Expanded Roles for Pharmacy Technicians in the Medication Reconciliation Process: A Qualitative Review

Abstract

Background Collection of a complete and accurate medication history is an essential component of the medication reconciliation process. The role of pharmacy technicians in supporting medication reconciliation has been the subject of recent interest. Purpose The purpose of this article is to review the existing literature on pharmacy technician involvement in the medication reconciliation process and to summarize outcomes on the quality and accuracy of pharmacy technician–collected medication histories. Method A literature review was conducted using MEDLINE and Academic Search Premier (1948 – April 2015). Results Sixteen papers were identified, with 12 containing a formal evaluation of outcomes. Three were purely descriptive, and 9 compared the pharmacy technician's performance to pharmacists, nurses, physicians, and/or interdisciplinary teams. Studies used a variety of endpoints, but they demonstrated similar or improved outcomes by engaging pharmacy technicians. Evidence demonstrates that trained pharmacy technicians are able to gather medication histories with similar completeness and accuracy to other health care professionals. Conclusion The use of pharmacy technicians may be a viable strategy for developing and expanding medication reconciliation processes with appropriate supervision. Future efforts should focus on evaluating the impact of expanded roles for pharmacy technicians in the health care system; assessing the need for standardization of pharmacy technician education, training, and certification; and obtaining clarification from state pharmacy boards regarding these expanded roles.