe, rational and cost-effective use of
medicines
Maintain access to, and apply critically, an
appropriate evidence base relating to the safe,
rational and cost effective use of medicines
Apply, with others as relevant and appropriate,
the evidence base to the development of medicines
use policies
Encourage health and well-being of patients and
the public
Function C Promote, evaluate and improve the
health of individuals
Role 1 Use pharmacy, and integrate pharmacy with
healthcare systems, to improve health outcomes
and delivery and to increase safety and
effectiveness
Support access to and understanding of health
information
Identify problems and solutions to improve the
health of individuals
Apply knowledge of pharmacy policy, direction and
decisions to improve health
Function D Advocate and support policies and
strategies that promote improved health
Play an active role with public and professional
groups to promote improved health
Collaborate with health care professionals and
others in their efforts to improve health
Function E Engage in research into the science
of medicines and their use and the practice of
pharmacy
Contribute to the discovery, design, evaluation
and development of new medicines and products
Investigate and contribute to research
developmental activities that improve health,
support public health enhance pharmacy practice
Identify and address gaps in the knowledge and
skills and behaviour of students, colleagues and
other healthcare professionals
Function F Engage with the education, training
and mentoring of students, colleagues and
healthcare professionals
Contribute to the selection or development of
learning activities to meet identified needs and
goals
Implement or facilitate learning activities and
assess outcomes
Contribute to improving quality and relevance of
education and training
Create, maintain and enhance effective working
relationships
Function G Create, maintain and enhance working
relationships with others in relation to the
science of medicines and their use, the practice
of pharmacy and the provision of health care
Exchange information and advice with others
Use pharmaceutical knowledge to contribute
effectively to meeting the goals of
multi-professional teams
KEY
Day one technician role, function or activity
Role, function or activity not applicable to day
one technician
v3.2 03.09
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Draft Practice Framework for Pharmacy Technicians
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Function A Develop and maintain quality systems
Function B Produce drug preparations and
products
Function C Obtain and store drug preparations
and products
ROLE 3 Ensure safe and effective systems are
in place to manage risk inherent in the practice
of pharmacy and the delivery of pharmaceutical
services
Function D Distribute drug preparations and
products
Function E Dispose of drug preparations and
products
Function F Maintain, to limits of
responsibility, a productive, healthy and safe
working environment
Function G Engage with the management of staff
and other resources within the workplace
Function H Play the appropriate role in systems
to oversee the supply of medicines and to provide
products and high quality services
Function I Minimise practice errors and
omissions, unsafe practices and professional
misconduct
Draft Practice Framework for Pharmacy Technicians
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Use reflective practice and appraisal to create
and maintain a professional development plan to
improve current future performance
Function A Plan and implement personal
development strategies to improve current and
future performance
Monitor, evaluate and record development
achievements
Use learning skills to comply with practice
requirements and to pursue professional
progression
Function B Play an active role in the
pharmacy-based and multi-disciplinary systematic
monitoring and review of the quality of service
provision and the implementation of service
improvement measures
Draft Practice Framework for Pharmacy Technicians
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Pharmacy technician day-one optional community
pharmacy roles

• Sale of over the counter medicines and the
  provision of information to customers on symptoms
  and products
• Processing prescriptions
• Providing services outside the pharmacy
• Supplying appliances
• Preparation for MUR
• Contributing to the effectiveness of teams
• Enabling learning through demonstrations and
  instruction

(Based on revised L3 national occupational
standards qualification structure, Skills for
Health 2009)
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Pharmacy technician hospital pharmacy day-one
optional roles

• Preparing documentation, materials and other
  items for manufacture and assembly, including
  aseptic products
• Manufacture and assembly, including aseptic
  products
• Contributing to the effectiveness of teams
• Enabling learning through demonstrations and
  instruction

(Based on revised L3 national occupational
standards qualification structure, Skills for
Health 2009)
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Pharmacy technician advanced roles

• Final checking of dispensed medicines and
  products (accredited checking technician)
• Taking medication histories from individuals
• Determining the suitability of patients own
  medicines for use (POD checks)

(Based on revised L3 national occupational
standards qualification structure, Skills for
Health 2009)
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Pharmacy technician specialist roles

• Dispensary management
• Clinical and medicines management
• Community and mental health services
• Public health roles, e.g. smoking cessation,
  weight management, health trainer
• IT
• Medicines information
• Education training
• Clinical trials
• Service management
• Quality control
• Prescribing advice and support.

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Driving pharmacy technician regulation forward
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Pharmacy technician regulation where we are now

• Voluntary registration of pharmacy technicians
  commenced in January 2005
• Statutory powers sought via an Order under
  Section 60 of the 1999 Health Act as part of the
  Societys regulatory reform programme.

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Pharmacy technician regulation where are we now?

• Legal framework for England and Wales laid before
  parliament and made on 7 February, 2007

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Pharmacy technician regulation whats next?

• Start of statutory registration will commence on
  1 July 2009

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Current membership of the voluntary register of
pharmacy technicians
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Current membership of the voluntary register of
pharmacy technicians
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Regulatory framework for pharmacy technicians -

• Protection of title
• Registration
• Fitness to practise
• CPD
• Setting standards for Education Training
• Code of Ethics

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Code of Ethics

• The Code of Ethics was revised and introduced on
  1 August 2007
• The Code of Ethics is applicable to both
  pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
• Founded on seven principles
• Patients should receive the same level of care
  from both.

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Code of Ethics
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Challenges for the future

• The responsible pharmacist regulations come into
  effect 1 October 2009
• Government intends to consult on supervision
  changes 2010?

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Over to you

• Get involved
• GPhC standards workshops and consultation
  (Autumn)
• Supervision (09 10?)
• DH are not hearing from technicians and it is
  vital that you play as active a role as possible.
• Thank you!