Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 480-15-.03 - Use of Registered Pharmacy Technicians and Other Pharmacy Personnel

(a) In dispensing drugs, no individual other than a licensed pharmacist, intern or extern working under direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist shall perform or conduct those duties or functions which require professional judgment. It shall be the responsibility of the supervising pharmacist to ensure that no other employee of the pharmacy, excluding pharmacy interns or externs, performs or conducts those duties or functions which require professional judgment.

(b) For all prescription drug orders, it shall be the responsibility of the Pharmacist on duty at a facility to ensure that only a pharmacist or a pharmacy intern and/or extern under the direct supervision of a registered pharmacist provides professional consultation and counseling with patients or other licensed health care professionals and that only a pharmacist or a pharmacy intern or an extern under the direct supervision of a registered pharmacist accepts telephoned oral prescription drug orders or provides or receives information in any manner relative to prescriptions or prescription drugs.

(c) Registered pharmacy technicians and other pharmacy personnel, i.e. clerks, cashiers, observers, etc., in the prescription department shall be easily identifiable by use of a name badge or other similar means which prominently displays their name and the job function in which the personnel are engaging at that time. Any pharmacy personnel or other person present in the pharmacy department must be under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist.

(d) In the dispensing of all prescription drug orders:

(1) The pharmacist shall be responsible for all activities of any registered pharmacy technician in the preparation of the drug for delivery to the patient.

(2) The pharmacist shall be present and personally supervising the activities of any registered pharmacy technician at all times.

(3) When electronic systems are employed within the pharmacy, registered pharmacy technicians may enter information into the system and prepare labels; provided, however, that it shall be the responsibility of the pharmacist to verify the accuracy if the information entered and the label produced in conjunction with the prescription drug order.

(4) When a prescription drug order is presented for filling or refilling, it shall be the responsibility of the pharmacist to review all appropriate information and make the determination as to whether to fill the prescription drug order, and

(5) Any other function deemed by the Board to require professional judgment.

(e) The pharmacist to registered pharmacy technician ratio shall not exceed one pharmacist providing direct supervision of three registered pharmacy technicians. One of the three technicians must:

(1) Have successfully passed a certification program approved by the Board of Pharmacy;

(2) Have successfully passed an employer's training and assessment program which has been approved by the Board of Pharmacy; or

(3) Have been certified by the Pharmacy technician Certification Board.

(f) In addition to the utilization of three (3) registered pharmacy technicians, if one is certified, a pharmacist may be assisted by and directly supervise at the same time one (1) pharmacy intern, as well as one (1) pharmacy extern, and one (1) pharmacy observer.

(g) The board may consider and approve an application to increase the ratio in a pharmacy located in a licensed hospital. Such application must be made in writing and may be submitted to the Board by the pharmacist in charge of a specific hospital pharmacy in this state.

(h) No completed prescription drug order shall be given to the patient requesting same unless the contents and the label thereof shall have been verified by a registered pharmacist.

(i) The Board of Pharmacy may revoke or suspend the registration of a pharmacy technician for any of the grounds set forth in O.C.G.A. Sections 43-1-19 or 26-40-60. The revocation or suspension of the registration of a pharmacy technician is not a contested case under the Georgia Administrative Procedures Act, O.C.G.A.T. 50, Ch.13, and the technician is not entitled to a hearing, but the technician may be entitled to an appearance before the Board.

Notes

Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 480-15-.03

O.C.G.A. §§ 26-4-27, 26-4-28, 26-4-60, 26-4-80, 26-4-82, 26-4-83, 26-4-84, 26-4-85, 26-488, 26-4-110, 26-4-111, 43-1-19.

Original Rule entitled "Substitution" adopted. F. Oct. 6, 1970; eff. Oct. 26, 1970. Repealed: New Rule entitled "Duties or Functions Prohibited from Being Performed by a Pharmacy Technician" adopted. F. Nov. 14, 2007; eff. Dec. 4, 2007. Repealed: New Rule entitled "Use of Registered Pharmacy Technicians and Other Pharmacy Personnel" adopted. F. Feb. 21, 2011; eff. Mar. 13, 2011. Amended: F. May 17, 2016; eff. June 6, 2016.