Q: Does pharmacy technician count as clinical?
A: Yes, the role of a pharmacy technician can be considered clinical, but this depends heavily on the work setting, specific job duties, and the level of advanced training. In traditional retail dispensing, the role is more technical and administrative. In hospitals and other direct patient care settings, technicians increasingly perform high-level clinical support duties.
Q: What is the difference between technical and clinical duties?
A:
- Technical/Administrative Duties: These are the foundational tasks focused on medication preparation and logistics. Examples include data entry, counting pills, managing inventory, processing insurance claims, and packaging medications.
- Clinical Support Duties: These tasks involve direct or indirect patient care and require a deeper understanding of pharmacology and therapy. They bring the technician into the clinical care team.
Q: What are examples of clinical pharmacy technician roles?
A: In hospitals and integrated health systems, specialized technicians perform clear clinical support functions:
- Medication Reconciliation Technician: Works alongside pharmacists and nurses to compile an accurate list of a patient's home medications upon hospital admission, a critical safety step.
- Anticoagulation Clinic Technician: In clinics managing patients on blood thinners like warfarin, techs may perform point-of-care testing, record vital signs and INR results, and gather patient information for pharmacist review.
- Transitions of Care Technician: Helps coordinate medication plans for patients discharging from the hospital to home, ensuring they understand their therapy and have access to their medications.
- Clinical Trial Technician: Manages the inventory, blinding, and dispensing of investigational drugs in research studies, requiring strict protocol adherence.
Q: Does this mean all pharmacy techs are clinical?
A: No. A technician working solely in a retail setting focusing on filling prescriptions and handling transactions is performing essential technical, non-clinical duties. The "clinical" label is earned through specialized training, certification, and placement in a role that directly influences patient assessment or therapeutic outcomes.
Q: How can a technician move into a more clinical role?
A: The path involves:
- Gain Hospital Experience: Secure a position in a hospital pharmacy, which is the primary environment for clinical support roles.
- Pursue Advanced Certification: Obtain the Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) credential and then seek advanced credentials like the Board Certified Pharmacy Technician (BCP) or specialty certifications in areas like sterile compounding.
- Seek Specialized Training: Express interest and train for specific clinical support roles like medication history or clinic work.
Q: What is the key takeaway?
A: Pharmacy technology is a field with a spectrum from technical to clinical. While the core of the profession is technical, significant and growing opportunities exist for technicians to function as vital members of the clinical healthcare team, performing duties that directly impact patient care plans and safety.
For insights into clinical career pathways and the certifications required to advance in healthcare support roles, you can explore resources at certilyst.com.