(Management Case Study) Development and Implementation of a Technology-Assisted Final Product Verification (TAFPV) at a Community Teaching Hospital

Purpose: During strategic planning, departmental priorities included advancing the inpatient pharmacy technician role and improving operational efficiencies. This case describes the methodology in developing a site-specific Technology-Assisted Final Product Verification (TAFPV) program to advance the role of pharmacy technicians and assess operational and quality measures of a TAFPV program.

Methods: Research was performed evaluating published studies, state regulations, and the institution’s preparedness for TAFPV. Presentations within the pharmacy department and at a multidisciplinary Medication Safety Committee were given to set expectations and gain support of internal and external stakeholders of the new process. Polices and procedures were developed outlining the purpose, training and eligibility, workflow, and quality assurance measures of the TAFPV program. Following implementation of the TAFPV program, operational and quality assurance data was collected. Results were reported within the pharmacy department and the institution’s Medication Safety Committee.

Results: Five pharmacy technicians have completed didactic and practical training to independently perform TAFPV since the implementation of the program. Three months post-implementation, 4,193 medication orders were verified by the pharmacy technicians with a verification accuracy rate of 100% and 57 dispensing errors identified at time of verification. Median time spent verifying individual medication orders for pharmacy technicians was 138 (interquartile range [IQR], 53-465) seconds versus 218 (IQR, 39-736) for pharmacists (p = 0.01). Average total time spent verifying medication orders for pharmacy technicians was 4.57 plus or minus 0.12 hours and 4.53 plus or minus 0.14 hours for pharmacists (p = 0.97).

Conclusion: The development of a TAFPV program supports the evolving role of pharmacy technicians by providing a platform for further education with the potential to improve operational efficiencies within the department.