Pharmacies are increasingly using more pharmacy technicians to assist pharmacists in the filling of prescriptions. Many retail chain pharmacies have found that using technicians to help keep their pharmacies running is more cost-effective than hiring more pharmacists. In fact, 71% of the nearly 300,000 pharmacy technicians working in the nation are employed by retail pharmacies, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Technicians perform many pharmacy-related tasks and work as liaisons between patients and pharmacists. Often times, patients will be talking to a pharmacy technician assuming they are speaking with a pharmacist. While pharmacy technicians are essential in the medical industry, they have to work under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist.
Pharmacists have more education than technicians, can counsel patients about potential side effects, and perform drug reviews. Pharmacy technicians are not supposed to give patients any advice. However, pharmacy technicians are handling more and more responsibilities that were once suited only for pharmacists. A pharmacy technician may fill a prescription; however, the pharmacist on duty is required to check the medication before it is handed out to a customer.
When something goes wrong and a child or adult receives the wrong medication or the wrong dose of medicine, the pharmacist is the one who will likely be liable for negligence, even if the technician is the one who filled the prescription.
If your child received the wrong medication or incorrect dose of medicine, whether it was the technician or pharmacist’s fault, call a skilled drug error attorney at Kennedy Hodges, L.L.P. to discuss your rights. We will provide you with answers to your questions during a free consultation. Call us at 888-526-7616 today.
