Work Preferences and General Abilities Among US Pharmacy Technicians and Danish Pharmaconomists

The importance of pharmacy support personnel is increasingly recognized. Studies have evaluated workplace issues and evolving roles; however, needed information from technicians themselves is scarce. The purpose of this study was to examine preferences for work activities and the general abilities of US pharmacy technicians and Danish pharmaconomists.

Surveys were administered to random samples of US technicians in 8 states and the general population of Danish pharmaconomists. Respondents indicated their preference for involvement in a set of work activities in community or hospital pharmacy on numeric scales. They also self-assessed their level of ability on facets associated with professional practice, in general. Descriptive results were tabulated, and bivariate tests were conducted on total general abilities ratings.

The 494 technicians and 313 pharmaconomists provided similar ratings on many activities. In community pharmacy, US technician ratings for performance of activities were generally higher than those of pharmaconomists; however, pharmaconomists rated certain "higher order" communication activities quite highly, such as discussing lifestyle changes with the patient. In hospital practice, Danish pharmaconomists provided low preferences for medication handling but high preferences for communication activities. General ability ratings were given high self-evaluations, but lower on some components, such as keeping up with the profession. Employer commitment was a strong correlate for both.

Evaluation of preferred work activities and general abilities were likely reflected in different scopes of practice between the two and could be insightful for education and work redesign in both countries, particularly the United States, as leaders evaluate shifts in technician professionalization.