The Role of the Institutional Pharmacist has evolved. Pharmacists now participate directly in patient centered care as a core part of interdisciplinary teams consisting of physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and physical therapists.

Through this approach, we are able to improve clinical outcomes, identify omissions in therapy, promote proper use of antimicrobials and provide safe and efficient healthcare to our patients. We train and specialize in various areas of advanced pharmacy practice including Oncology, Critical Care, Pharmacotherapy, and Infectious Disease, etc. Over the past 25 years, we have grown more reliant on the technical skills and functions of nationally certified pharmacy technicians.

Unfortunately, there are several issues regarding technicians in New York State.

1) NYS does not recognize pharmacy technicians as professionals. They are regulated under “unlicensed persons” by the NYS Education Department – no different from a cashier or administrative assistant
2) These NYSED regulations have not been updated since 1982 – when technician roles were dramatically more limited
3) The NYS Board of Pharmacy (BOP) issued guidance many years ago to clarify what technicians are able to do/not do. This guidance was used to scope technician duties over the course of twenty or more years throughout NYS. This guidance ensured that technicians could prepare medications under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist. This is similar to what exists in every other state. This guidance has since been rescinded, leaving no statute or regulation to guide practice
4) Hospitals have since been threatened with having technicians lose their jobs. Pharmacists have been pulled back from clinical roles to provide technical work. We are in a crisis. 
 

While other states recognize the importance of advancing pharmacy services, New York State drags behind due to a failure to update a trivial part of the law. New York is one of only six states in the United States that does not license pharmacy technicians. As a result, hospitals spend more money paying multiple pharmacists to use their doctorates and board certifications to do technical work – such as making IV’s, rather than providing clinical services. This also results in increased hospital costs through outsourcing. A change is needed to recognize pharmacy technician roles in New York State. With an aging population, more individuals will need direct patient-centered care from clinical pharmacists.

What we need:

Update the law to reflect and codify the responsibilities of pharmacy technicians in health-system settings. Ensure they are being supervised by a licensed pharmacist while preparing medications.

I am a Doctor of Pharmacy and licensed pharmacist in the states of New York and California. I’m pursuing board certification in critical care to further service patients in the ICU setting. I am a member of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, Society of Critical Care Medicine, The New York State Council of Health-System Pharmacists, and am an alumnus of the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.  Technicians are the life blood of the machine that is pharmacy. I have learned so much from them and they have contributed to my professional development. They are my peers, my coworkers and my family.  They need to be recognized as professionals and utilized properly to ensure we can provide for our patients. I wish to see them fulfill responsibilities that they worked so hard to obtain and desire to see New York State no longer shun these individuals from their accomplishments. A progressive approach is needed, and it is needed now!