24.174.705    TASKS AND FUNCTIONS OF PHARMACY TECHNICIAN

(1) Only a registered pharmacy technician may perform the following tasks or functions under the provisions of an approved utilization plan:

(a) remove a stock bottle from the shelf and count or pour the contents into a suitable container. The stock bottle must be quarantined together with the prescription until the supervising pharmacist performs a final check or bar coding or other available technology verifies the bottle contents;

(b) type a prescription label and affix it and auxiliary labels to a prescription bottle, with final review by the registered pharmacist;

(c) enter prescription information into an automated system under the supervision of a pharmacist who must be able to check all entries;

(d) maintain prescription records, including prescription numbers, refill data and other information on the patient profile system;

(e) prepackage unit dose drugs for internal distribution. These prepackage unit dose drugs must be quarantined together with bulk containers until the supervising pharmacist performs a final check and maintains appropriate records.

(f) answer the telephone, properly identify themselves as a technician, accept verbal orders for refill prescriptions from medical practitioners or their designated agents and issue refill requests to the prescriber;

(g) a pharmacy technician may act as agent in charge of the pharmacy to assure its integrity when a registered pharmacist is not physically present, but may not perform any duties which require the exercise of the pharmacist's independent professional judgment. The technician may not be left in charge for more than 30 minutes; and

(h) compounding if a mechanism for verification by the supervising pharmacist exists that includes checking of: the original order; additives; dosages; and clarity of IV solution, where appropriate.

(2) The board reserves the right to evaluate and amend the functions allowable by a pharmacy technician, with final determination in the sole discretion of the board.

History: 37-7-201, MCA; IMP, 37-7-101, 37-7-201, 37-7-301, 37-7-307, MCA; NEW, 1992 MAR p. 1608, Eff. 7/31/92; AMD, 2002 MAR p. 86, Eff. 1/18/02; TRANS, from Commerce, 2002 MAR p. 904; AMD, 2006 MAR p. 1615, Eff. 6/23/06.