Recognizing Emerging Roles: Effective Delegation to and Supervision of Pharmacy Technicians for a More Efficient and Effective Pharmacy Organization

Purpose To describe current and emerging roles of technicians, including advanced roles that might help free up pharmacists' time to participate in direct patient care; discuss the supervision of technicians as knowledge workers who recognize their own aspirations for self-development; and discuss maximizing the effectiveness of the pharmacy workforce support team to advance care for patients and help ensure longevity of this workforce for the organization and for the profession. Conclusion Technicians are a key part of the pharmacy team. Their education and training has lacked standardization; however, this is beginning to change as the result of stricter state licensing requirements and newer laws that better define and expand the technician's responsibilities. These newer and expanded technician responsibilities and the education required will only further enhance their value to the pharmacy organization. These newer roles and responsibilities should endeavor a win-win-win for pharmacists, technicians [and other support staff], and patients.