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TECHNICIAN WORKFORCE PRACTICE RESEARCH REPORTS
AM J HEALTH-SYST PHARM | VOLUME 74 | NUMBER 13 | JULY 1, 2017 981
Results of the 2015 National Certified Pharmacy
Technician Workforce Survey
Shane P. Desselle, B.S.Pharm., Ph.D.,
FAPhA, College of Pharmacy, Touro
University California, Vallejo, CA.
Erin R. Holmes, Ph.D., School of
Pharmacy, University of Mississippi,
University, MS.
Address correspondence to Dr. Desselle
(sdesselle68@gmail.com).
@ApplPharmSolutions
Copyright © 2017, American Society of
Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights
reserved. 1079-2082/17/0701-0981.
DOI 10.2146/ajhp160666
Purpose. The results of the 2015 National Certified Pharmacy Technician
Workforce Survey are described.
Methods. A survey was e-mailed to a randomized sample of 5,000 cer-
tified pharmacy technicians (CPhTs) throughout the United States, with
response reminders employed. Survey items eliciting demographic and
work characteristics and work life attitudes were generated from the litera-
ture and qualitative interviews. This study aimed to describe job satisfac-
tion, sources of stress, profession and employer commitment, education
and training, and reasons for entry into the profession among CPhTs and
determine relationships between those variables and CPhTs’ level of in-
volvement in various work activities, with particular attention paid to dif-
ferences in practice setting. Frequency statistics, correlation analysis, and
means testing were used to meet study objectives and identify significant
differences.
Results. A total of 516 CPhTs currently working as a pharmacy technician
responded to the survey. The CPhTs reported high levels of involvement in
more traditional activities but less involvement in those that involve greater
cognitive load. Respondents reported moderate levels of job satisfaction
and commitment and somewhat high levels of stress overall. Most CPhTs
chose to be a pharmacy technician because they desired to enter a health-
care field and help people and were recruited. CPhTs derived benefit from
all aspects of education and training evaluated and most from on-the-job
training. Perceived value of education and training was associated with
higher satisfaction and commitment and with lower stress. There were a
number of differences in these work life attitudes across practice settings
and by involvement in various job functions.
Conclusion. The results of the survey indicated that job satisfaction and
commitment were moderate and that stress levels were somewhat high
among CPhTs. There were a number of differences in work life attitudes
across practice settings and by involvement in various job activities.
Keywords: education, professional; job satisfaction; pharmacy adminis-
tration; pharmacy technicians; technician training
Am J Health-Syst Pharm. 2017; 74:981-91
The pharmacy profession has been
evolving, with increasing partici-
pation of support staff in providing
care to patients. There has been con-
siderable investigation of pharma-
cists’ roles in the work force in order
to move the profession forward and
advance patient care. These studies
have examined, among many other
factors, pharmacists’ readiness to pro-
vide care,1 innovation,2 organizational
culture issues,3-5 pharmacists’ roles in
addressing healthcare disparities,6-12
financial considerations (e.g., lack of
economic incentive for pharmacists
to dedicate time to delivering cogni-
tive services),13 and scope of practice
regulations at federal and state levels
that constrain or encourage advanced
practice.14 However, little such atten-
PRACTICE RESEARCH REPORTS
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PRACTICE RESEARCH REPORTS TECHNICIAN WORKFORCE
982 AM J HEALTH-SYST PHARM | VOLUME 74 | NUMBER 13 | JULY 1, 2017
relatively low job satisfaction and
high levels of turnover.35,36 Pharmacy
technicians have reported future un-
certainty about their careers, which
has a deleterious effect on their job
satisfaction and quality of work life.37
Given their relatively low rates of pay
compared with those of pharmacists,
pharmacy technicians could poten-
tially be lured away from their jobs,
even while relatively small pay in-
creases could foster greater loyalty
and commitment.35
It was suggested over a decade ago
that technicians might require more
theoretical and hands-on education
and training.38 It also has been several
years since technicians reported on
their general preferences for further
training.35 The previously stated pref-
erences were not parsed by practice
setting, where education and training
needs may differ. While there has been
a modicum of research on techni-
cians’ work lives, no study has linked
their level of training, type of train-
ing, and preparedness for the current
job with any aspect of their work life.
tion has been focused on pharmacy
technicians. Pharmacists’ practice
is more likely to evolve when phar-
macists can delegate certain tasks
with greater confidence. For those
responsibilities already handled by
support personnel, there is growing
recognition that it takes the proper
mix of high-level attitudes, skills, and
behaviors for optimal performance.15
Numerous reports from hospital and
community pharmacy settings have
described technicians taking on great-
er roles, including but not limited to
medication reconciliation, assistance
with discharge planning, and height-
ened involvement in patient and cus-
tomer service activities.16-26
Pharmacists have been warming
up to the professionalization of sup-
port personnel. Wilson et al.27 found
good fit for a model of professional ex-
pertise for pharmacy technicians that
included knowledge, patient assess-
ment and education, reasoning and
judgment, and virtues. Desselle and
Schmitt28 found support among phar-
macists for mandatory certification of
pharmacy technicians and for activi-
ties for which technicians can assume
greater responsibility.
Further delineation and develop-
ment of pharmacy support personnel
roles have been sought.29-31 Myers32
offered specific opportunities where
pharmacy technicians could make
the most impact on effective patient
care and operations for health-system
pharmacies. Wick33 posited that phar-
macy’s optimization of technician use
could enhance not only operational
but also clinical capabilities of phar-
macy organizations. The Council on
Credentialing in Pharmacy weighed in
to impart a more synchronous model
of pharmacy care that considered the
issues facing pharmacy, labor and
work-force needs, and how the work
of all pharmacy personnel can be or-
ganized for pharmacy to reach its full
potential.34
Still, there has been little study on
issues related to technician profes-
sionalization. Evidence suggests that
pharmacy technicians experience
KEY POINTS
•
Relationships were found
between the involvement of
certified pharmacy techni-
cians (CPhTs
) in various work
activities and work attitudes,
including their commitment to
their employer and the phar-
macy profession.
•
Education modalities of tech-
nicians were found to be very
useful, even though incorpo-
ration of additional soft skills
into their training could be
beneficial.
•
The results of the survey indi-
cated that job satisfaction and
commitment were moderate
and that stress levels were
somewhat high among CPhTs.
There also is little information about
the factors that attract technicians to
the field of pharmacy.
As pharmacy continues its move
toward more patient-centered prac-
tice, closer examinations of tech-
nician practice are required. The
purpose of this study was to further
explore technicians’ quality of work
life and the education and training
received by pharmacy technicians in
the United States. The specific objec-
tives of this study were to (1) describe
the current state of work satisfaction,
sources of stress, and profession and
employer commitment among certi-
fied pharmacy technicians (CPhTs),
(2) describe CPhTs’ level of involve-
ment in various practice settings in a
range of current and prospective job
responsibilities, (3) identify the rea-
sons that CPhTs entered their field
of work, (4) describe the prevalence
and perceived helpfulness of various
training methods to prepare CPhTs
for their current jobs, and (5) deter-
mine the relationships among prac-
tice setting, level of involvement in
job responsibilities, education and
training received, and perceived use-
fulness of training with levels of sat-
isfaction, stress, and commitment
of CPhTs to their employer and the
profession.
Methods
Design and sample. Institutional
review board exemption for study pro-
cedures was granted by Touro Univer-
sity and University of Mississippi. In
this cross-sectional study, a question-
naire was used to survey a nationwide
randomized sample of CPhTs. Using a
sample-size calculation recommend-
ed by Dillman et al.,39 an estimated 384
respondents were deemed required
to meet the study objectives. Assum-
ing a response rate of approximately
10%, we sought contact information
from the Pharmacy Technician Certi-
fication Board (PTCB) for 5,000 CPhTs
to whom the questionnaire would be
disseminated. Responses only from
CPhTs working as a technician (part-
time or full-time) were desired. Thus,
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TECHNICIAN WORKFORCE PRACTICE RESEARCH REPORTS
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the survey was designed to automati-
cally terminate for any respondent
who was younger than 18 years, re-
tired, not working as a technician, or
a full-time student in a doctor of phar-
macy degree program.
Survey construction and imple-
mentation. This study’s sponsors—
the Pharmacy Workforce Center,
ASHP, and PTCB—provided a list of
desired topics for investigation, in-
cluding primary place of employment,
experience as a pharmacy technician,
various demographics, career com-
mitment, job satisfaction, and job
stress. A multistage process was used
to refine the survey, including addi-
tional literature review; collecting data
from in-depth, semi-structured inter-
views; and survey piloting.
Respondents used linear numeric
scales to characterize their involve-
ment in various job responsibilities,
commitment to their employer and
the pharmacy profession, job satisfac-
tion, and job stress. The survey con-
tained questions regarding practice
setting, demographic characteristics,
reasons for entering the profession,
type of education and training re-
ceived for the current pharmacy tech-
nician job, and the usefulness of the
education and training received. Re-
spondents’ geographic location was
also collected.40
The survey was built using Qual-
trics software (Qualtrics, Provo, UT).
Investigators sent the CPhTs a notice
via e-mail regarding the impend-
ing survey during the first week of
October 2015. A URL with a copy of
the survey and a cover letter inform-
ing the 5,000 CPhTs of their rights was
distributed during the second week of
October 2015. Reminder e-mails were
sent approximately 1, 2, and 3 weeks
after the survey was e-mailed. The sur-
vey was closed on November 9, 2015.
Data analysis. The data were
prepared for analysis using IBM SPSS
Statistics for Windows, version 21.0
(IBM, Armonk, NY). Frequency distri-
butions were tabulated for all relevant
questions. Survey scales were subject-
ed to a principal components analysis
with varimax rotation, item analysis,
and internal consistency reliability
analysis to determine construct valid-
ity, internal consistency reliability, and
appropriateness of each item. Corre-
lation analysis (Pearson’s correlation
coefficient) was used to determine
relationships between two or more
continuous variables. The linear nu-
meric scales of stress and job satisfac-
tion were summed, and the sums were
used as dependent variables in one-
way analyses of variance (ANOVAs)
and F tests or with independent sam-
ple t tests, with practice setting and
demographic characteristics serving
as independent variables. Relation-
ships between level of involvement
in activities with geographic location
and rurality and between method of
training and quality of work life vari-
ables were assessed using similar one-
way ANOVAs.
Results
Respondent characteristics. A
total of 702 CPhTs completed the sur-
vey. Of those, 516 (73.5%) were cur-
rently employed as a technician, 73
(10.4%) were employed in another
pharmacy- or health-related field, 8
(1.1%) were retired, 39 (5.6%) were
unemployed and looking for work,
and 20 (2.8%) were unemployed and
not seeking work. The results detailed
further in this report are from re-
sponses tallied from the respondents
working currently as a pharmacy
technician (full- or part-time) and
not enrolled in a doctor of pharmacy
degree program (n = 516). Respon-
dents’ demographic characteristics
are shown in Table 1. Most respon-
dents were female. The mean ± S.D.
age of respondents was 40.17 ± 12.60
years, their mean ± S.D. years of expe-
rience as a technician was 11.30 ± 9.76
years, and their mean ± S.D. number
of years with the current employer
was 7.90 ± 7.89 years. Responses were
gathered from all parts of the country
and representative of various practice
settings. For the purposes of further
analysis, respondents from large and
small chain, mass merchandiser, in-
dependent community, and super-
market settings were characterized
as respondents from the community
setting; respondents from hospital
and health-system inpatient and
outpatient settings were character-
ized as respondents from the hospital
setting. Respondents from the com-
munity and hospital settings plus all
other respondents represented the
total number of respondents.
Table 2 provides data regarding
community pharmacy technicians’
level of involvement in various job
activities and the importance they
place on those activities and their per-
ceptions of the degree of importance
their employers place on those activi-
ties. Levels of involvement were rather
similar across activities, mostly quite
high. Respondents were least involved
in verifying the work of other techni-
cians and maintaining automated
technology. Respondents rated col-
lecting and communicating patient
information, filling prescriptions,
and assessing prescriptions as their
most important activities, though
they indicated that their employer’s
perceived these activities as lower in
importance. The biggest differences in
those perceptions were for collecting
patient information, filling a prescrip-
tion, and communicating with insur-
ance companies.
Data regarding hospital pharmacy
technicians’ level of involvement in
various job activities are shown in
Table 3. Respondents reported be-
ing highly involved in maintaining
floor stock and dispensing cabinets,
unit inspections, and repackaging
activities, with less involvement in
dispensing medications with remote
video supervision, assisting with
medication assistance programs, and
criterion-based screening of medical
records. The largest gaps between self-
ascribed importance and perceived
importance by the employer were
related to compounding nonsterile
products (excluding chemotherapy),
repackaging activities, supervising
other technicians, and replenishing
unit dose carts.
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PRACTICE RESEARCH REPORTS TECHNICIAN WORKFORCE
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Respondents from home health-
care, long-term care, and pharmacy
benefits management companies self-
reported activities in which they were
involved. The most frequently cited
activities were compounding, inven-
tory management, patient safety ini-
tiatives, customer and patient service,
medication reconciliation, and ben-
efits and plan reviews.
Impetus for becoming a phar-
macy technician. Table 4 provides
information on the reasons reported
by survey respondents for choosing
to become a pharmacy technician.
General interest in a health career
and the desire to help people were
the reasons most commonly cited. It
should be noted that recommenda-
tions, support, and recruitment by
others played a prominent role, with
nearly 40% of respondents citing a
recommendation of a friend, recruit-
Table 1. Characteristics of Respondents
Characteristic No. (%) Respondents
Femalea (n = 507) 433 (85.4)
Employmentb (n = 670)
Full-time technician 412 (61.5)
Part-time technician (≥20 hr/wk) 67 (10.0)
Part-time technician (<20 hr/wk) 37 (5.5)
Employed but not as a technician 84 (12.5)
Unemployed and seeking work 39 (5.8)
Unemployed and not seeking work 20 (3.0)
Retired 8 (1.2)
Actively enrolled Pharm.D. student 3 (0.4)
Geographic locationa (n = 511)
West 121 (23.7)
South 181 (35.4)
Northeast 59 (11.5)
Midwest 150 (29.4)
Ruralitya (n = 511)
Rural 61 (11.9)
Small city 133 (26.0)
Suburb of larger city 150 (29.4)
Medium-sized or large city urban core 167 (32.7)
a
Calculated only from those currently working as a technician and answering the survey
question.
b
Percentages calculated from valid responses analyzed.
ment by a pharmacist, or both as
their reason for pursuing their career
as a pharmacy technician. Approxi-
mately 1 in 6 respondents indicated
that they were attracted by salary or a
fulfilling career.
Technician training and educa-
tion. Over 75% of the respondents in-
dicated that on-the-job training (OJT)
was included in their training, and
an even higher percentage of tech-
nicians from community pharmacy
reported the same. While over 25% of
respondents completed an accredited
program through their employer or a
vocational school, approximately 1
out of 6 respondents completed a pro-
gram of which they were unsure of its
accreditation status.
Table 5 provides respondents’
ratings of the helpfulness of various
education and training modalities
in preparing them for their current
work responsibilities. Formal OJT with
the current employer was rated most
highly, followed by previous techni-
cian work experience and guidance
and mentorship from supervisors
and peer technicians. PTCB certifica-
tion was rated higher than vocational
training, but both were rated rather
highly. Community CPhTs reported
higher levels of helpfulness for most
training methods than did hospital
CPhTs.
Quality of work life: Satisfac-
tion, stress, and commitment.
The principal components and item
analyses of the summated scales of
job satisfaction and stress demon-
strated solid construct validity and
internal consistency reliability, with
Cronbach’s alphas of 0.88 and 0.79,
respectively. The mean ± S.D. score on
the 10-item, aggregated work satisfac-
tion scale, with a possible range of 10–
60, was 41.02 ± 9.65. The mean ± S.D.
score on the 9-item, aggregated stress
scale, with a possible range of scores
from 9 to 45, was 25.64 ± 6.30.
Table 6 provides respondents’ lev-
els of satisfaction with various aspects
of their job, broken down by practice
setting. CPhTs reported the highest
levels of satisfaction with their phar-
macist coworkers, work schedule, and
opportunity to use their knowledge.
They reported being least satisfied
with their level of stress, opportunity
for advancement, and pay. Nearly
30% of respondents were highly dis-
satisfied (a response of 1 or 2 on the
6-point scale) with the opportunity for
advancement, level of stress, and pay.
CPhTs reported that their highest
levels of stress were related to being
short-staffed, their volume of work,
and other employees not doing their
fair share of work (Table 7). Communi-
ty CPhTs reported high levels of stress
related to patients who are rude or im-
patient and from a lack of rest breaks.
Hospital CPhTs reported being highly
stressed due to poorly designed work-
flow and disagreements with peers.
CPhTs’ commitment was evalu-
ated in several ways, including the
duration they expected to remain
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AM J HEALTH-SYST PHARM | VOLUME 74 | NUMBER 13 | JULY 1, 2017 985
with the current employer. More than
half of respondents indicated plans
to remain with their employer for at
least 5 years; in fact, 140 (33.7%) of
415 respondents planned to stay at
least 10 years. Still, 1 in 5 respondents
reported either looking to leave or
planning to keep options open. The
mode response to a separate ques-
tion indicated that many respondents
were susceptible to “shocks,” such
as being lured away to an alternative
career.41 Many respondents who did
intend to remain or might have been
contemplating a career change indi-
cated that they would like to remain
in a healthcare field, and fewer than
10% indicated considering leaving for
a nonhealthcare-related field.
Overall, satisfaction was highly
correlated with commitment to the
employer (r = 0.53, p < 0.01) and com-
mitment to the profession (r = 0.29, p <
0.01). Stress levels were inversely cor-
related with employer commitment
(r = –0.20, p < 0.01) and profession
commitment (r = –0.13, p < 0.05),
which reinforces the idea that while
stress (or lack thereof) may influence
satisfaction and commitment, stress is
its own unique construct.
Respondent age was correlated
with profession commitment (r = 0.11,
p < 0.05) but not with commitment to
the employer. Years with the current
employer was related to commitment
to the employer (r = 0.28, p < 0.01) and
commitment to the profession (r =
0.17, p < 0.01).
Table 8 provides a matrix of cor-
relations among satisfaction, com-
mitment, work stress, and perceived
usefulness of various education and
training modalities. Satisfaction was
highly correlated with employer com-
mitment and inversely correlated with
stress. Satisfaction was highly corre-
lated with profession commitment.
Stress levels were inversely correlated
with satisfaction but also with com-
mitments to the employer and profes-
sion. Work stress was not associated
with perceived usefulness of train-
ing. There was a strong relationship
between employer and profession
commitments. Perceived usefulness
of OJT, supervisor mentoring, and
peer mentoring were related to work
life measures (i.e., if a technician per-
ceived usefulness of any of these train-
ing methods, then he or she was more
likely be satisfied, more committed,
and less stressed on the job). Perceived
usefulness of PTCB certification was
associated with higher levels of pro-
fession commitment, satisfaction, and
commitment to the employer but not
with job stress.
Quality of work life and en-
try into the profession. Profession
commitment was higher among those
who came into the profession because
they were recruited by a pharmacist
(t = 3.12, p < 0.01) or due to the desire
to seek a fulfilling career (t = 2.97, p <
0.01). Technicians who reported hav-
ing completed an accredited stand-
alone training program from a voca-
tional school reported higher levels of
stress than did other respondents (t =
2.15, p < 0.01), yet there were no other
statistically significant relationships
between method of training and qual-
ity of work life.
Additional analyses by practice
setting, geographic region, and ru-
rality. For CPhTs in community phar-
Table 2. Level of Involvement, Importance, and Perceived Importance of Technician Activities in Community
Pharmacies
Activity
Mean ± S.D. Score
Involvement
a
Importance
b
Perceived
Importance
to Employers
b
Receive prescriptions 2.85 ± 0.46 3.69 ± 0.57 3.59 ± 0.63
Collect or communicate patient information 2.87 ± 0.29 3.78 ± 0.48 3.58 ± 0.61
Assess prescription for completeness, accuracy,
authenticity, legality, or reimbursement eligibility
2.80 ± 0.49 3.77 ± 0.53 3.61 ± 0.51
Input a prescription 2.84 ± 0.46 3.75 ± 0.54 3.60 ± 0.65
Provide prescription to patient or caregiver 2.66 ± 0.69 3.53 ± 0.82 3.45 ± 0.83
Direct patient to pharmacist for counseling 2.72 ± 0.62 3.67 ± 0.65 3.57 ± 0.67
Identilty medications and supplies to be ordered or
manage inventory
2.70 ± 0.62 3.66 ± 0.63 3.50 ± 0.74
Use and maintain automated technology 2.59 ± 0.71 3.44 ± 0.92 3.29 ± 0.93
Communicate with insurance companies to determine
coverage for prescriptions and services 2.72 ± 0.62 3.63 ± 0.74 3.45 ± 0.80
Fill/label a prescription 2.89 ± 0.40 3.77 ± 0.53 3.58 ± 0.66
Verify the work of other technicians 2.26 ± 0.79 3.34 ± 0.96 3.23 ± 0.96
a
Measured on a 3-point scale where 1 = not at all involved and 3 = involved very frequently.
b
Measured on a 4-point scale where 1 = very little to no importance and 4 = very important.
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PRACTICE RESEARCH REPORTS TECHNICIAN WORKFORCE
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macy, those who were more involved
in patient counseling also reported
being more stressed (r = 0.17, p < 0.01).
Also, those involved in the use of tech-
nology reported higher profession
commitment (r = 0.14, p < 0.01). With
respect to CPhTs in hospitals, higher
stress levels were reported by those
technicians more involved in com-
pounding chemotherapeutic agents
(r = 0.22, p < 0.01) and in criteria-
based screening of medication re-
cords (r = 0.28, p < 0.01). Technicians
more involved in purchasing activities
reported lower stress levels (r = –0.21).
Technicians who reported greater in-
volvement in floor stock maintenance
(r = 0.25, p < 0.01), inventory manage-
ment (r = 0.25, p < 0.01), controlled
substance management (r = 0.21,
p < 0.05), billing activities (r = 0.19,
p < 0.01), and repackaging activities
(r = 0.22, p < 0.01) reported higher
levels of commitment to the profes-
sion. There were several associations
between geographic region and the
likelihood of involvement in various
activities, such as helping with medi-
cation assistance programs, supervis-
ing other technicians, and assisting
with controlled substance system
management. There were no associa-
tions between rurality (size of city in
which they worked) and any of the
other variables.
Discussion
This study examined, among other
things, CPhTs’ involvement in vari-
ous activities and the relationship be-
tween that involvement with quality
of work life components. While this
study did not undertake a formal task
analysis, it provided an update on a
comprehensive analysis undertaken
by PTCB nearly 2 decades ago.26 While
there are plentiful accounts of techni-
cians taking on new roles in single or-
ganizations, the current study found
that wholesale change in technicians’
responsibilities since PTCB’s task
analysis has not been very rapid. Both
community and hospital technicians
reported high levels of importance for
nearly all activities examined in this
study. Coupled with the finding that
certain activities were associated with
Table 3. Level of Involvement, Importance, and Perceived Importance of Job Activities of Pharmacy Technicians
in Health Systems
Activity
Mean ± S.D. Score
Involvement
a
Importance
b
Perceived
Importance to
Employers
b
Replenish unit dose carts 2.34 ± 0.86 3.20 ± 1.00 2.98 ± 0.98
Restock floor stock and/or automated dispensing
cabinets 2.80 ± 0.55 3.59 ± 0.70 3.24 ± 0.88
Compound sterile preparations (excluding chemotherapy) 2.57 ± 0.72 3.57 ± 0.85 3.19 ± 0.94
Compound chemotherapy preparations 1.62 ± 0.84 3.12 ± 1.15 3.06 ± 1.06
Order-entry activities 1.71 ± 0.85 2.79 ± 1.16 2.73 ± 1.21
Purchasing/inventory management 1.98 ± 0.85 3.19 ± 1.04 3.03 ± 0.97
Information technology system management 1.73 ± 0.80 2.83 ± 1.14 2.76 ± 1.11
Controlled substance system management 2.12 ± 0.79 3.38 ± 0.98 3.19 ± 0.95
Supervision of other technicians 1.96 ± 0.85 3.12 ± 1.03 2.87 ± 1.08
Checking dispensing of other technicians 1.78 ± 0.86 2.73 ± 1.22 2.56 ± 1.24
Billing 1.71 ± 0.88 2.69 ± 1.26 2.76 ± 1.20
Criteria-based screening of medical records to identify
medication-related problems 1.49 ± 0.78 2.64 ± 1.19 2.62 ± 1.20
Preparation of clinical monitoring information for
pharmacist review 1.39 ± 0.71 2.57 ± 1.25 2.49 ± 1.18
Dispensing meds with remote video supervision 1.20 ± 0.55 2.12 ± 1.24 2.20 ± 1.24
Medication assistance program management 1.28 ± 0.62 2.32 ± 1.24 2.34 ± 1.22
Initiation of medication reconciliation 1.43 ± 0.74 2.62 ± 1.20 2.51 ± 1.17
Quality assurance activities/unit inspections 2.48 ± 0.72 3.32 ± 0.90 3.14 ± 0.93
Packaging/repackaging activities 2.43 ± 0.72 3.29 ± 0.95 3.03 ± 1.00
Facilitating transitions of care 1.61 ± 0.84 2.73 ± 1.21 2.66 ± 1.18
a
Measured on a 3-point scale where 1 = not at all involved and 3 = involved very frequently.
b
Measured on a 4-point scale where 1 = very little to no importance and 4 = very important.
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higher commitment levels, employers
should note that technicians might
be amenable to taking on greater
responsibility.
Employing organizations might
take note of other results in this study
related to CPhTs’ quality of work life.
While job satisfaction was relatively
high overall, it was lower in regard to
stress environment and perceived fair
treatment from management. This
corroborates previous research find-
ings that technicians have amicable
relationships with most of their peers
and with their supervising pharma-
cists but believe that employers some-
times view them as replaceable.37
CPhTs indicated high levels of
stress due to being short-staffed,
other employees not doing their fair
share, and the total volume of work.
CPhTs might hold employers more
accountable for these things as op-
posed to their supervisors and peers.
Some of the differences in reported
stress levels across job settings can be
anticipated. For example, disagree-
ments with peers might occur more
frequently in hospitals than in com-
munity settings due to the number of
peers with whom technicians interact
in the hospital. CPhTs in the commu-
nity setting are more likely to come
into direct contact with patients and
their caregivers, so it is only natu-
ral that interactions with them are a
greater source of stress, even though
these interactions also contribute to
job satisfaction. Employers might want
Table 4. Reasons Cited by Respondents for Becoming a Pharmacy Techniciana
Reason
No. (%) Respondents
Community
(n = 286)
Hospital
(n = 144)
Total
b
(n = 516)
General interest in pharmacy or healthcare career 188 (65.7) 97 (67.4) 333 (64.5)
Recommendation of a friend, colleague, or family
member 71 (24.8) 35 (24.3) 127 (24.6)
Recruitment or encouragement by a pharmacist 49 (17.1) 21 (14.6) 77 (14.9)
Work schedule/flexibility 40 (14.0) 15 (10.4) 63 (12.2)
Salary 41 (14.3) 19 (13.2) 83 (16.1)
Benefits 19 (6.6) 22 (15.3) 51 (9.9)
Fulfilling career 41 (14.3) 20 (13.9) 75 (14.6)
Exposure by working at a different job in a pharmacy
organization 39 (13.6) 25 (17.4) 76 (14.8)
Work at a previous employer, technician-related 17 (5.9) 9 (6.3) 35 (6.8)
An opportunity to serve the public 45 (15.7) 19 (13.2) 72 (14.0)
A desire to help people 121 (42.3) 46 (31.9) 196 (38.0)
a
Respondents were allowed to select up to 3 choices.
b
Community, hospital, and all other respondents.
Table 5. Helpfulness of Education and Training Modality in Preparing Respondents for Their Current Work
Responsibilitiesa
Training/Education Modality
Mean ± S.D. Score
Community Hospital Total
Formal training or education program at a college
or vocational school 3.30 ± 0.96 3.20 ± 1.02 3.21 ± 1.03
PTCB or similar certification 3.36 ± 0.79 3.25 ± 0.03 3.32 ± 0.85
Work at a previous employer, technician-related 3.55 ± 0.82 3.51 ± 0.85 3.49 ± 0.09
Work at a previous employer, not as a technician 2.48 ± 1.12 2.54 ± 1.17 2.46 ± 1.14
Formal OJT from employer 3.55 ± 0.74 3.57 ± 0.76 3.53 ± 0.78
Guidance and mentorship from supervisor(s) 3.52 ± 0.76 3.43 ± 0.89 3.44 ± 0.85
Guidance and mentorship from peer technicians 3.49 ± 0.80 3.46 ± 0.83 3.45 ± 0.84
a
Responses based on a 4-point scale where 1 = not helpful at all and 4 = very helpful. The results also account for a “not applicable” option on
the scale, which did not figure into the mean calculation. PTCB = Pharmacy Technician Certification Board, OJT = on-the-job training.
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PRACTICE RESEARCH REPORTS TECHNICIAN WORKFORCE
988 AM J HEALTH-SYST PHARM | VOLUME 74 | NUMBER 13 | JULY 1, 2017
to examine policies and procedures as-
sociated with undue stress and invest
in processes that leverage technicians’
positive interactions with patients.
This study likely represented the
most comprehensive evaluation of
CPhTs’ commitment to their employer
and the pharmacy profession. Approxi-
mately half of respondents reported
that they intended to remain with their
current employer for at least 5–10 years.
Nearly 2 in 5 respondents indicated
a possibility of leaving should some-
thing unexpected happen, but nearly
the same number expressed hope to
make their job a long career. As such,
respondents expressed a desire for sta-
bility but might be quite susceptible to
aforementioned “shocks” due to dis-
satisfaction with stress and levels of
pay.41 The findings from this study are
not dissimilar from similar surveys of
nursing assistants, who, like pharmacy
technicians, are making strides toward
professionalization but have less time
and money invested into their careers
and also are paid less than most other
healthcare professionals.42
In this study, a large proportion of
CPhTs claimed that they were man-
dated to become certified, more by
employers than by state governments.
In addition, approximately one third
of respondents indicated that they had
completed a vocational training pro-
gram, with many of those programs
being accredited by ASHP. However,
some respondents completed an un-
accredited program or were not aware
if their program was accredited, which
is cause for concern. Educational in-
stitutions should take the opportunity
Table 6. Respondents’ Levels of Satisfaction With Various Aspects of Their Joba
Job Aspect
Mean ± S.D. Score
Community Hospital Total
Work schedule 4.60 ± 1.23 4.64 ± 1.37 4.68 ± 1.26
Pharmacist coworkers 4.84 ± 1.17 4.59 ± 1.27 4.78 ± 1.91
Pharmacist technician coworkers 4.62 ± 1.16 4.18 ± 1.30 4.51 ± 1.20
Workload 4.17 ± 1.38 3.90 ± 1.42 4.15 ± 1.37
Pay 3.40 ± 1.49 3.37 ± 1.50 3.47 ± 1.48
Opportunity to use your knowledge 4.79 ± 1.11 4.35 ± 1.35 4.61 ± 1.23
Opportunity for advancement 3.54 ± 1.54 3.11 ± 1.52 3.44 ± 1.54
Employee benefits 3.86 ± 1.50 4.25 ± 1.44 4.00 ± 1.49
Level of stress 3.30 ± 1.51 3.45 ± 1.49 3.41 ± 1.49
Fair treatment from management 4.10 ± 1.44 3.65 ± 1.49 3.99 ± 1.48
a
Responses based on a 6-point scale where 1 = very dissatisfied and 6 = very satisfied.
Table 7. Amount of Stress Reported by Respondents, by Stress Sourcea
Source
Mean ± S.D. Score
Community Hospital Total
The amount or volume of work 3.40 ± 0.96 3.29 ± 1.14 3.37 ± 1.02
Being short-staffed 3.73 ± 1.06 3.65 ± 1.07 3.63 ± 1.09
Other employees not doing their fair share of work 3.36 ± 1.18 3.80 ± 1.09 3.44 ± 1.18
Disagreements with technician peers at my job 2.24 ± 1.14 2.77 ± 1.17 2.38 ± 1.15
Patients/customers/families who are rude or
impatient 3.05 ± 1.10 2.18 ± 1.16 2.67 ± 1.20
Dealing with staff from other healthcare providers 2.32 ± 0.89 2.26 ± 1.04 2.25 ± 0.95
Inadequate technology, hardware, or other
resources 2.59 ± 1.20 2.66 ± 1.25 2.63 ± 1.22
Poorly designed workflow and division of labor 2.59 ± 1.15 2.99 ± 1.31 2.74 ± 1.22
Lack of rest breaks, or time to take scheduled rest
breaks 2.70 ± 1.32 2.55 ± 1.31 2.54 ±
1.29
a
Responses based on a 5-point scale where 1 = little or no stress and 5 = a tremendous amount of stress.
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Table 8. Correlation Matrix of Perceived Usefulness of Education and Training, Commitment, Satisfaction, and Stressa
Variable
Usefulness of Vocational
Training
Usefulness of PTCB
Certification
Usefulness of Previous
Technician Work
Usefulness of Previous
Nontechnician Work
Usefulness of OJT
Usefulness of Supervisor
Mentoring
Usefulness of Peer
Technician Mentoring
Commitment to the
Employer
Commitment to the
Profession
Total Satisfaction
With Job
Total Stress
From Job
Usefulness of
vocational training . . . 0.234
b
0.251
b
0.177
b
0.234
b
0.196
b
0.123
b
0.036 0.014 0.144 –0.064
Usefulness of PTCB
certification 0.234
b
. . . 0.157
b
0.172
b
0.279
b
0.190
b
0.164
b
0.109
c
0.161
b
0.158
b
–0.058
Usefulness of
previous
technician work 0.251
b
0.157
b
. . . 0.313
b
0.274
b
0.254
b
0.236
b
–0.023 –0.020 0.106 0.034
Usefulness of
previous
nontechnician
work 0.177
b
0.172
b
0.313
b
. . . 0.199
b
0.244
b
0.216
b
0.084 0.029 0.115 0.028
Usefulness of OJT 0.234
b
0.279
b
0.274
b
0.199
b
. . . 0.474
b
0.396
b
0.132
b
0.061 0.188
b
–0.111
c
Usefulness of
supervisor
mentoring 0.196
b
0.190
b
0.254
b
0.244
b
0.474
b
. . . 0.478
b
0.166
b
0.068 0.236
b
–0.051
Usefulness of peer
mentoring 0.123
b
0.164
b
0.236
b
0.216
b
0.396
b
0.478
b
. . . 0.093 0.011 0.170
b
–0.072
Commitment to
employer 0.036 0.109
c
–0.023 0.084 0.132
b
0.166 0.093 . . . 0.414
b
0.532
b
–0.204
b
Commitment to
profession 0.014 0.161
b
–0.020 0.029 0.061 0.068 0.011 0.414
b
. . . 0.289
b
–0.134
b
Total satisfaction
with job 0.144
b
0.158
b
0.106
c
0.115
c
0.188
b
0.236
b
0.170
b
0.532
b
0.289
b
. . . –0.453
b
Total stress from job –0.064 –0.058 –0.034 0.028 –0.111 –0.051 –0.072 –0.204
c
–0.134
b
–0.453
b
. . .
a
PTCB = Pharmacy Technician Certification Board, OJT = on-the-job training.
b
p < 0.01.
c
p
< 0.05.
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PRACTICE RESEARCH REPORTS TECHNICIAN WORKFORCE
990 AM J HEALTH-SYST PHARM | VOLUME 74 | NUMBER 13 | JULY 1, 2017
to inform the technicians and other
stakeholders on the importance of
accreditation.
To our knowledge, this is the first
study to examine CPhT education and
training alongside work life issues,
which could be important in promot-
ing greater commitment, less burnout,
more stability, and increased attrac-
tiveness of technician work as a career.
It also could point out issues to be ad-
judicated in education and training
design. While respondents ascribed
relatively high value to nearly all types
of education and training, it is not sur-
prising that they would ascribe the
highest value to OJT. This reinforces
the need for employers to take an ac-
tive role in creating an environment
for self-evaluation, skill assessment,
and patient centeredness. The fact
that perceived value of education and
training was associated with quality of
work life requires further examination.
The finding that technicians experi-
ence high levels of stress from dealing
with patients and sometimes peers
might prompt vocational institutions
and PTCB to add elements to educa-
tion and training that provide more ex-
posure to time management, patient
communication, conflict resolution,
and other so-called “soft skills.”43
This study is also the first to ex-
amine technicians’ primary reasons
for entering the profession. Nearly
two thirds of respondents indicated a
preference for a career in a healthcare
field. Many also expressed a desire to
help people and to serve the public
and also indicated being recruited
by a friend, colleague, or pharmacist.
Moreover, CPhTs who were recruited
by a pharmacist or otherwise entered
the profession to seek a fulfilling ca-
reer reported higher levels of com-
mitment to the profession. These
findings suggest that technicians
may be effective in recruiting future
technicians and that pharmacists
should be involved in the recruit-
ment process.
The geographic regional differenc-
es found among CPhTs in this study
warrant further investigation. In the
hospital setting, a greater number of
CPhTs from the West were involved
in activities related to the manage-
ment of systems; it might not be co-
incidental that those respondents also
reported higher levels of profession
commitment.
The results of this study should be
considered within the context of vari-
ous strengths and limitations. The low
response rate limits generalizability of
the results to the entire CPhT popula-
tion. The survey was administered only
to technicians certified through PTCB.
Some states (and employers) do not
require certification; as such, work at-
titudes from technicians who volun-
tarily become certified may differ from
those who were mandated to acquire
certification or those not certified at
all. The use of e-mail versus postal or
hybrid mechanisms of survey deliv-
ery has been associated with lower re-
sponse rates and could also introduce
bias.44 It is also possible that responses
came more readily from those feeling
either very favorable or very unfavor-
able toward their jobs. However, the
use of a randomized sampling proce-
dure across an entire nation of CPhTs
provided a foundation of representa-
tiveness in the survey responses. The
proportions of respondents across
practice setting, sex, age, and geo-
graphic location were commensurate
with expectations. Responses to the
quality of work life questions aligned
with expectations, and psychometric
evaluation of responses demonstrated
very good internal consistency reli-
ability. Even so, their being crafted spe-
cifically for the study versus using com-
monly reported instruments makes
comparisons across different studies
more difficult. While various mecha-
nisms were used to ascertain commit-
ment attitudes, these attitudes do not
necessarily translate directly into actu-
al turnover behavior. The list of poten-
tial reasons for entering the profession
was not necessarily an exhaustive one.
This study further explored CPhTs’
work life situations and updated pre-
vious task analyses. It also was the first
to link work attitudes with CPhTs’ level
of involvement in various work activi-
ties. There are a number of findings
on which pharmacy leaders, educa-
tors, and employers can take action to
strengthen the pharmacy technician
work force and leverage their involve-
ment to enhance operations and to
better prepare pharmacy support per-
sonnel to enhance patient care.
Conclusion
The results of the survey indicated
that job satisfaction and commitment
were moderate and that stress levels
were somewhat high among CPhTs.
There were a number of differences in
work life attitudes across practice set-
tings and by involvement in various
job activities.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank the pharmacy techni-
cians who participated in the pilot survey
and those who responded to the survey.
Disclosures
Funding for this study was received from
the Pharmacy Workforce Center, American
Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and
Pharmacy Technician Certification Board.
The authors have declared no potential
conflicts of interest.
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