| Accredited checking technician jobs are similar to | | | | gained the practical skill needed to check dispensed |
| pharmacy technician jobs. While the latter receives the | | | | medications against the prescription. The person would |
| prescription, takes out the drugs from shelves and | | | | typically check only items dispensed by another |
| packs them, the former checks the dispensed | | | | person, not by himself or herself. The prescription |
| prescription for its accuracy. Checking, labeling and | | | | would also have undergone review and approval by a |
| packing have all become formal procedures and the | | | | pharmacist regarding its correctness and accuracy. |
| accredited checking technician will be trained in all | | | | Self-checking by non-pharmacists (like an accredited |
| these in a pharmacy context. | | | | checking technician) is also considered acceptable |
| Training to Become an Accredited Checking | | | | once the technician has gained sufficient experience |
| Technician | | | | attested by their dispensary manager. To continue |
| The technician training is done under vocational training | | | | their checking career, the technicians need to be |
| schemes, and accredited checking technicians are | | | | reassessed every two years. |
| NVQ 3 or BTEC certified (in UK). The checking | | | | Role of the Accredited Checking Technicians |
| technician is trained to check that: | | | | The role to be assigned to accredited checking |
| - The medicine or product matches the prescription | | | | technicians have been the subject of some debate. |
| and is in date | | | | Pharmacies have considered entrusting them with |
| - It is assembled using correct equipment and | | | | more responsibilities to cope with the serious shortage |
| processes | | | | of pharmacists. |
| - It is packed and labeled appropriately | | | | Some groups have opposed this move on the ground |
| - Appropriate records are made | | | | that technicians cannot be entrusted with |
| - Health, hygiene and safety procedures are followed | | | | responsibilities requiring professional knowledge. They |
| at all times | | | | see the move as an attempt to cut costs, replacing |
| To equip the technician with the required | | | | high cost pharmacists with lower cost technicians. |
| competencies, the vocational training program will | | | | As we saw above, accredited checking technicians |
| typically: | | | | have to undergo a rigorous program of training and |
| - Start with an explanation of the legal and | | | | assessment before they are allowed to check. |
| professional issues involved in checking, packing and | | | | Accredited checking technicians perform a |
| labeling pharmacy medicines | | | | labor-intensive function that also requires specialized |
| - Train the technician to work with other staff of the | | | | vocational skill. In doing this, they relieve the pharmacist |
| pharmacy | | | | to focus on the more important tasks of checking all |
| - Make the technician go through typical checking | | | | prescriptions, and other tasks requiring a higher level of |
| exercises | | | | professional knowledge. |
| - Involve a final project to check 1000 items at a | | | | Without the support of pharmacy technicians and |
| hospital without errors | | | | accredited checking technicians, the pharmacist will be |
| - Proceed to a test and assessment by a panel of | | | | overburdened in any busy dispensary, and not be able |
| pharmacists and technicians | | | | to provide a sufficiently satisfactory level of service. |
| - Involve a probation period during which his or her | | | | The above, in essence, is the significance of |
| performance is observed | | | | accredited checking technician jobs. |
| By the end of such a course, the trainee would have | | | | |