Objective:

To determine the attitudes of community pharmacists in six states toward technician employment in their community practice and to relate the effects of these attitudes to pharmacist behavior.

Design:

Four-part mail questionnaire survey. Sections A and B dealt with pharmacist attitudes toward technicians. Section C was 22 activities common to pharmacy dispensing that pharmacists currently allow technicians to perform. Section D was respondent demographics.

Respondents:

Licensed, practicing, full-time (>32 h/wk) community pharmacists in six states (Illinois, Iowa, Maine, New York, Texas, Washington).

Methods:

Attitude scores were assessed (ANOVA analysis) by pharmacist age, daily prescription volume, practice site, current technician employment, and state laws. The collective attitude scores (A plus B) were compared with activity scores for correlation between attitude and activities.

Results:

Overall, responding pharmacists were favorable toward technician use. ANOVA disclosed significant differences for pharmacist age, prescription volume, practice site, and employment of technicians. The top four activities pharmacists allowed technicians to perform were: (1) type labels, (2) select drugs from stock, (3) count needed amount of drugs, and (4) receive refill drug orders. The four least-allowed technician activities were: (1) compound intravenous solutions, (2) verify other technicians' work, (3) provide patients with drug information, and (4) verify completed drug orders. Spearman's r, showed consistency (0.335) between attitudes and activities allowed.

Conclusions:

Pharmacists approve of technician use, are comfortable with a clinically oriented counseling role, do not feel threatened by increased technician use, are willing to accept the additional professional liability technician use brings, and favor a formally structured technician training program.