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[Original publication date 9/3/2024] - Pharmacy technicians are the backbone of successful pharmacy operations. In health system inpatient pharmacies, they handle complex tasks such as sterile compounding, inventory management, controlled substance security, automation oversight, and handling of hazardous medications. They work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure patients receive safe and quality pharmaceutical care. The ongoing shortage of qualified pharmacy technicians is a significant barrier to progress in an evolving healthcare landscape in the era of technological revolution.
Over the past decade, almost all states have introduced licensing and national certification requirements for pharmacy technicians. Despite these new requirements, salaries and benefits for these positions have not kept pace, leading to a significant industry lag. The shortage was further exacerbated by increased burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic and a growing workload due to an aging population, stricter regulations around sterile compounding, and increasing complexity of tasks.
In health system inpatient pharmacies, the technician shortage is a major challenge, second only to drug shortages. Recruiting, onboarding, and training technicians are time-consuming processes, and staffing gaps lead to stress, lower morale, and additional vacancies. To address this issue, consider implementing competitive pay and hiring incentives, a career ladder, flexible scheduling, awareness campaigns, and robust training programs.
Competitive Pay and Hiring Incentives: Pharmacy technicians earn between $30,000 and $50,000 annually, with advanced roles reaching $50,000 to $60,000. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 6% increase in job outlook for pharmacy technicians over the next year. Health system pharmacies should partner with local HR teams to conduct a thorough market pay review and implement competitive salaries and benefits to attract candidates. Additional incentives, such as sign-on bonuses and tuition reimbursements, are also effective in drawing more candidates.
Career Ladder: Offering career advancement opportunities can attract high-caliber candidates. These types of candidates are the most productive and committed members at the core of pharmacy operations. Positions like operations coordinator, lead/supervisor, chemotherapy specialist, IT specialist, and quality/regulatory compliance lead are becoming more popular and can attract committed technicians.
Flexible Scheduling: For 24/7 health system inpatient pharmacies, creating schedule flexibility can be challenging. Leaders should review workflow plans to identify opportunities for flexible shift times and adjust schedules to attract candidates who cannot commit to rigid hours. Consider shifting repetitive tasks to more popular hours, such as 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Awareness Campaigns: The shortage is partly due to a lack of public awareness about the career prospects for pharmacy technicians. Use social media, local job fairs, and presentations at high schools and colleges to promote the role and attract interest from potential candidates.
Robust Training Programs: Collaborate with local academic institutions offering pharmacy technician programs. These students often struggle to find hospital sites for their externships, so creating opportunities for them can benefit both the candidates and the department to evaluate if it’s a good fit.
In summary, pharmacy technicians are crucial to running safe and efficient pharmacy operations. Addressing the shortage with these strategies can help ensure a steady supply of skilled professionals.
Pharmacy design is evolving, driven by advancements in technology, a deeper understanding of workflow optimization, and an increased focus on medication safety and staff well-being. The future of pharmacy design depends on a comprehensive approach that integrates state-of-the-art technology, ergonomic principles, and a patient-centered mindset. This article explores the trends and key considerations shaping the pharmacy of tomorrow, highlighting how strategic design improvements can enhance efficiency, ensure safety, and improve patient outcomes.
In hospital settings, medication reconciliation stands as a cornerstone in patient safety efforts, ensuring accurate medication histories and preventing adverse drug events. Pharmacy technicians play a pivotal role in this process, offering indispensable support to pharmacists and healthcare teams. As hospital pharmacy leaders and executives navigate the complexities of healthcare delivery, harnessing the full potential of pharmacy technicians in medication reconciliation becomes paramount for optimizing patient outcomes and operational efficiency.
In June of 2023, Techdow USA Inc., a division of the Hepalink Group, successfully launched Enoxaparin Sodium (Enoxaparin) in multiple strengths of pre-filled syringes. Techdow USA’s Enoxaparin is critically needed and will be used primarily in the outpatient setting to treat and prevent harmful deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms. Techdow USA’s parent company, the Hepalink Group, is a global leader in naturally extracted active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and finished drugs that sources from an extremely diverse and robust supply chain network.
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Michele Shaeffer, Associate Director of Pharmacy Operations at Jefferson Abington Hospital, shares insights on optimizing pharmacy workflows amidst staffing and medication shortages, highlighting automation and ADC cabinets for improved efficiency and safety. She also emphasizes cross-department collaboration and staff training as essential for addressing these challenges. Looking ahead, she sees innovations in legislation, technology, and industry-wide collaboration as key drivers of progress in tackling systemic issues like drug shortages.
In this week’s Executive Insights video Jeff Thompson, Chief Clinical Officer at Freeman Health, shares insights into the evolving role of pharmacy leadership within health systems. Thompson highlights the importance of aligning pharmacy goals with broader C-suite objectives, recognizing pharmacy not only as a significant expense but also a substantial revenue driver. He also addresses current challenges, such as labor shortages and the impact of 340B contract pharmacy restrictions, which are shaping strategies for sustaining healthcare operations.
In this insightful interview, Alex Kardos, Corporate Director of Pharmacy Services at RX Holding Hospital, discusses his role overseeing pharmaceutical operations across 126 sites. He highlights the challenges of navigating regulatory pressures, drug shortages, and staffing issues while emphasizing the growing importance of driving revenue in outpatient settings. Kardos shares how his team balances these demands by leveraging peer insights and vendor partnerships to improve efficiency and compliance.
Dr. Rabiah Dys, Senior Vice President of Clinical Services and Program Development at CPS, shared insights at ASHP on her role and passion for advancing health equity. She emphasized the importance of improving health literacy by helping patients understand their diagnoses and care plans, starting at hospital admission. Dr. Dys also highlighted the need for better continuity of care between hospital discharge and community pharmacy settings to ensure patients can manage their health effectively.
Industry News
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved revumenib on November 15, 2024, for relapsed or refractory acute leukemia with a KMT2A translocation. This marks a significant development in cancer treatment, as the drug, first administered to a patient at Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, LLC (FCS) in 2019 during a Phase 1 clinical trial, is now accessible nationwide.
The first patient to receive this treatment was referred by FCS medical oncologist/hematologist Muhammad Imam, MD, to FCS Director of Drug Development Manish R. Patel, MD, at the Sarasota Drug Development Unit (DDU). The Sarasota DDU is one of three early-phase clinical trial sites within the statewide practice. This milestone highlights FCS' role in the journey of this drug from trial to FDA approval, emphasizing its potential to target and treat MLL-rearranged leukemia.
"This latest FDA approval of revumenib is a testament to the power of innovation and collaboration—values deeply embedded in our practice's history," said FCS President & Managing Physician Lucio N. Gordan, MD. "Since treating the first patient in 2019, we've believed in the transformative potential of this therapy for leukemia patients. It's moments like these that affirm our longstanding commitment to advancing oncology care through research. This milestone not only validates that belief but also brings hope to countless individuals facing this devastating disease, reflecting the unwavering dedication of our team to improving lives."
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are rare and aggressive blood cancers often resistant to standard treatments. Revumenib is designed to target the genetic abnormalities driving these diseases, showing significant promise in clinical trials by improving remission rates and overall survival.
Dr. Patel, principal investigator for the FCS clinical trial, reflected on the approval: "Conducting this trial was an extraordinary scientific and clinical journey. We observed firsthand the profound impact this therapy had on patients who previously faced limited treatment options. The FDA's approval represents the culmination of years of rigorous research, collaborative effort, and the unwavering commitment of our team. Most importantly, it honors the bravery of the patients who participated and trusted us to pursue this innovative approach."
FCS contributed to the drug's development through its collaboration with Sarah Cannon Research Institute. The FDA approval reflects years of global medical and scientific collaboration.
With three early-phase drug development sites and 30 late-phase locations across Florida, FCS operates one of the nation's largest oncology research programs. Patients have access to over 180 clinical trials at any time, and more than 600 individuals receive cutting-edge treatments annually. Many of the cancer drugs recently approved for use in the U.S. included trials involving FCS' contributions, underscoring its pivotal role in advancing oncology care.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Eli Lilly and Company announces positive Phase 2 results for muvalaplin, an investigational once-daily, orally administered selective inhibitor of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], a genetically inherited risk factor for heart disease. The study demonstrated that muvalaplin significantly reduced elevated Lp(a) levels in adults, meeting its primary endpoint of percent change in Lp(a) from baseline to week 12.
HUNTINGTON, NY - Sen-Jam Pharmaceutical announced recently the initiation of a Phase 2 clinical trial for SJP-001, positioning it to become the first FDA-approved therapeutic specifically targeting alcohol hangover prevention. The trial, conducted by a leading clinical research organization in Australia, marks a pivotal milestone in addressing a significant global health and productivity challenge.
PRINCETON, N.J. - Bristol Myers Squibb announces that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended approval of Opdivo ®(nivolumab) plus Yervoy ®(ipilimumab) for the first-line treatment of adult patients with microsatellite instability–high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) unresectable or metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).