Date of Conferral

2016

Degree

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)

School

Public Health

Advisor

Richard Jimenez

Abstract

Pharmacists rely on pharmacy technicians to assist with accurately dispensing prescriptions and providing information to clients. Texas does not have regulations for the education or training of pharmacy technicians, which may result in mistakes when dispensing prescriptions, causing significant harm to customers. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was assessing formally and informally trained pharmacy technicians' job performance as perceived by licensed pharmacists/managers. Data were collected via face to face interviews with 9 pharmacy managers in Texas to gain insight into their lived experiences of supervising not formally and formally trained technicians. Audio recorded interview data were transcribed and organized using the NVivo software. The job performance theory was used to help understand and interpret the data. Pharmacists/managers indicated that pharmacy technicians who receive formal training, when compared to those who have been informally trained on-the-job, have more knowledge, better job performance, less need for training and supervision, and greater salary and other job related opportunities. All 9 of the respondents indicated that the State of Texas should develop a formal set of professional standards for pharmacy technicians and require a formal certification training program. The potential positive social change of this study is a better understanding of the job training and performance of pharmacy technicians that can improve services to communities.

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