Pharmacy technicians consulted on their views on supervision

Pharmacy technicians have been asked for their views on the future of pharmacy supervision.

On 16 November 2018 the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK) opened a survey to its members, which runs until 14 December 2018.

Launching the survey, the APTUK said to its members: “We are seeking your perspective and opinions so that we are able to confidently represent the views of our pharmacy technician profession, nationally, in future debates and discussions on this topic both within the pharmacy profession and at government level.”

At its annual conference in June 2018, the APTUK announced it would consult members on the supervision of the preparation, sale and supply of medicines. In a show of hands, conference delegates were in favour of legislation to enable some level of pharmacy technician supervision of pharmacies.

Speaking at the conference, Oliver Jones, business development officer for the APTUK, described the issue as a “massive hot potato”. He added that the organisation’s current position statement on supervision, issued in July 2017, was “ambiguous” and had not been significantly updated since it was first published in 2011.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society announced in October 2017 that it was to consult with its members on the issue of pharmacy supervision during 2018.