Essential and Extraordinary: Pharmacy Technicians during a Pandemic
Coronavirus will put 2020 in the history books and most likely, change the way we all practice in our health care professions. We certainly didn’t need a pandemic to showcase the importance of pharmacy technicians and what we do. However, the last couple months have more than proven just how integral pharmacy technicians are and the important role we play during a pandemic…and beyond. From coast to coast and every state in between, pharmacy technicians are showing up, stepping up, and facing challenges head on…..and conquering them.
Advanced roles of pharmacy technicians has been a topic of discussion for quite some time – the time is here. More and more technicians are stepping into non-traditional roles and taking it with stride, proving the versatility and adaptability of pharmacy technicians.
In my hospital setting, many technicians have had to step into leadership positions to develop and implement new workflows to accommodate the enormous increase in volume of medications that are crucial to treating patients during this crisis. Additionally, I have seen technicians shine in areas of supply chain, inventory management, automation, diversion, and sterile products along with many others.
With an already national shortage of pharmacy technicians, all of these tasks are being done with existing or short staffed departments. Think about that…..the work has tripled during this crisis, yet the number of technicians is less than what it needs to be!
The challenge of this crisis is far from over as it will take even more work to reconcile the measures that have been put into place during this crisis and to create a new measure for what healthcare will look like in the future. With pharmacy technicians being heavily involved in the day to day technical and supporting activities, we will continue to be an integral part of the recovery.
My hope is that when this crisis is over and the new normal begins, we continue the push for pharmacy technicians in advanced roles. I am proud of what I do, I am proud of what my team accomplishes on a daily basis, and you should all be proud of what you do every single day! Although the need for pharmacy technicians is ongoing, the dedication of our existing technicians is ever lasting.