Pharmacy Technician Scope of Practice

Pharmacy technicians and pharmacists each working to a full scope of practice can enhance patient care and safety by improving work-flow in the pharmacy and allowing pharmacists to focus on drug therapy management activities and patient interactions.

In a pharmacy, a pharmacy technician may perform the following tasks under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist:

• review the information in a prescription for compliance with federal and provincial law;
• perform the final check of the medication dispensed by another pharmacy technician or pharmacy assistant providing the College of Pharmacists (CPhM) has approved the technician final check process in place at the pharmacy;
• dispense a drug, if a licensed pharmacist has approved filling the prescription and the standards of practice related to a pharmacist’s responsibility to counsel the patient are met;
• identify drug-related problems that require referral to a pharmacist;
• give instructions to a person about how to operate a medical device, but not an explanation involving the interpretation of the results or value of the device;
• ask a practitioner and receive his or her instructions as to whether an existing prescription can be refilled as previously prescribed and without any change to the prescription; and
• perform necessary tasks at an external dispensing site.

It is important to note that while pharmacy technicians are recognized under the Regulation to The Pharmaceutical Act with an enhanced scope of practice, pharmacy managers and supervising pharmacists remain responsible and accountable for all tasks completed by pharmacy technicians in Manitoba.

The Pharmacy Technician Scope of Practice Chart compares the activities that pharmacy assistants and pharmacy technician may perform in the pharmacy.

Collaborative and Complimentary Roles of Pharmacist and Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians fulfill complementary roles in providing patient care. Pharmacy technicians perform many pharmacy tasks, but must also know when to involve a pharmacist. For example, pharmacy technicians can

• review prescriptions to ensure they meet legal requirements, but must refer drug-related problems they discover during medication checks or conversations with patients to a pharmacist;
• give instructions to a patient about how to operate a medical device, but must leave any explanation involving the interpretation of results to a pharmacist; and
• accept an authorization for a prescription if it is unchanged by the prescriber, but must refer new or altered verbal prescriptions from the prescriber to a pharmacist.

The pharmacist remains responsible for reviewing all prescriptions, new and refilled, to determine whether the prescription is therapeutically appropriate and safe for the patient, and conduct medication counselling or provide drug information to all patients.

Once the prescription has been approved by the pharmacist, a pharmacy technician can perform the final check of the medication prepared by another pharmacy technician or pharmacy assistant providing CPhM has approved the technician final check process in place at the pharmacy.