act in retail pharmacy

[RegPharmTech]

Originally Posted by Jeff

I am - it's the career path I recommend to technicians.
I'd prefer to see dispensing practices with pharmacists involved but the political leaders of both groups spent too much energy fighting a turf war instead of seaking common ground.

Don't get me wrong, it's great for the technicians and I have worked with some excellent ones in GP's practices BUT I have locumed at a dispensing practice where they use untrained staff to dispense prescriptions and their work isn't even accuracy checked - never mind clinically. The whole area lacks regulation and some GP's don't seem to understand the importance of having rigorous procedures in place and the necessity to have trained staff doing the dispensing. That's why I'm not a fan.

I agree with you on the turf war thing. I can understand why some Pharmacists are concerned for their jobs though. I have come across technicians who don't know the limits of our training and seem to be actively seeking to seize the pharmacist's role. It's no wonder there's a turf war.

[Tony Schofield]

I am a huge fan of technicians who have worked long and hard to achieve their qualifications. I myself doubt I could pass the exam for ACT registration. I am however perturbed by the way the "grandparent clause" has been exploited by companies and the very notion that a technician could in any way shape or form replace a pharmacist.

ACTs check the accuracy of a dispensed item and are responsible only for that. It is unfair for anyone to expect an ACT to be responsible for the appropriateness of a prescription even though some may be quite good at it sometimes.

I know you agree with me so I am not posting to start a fight. I believe that correct use of appropriately trained support staff is the liberation of pharmacists who waste so much time checking sales of innocuous potions registered as "p" medicines and clinically assessing repeat prescriptions. The real worth of a pharmacist is about to be realised and it can't be without good quality technicians.


Those pharmacists who wish to stick to licking, sticking, counting and pouring deserve technician salaries.

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by Tony Schofield

Those pharmacists who wish to stick to licking, sticking, counting and pouring deserve technician salaries.

A little unfair to those pharmacists who have devoted their working lives to a system that required nothing more.

Jeff

[Tony Schofield]

It required more. They got away with it because the minimum requirement was licking and sticking. We should not be aspiring to or holding in esteem those that aspired to the minimum requirement.