By: Anna Giorgi
Professional insights: Zachary Green
Medication safety is key to the delivery of effective patient care. As a pharmacy technician, you can play an impactful role in maintaining this cornerstone of healthcare in the fast-paced pharmacy environment. While you will learn safe dispensing guidelines as part of your pharmacy technician education, you will be responsible for putting this knowledge into practice, so it becomes second nature in your professional role. To accomplish this, consider these strategic medication safety tips that can help you deliver successful and high-quality patient care.
The role of pharmacy technicians in medication safety
Factors such as the expanding role of pharmacists, a growing older population and an increased demand for more complex medication regimens have forced the healthcare industry to rely more on pharmacy technicians to meet a daily demand for patient services. As a result, pharmacy technicians are likely to assume more professional responsibilities that directly and indirectly impact medication safety and patient well-being.
Understanding your role in the pharmacy workplace is key to supporting medication safety. “While pharmacists focus on clinical decision-making, drug therapy management and patient counseling, pharmacy technicians are the operational backbone of pharmacy services. And what we’re allowed to do in our roles depends on state regulations, which are varied,” said Zachary Green, CPhT, Director of Professional Affairs at the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) and Director of the Pharmacy Technician Educators Council (PTEC).
While pharmacists focus on clinical decision-making, drug therapy management and patient counseling, pharmacy technicians are the operational backbone of pharmacy services.
Ultimately, a pharmacy technician’s responsibilities are limited and must be performed under the direct supervision of a pharmacist. These duties can also vary based on the policies and procedures specific to your practice site.
Pharmacy technicians are uniquely situated to provide the first line of defense against medication errors by prioritizing accuracy, proper drug management and clear communication. Embracing new technologies and maintaining a current level of professional expertise is also key to avoiding medication mistakes.
Prioritize accurate prescription processing
Accuracy is a critical issue in medication safety. While it may be impossible to eradicate medication errors, pharmacy technicians can work to prioritize accurate prescription processing with approaches that emphasize protocols, consistency and attention to detail. “Pharmacy technicians help ensure safe and accurate dispensing of drugs by accurately filling, counting, measuring and mixing, setting the pharmacist up for a successful final check before dispensing to the patient,” said Green.
Double check the details
The simple act of double-checking prescription information against patient profiles for issues of allergies, drug interactions and past medication history can help ensure medication safety. If anything appears inconsistent or unclear, you should always consult your supervising pharmacist for direction. Remember, your supervising pharmacist is legally responsible for checking all your work before a medication is dispensed.
Follow the five patient “rights”
Checking the five patient “rights” is a method used by healthcare professionals to reduce medication errors. When dispensing a medication, use this system to confirm the following:
Use barcode medication administration (BCMA)
Utilize barcode medication administration (BCMA) when available. This technology verifies medications during dispensing to reduce human error and enhance accuracy. While this tool is primarily used in hospitals in settings such as medical/surgical units, it is increasingly used in pharmacies for accurate dispensing and inventory management.
Use “tall man” lettering
“Tall man” lettering is a technique that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initiated to help differentiate look-alike drug names. It involves capitalizing portions of drug names that look and/or sound like other drug names.
For example, the drugs chlorpromazine and chlorpropamide can be easily confused even though they have different uses. Chlorpromazine is used to treat mental health conditions while chlorpropamide is used to treat diabetes. The recommended practice of “tall men” lettering spells these names as chlorproMAZINE and chlorproPAMIDE to highlight how these drugs differ.
Remain organized and focused
The hectic pharmacy environment may not always facilitate time for a neat and tidy work area. However, staying organized supports medication safety. A clutter-free, well-organized workspace reduces the risk of picking up the wrong medication or mislabeling a prescription.
Staying organized and focused also includes keeping a streamlined mental perspective. Avoid multitasking and manage stress to prevent distractions and emotions that might impair your judgment.
Stay updated and knowledgeable
By taking advantage of opportunities to remain current on constantly evolving medication protocols, labeling changes and federal and state compliance issues, you can ensure that you’re using the most current data and guidelines to support medication safety.
Consider professional certification
If you don’t have professional certification, earning the Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) credential from the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) or the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) can elevate your professional knowledge and confidence in providing medication safety.
“Regulations for pharmacy technicians vary by state but having the PTCB CPhT signifies that a pharmacy technician has a mastery of knowledge in what is covered on the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) in areas such as order entry and processing, federal requirements and patient safety and quality assurance,” said Green.
Join a professional association
Joining a professional organization that includes pharmacy technicians and other pharmacy professionals can help you stay connected to peers, keep informed about industry advances and improve your professional skills. Leading professional organizations of interest to pharmacy technicians include:
Practice professional communication
Pharmacy technicians are key participants in the healthcare team. They provide a bridge for communication between patients, pharmacists and healthcare providers. Maintaining a level of professional communication among all those involved is essential for promoting medication safety.
Use appropriate and clear language
While patient education is an important aspect of a pharmacy technician’s role, you must maintain a professional level of communication during patient encounters. This requires staying within the boundaries that separate your duties from those of a pharmacist. Simply put, don’t overstep your role. Uniformly, pharmacy technicians are prohibited from recommending medications and giving medical advice.
When communicating with patients, use clear non-technical language and encourage them to ask questions. Work to convey an open and engaging disposition that prevents patients from feeling intimidated. You can also support clear communication by addressing issues such as language and cultural barriers that might interfere with a patient’s understanding of key safety instructions.
Support interprofessional collaboration
Facilitate communication between pharmacists, nurses, physicians and other healthcare professionals by routinely sharing patient-specific information, medication histories and potential safety issues. To support collaborative efforts, always utilize digital tools to access and update information so everyone is using the latest data. These practices can make an impact in confirming prescriptions, checking for drug interactions and enhancing patient well-being.
Report and learn from errors
If you recognize an error or near miss, report it to your supervising pharmacist as your first step. Follow your organization’s criteria for reporting internal medication errors and contacting the patient involved.
Medication errors and near misses should also be communicated to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) Medication Errors Reporting Program (MERP). This voluntary, confidential system helps identify causes of medication errors. The data is used to develop alerts, strategies and educational programs to prevent future incidents.
Finally, trust your instincts
Whether you notice the potential for prescribing the incorrect medication or a possible interaction with other drugs, depend on your education and experience to help you recognize when something doesn’t feel right. It’s important to trust your instincts when working as a pharmacy technician since your license could be at stake if you are responsible for a medication error.
When you receive a script and something seems unclear or inconsistent, investigate further by contacting the prescriber and asking relevant questions. At other times, the details for a prescription may simply require clarification from your supervising pharmacist. Occasional errors can happen, so you can’t go wrong by ensuring accuracy. In any case of uncertainty, it’s your responsibility as a pharmacy technician to work as the patient’s advocate to promote the safe and accurate dispensing of prescription medications.
