Fewer Pharmacists and More Technicians May Result in More Errors

An increasing number of pharmacy chains such as Walgreens and CVS are looking to employ more pharmacy technicians than pharmacists in order to increase their profits and sell more medication. They know that if they can hire more technicians for less money than pharmacists, they can make more money. Although pharmacists are still needed, as they are required to supervise technicians, more qualified, licensed pharmacists might be let go and replaced with less-educated, lower-paid technicians.

The possible outcomes of this decision could be:

• Pharmacists would have to supervise more individuals. Pharmacists already have stressful jobs that require them to multitask and concentrate on every prescription they fill or inspect. If they have to supervise more technicians, they may be forced to cut corners in some areas to take on this extra responsibility. In high-volume stores this could be completely overwhelming for the supervising pharmacist, possibly resulting in more medication mistakes.
• Technicians aren’t as experienced and can make more mistakes. Many states only require their technicians to have completed 160 hours of education, which is about two semesters of schooling. With more less-experienced and less-educated individuals behind the pharmacy counter, more pharmacy errors are bound to occur.
• Patients ultimately suffer the consequences of such actions. If pharmacists are overworked or too distracted with their new role, they may miss catching a mistake made by one of the technicians. Ultimately, the customer suffers when receiving the wrong medication, the wrong dose of drugs, the wrong prescription instructions, or someone else’s order.

If you suffered an adverse reaction from receiving the wrong medication or wrong dosage of a drug, a pharmacy technician or pharmacist is most likely to blame. Find out more about your rights by calling Kennedy Hodges, L.L.P. at 888-526-7616 and speak to a qualified pharmacy malpractice lawyer during a complimentary case consultation and receive a FREE copy of our report, How to Make Pharmacies Pay for Injuries Caused by Medication Errors.