What is it about?

This perspective paper explores how adequate staffing levels for pharmacy technicians (PTs) are essential to ensure safety, efficiency, and workforce sustainability in hospital pharmacy services. It reviews international guidelines and staffing models, including those from the World Health Organization and the International Pharmaceutical Federation, to identify evidence-based benchmarks for safe staffing. The paper also examines the relationship between staffing ratios, workload, and quality of care, emphasizing the impact of under-staffing on medication safety, burnout, and service efficiency. Practical models and governance recommendations are proposed to help hospitals plan and maintain safe PT staffing levels.

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Why is it important?

Pharmacy technicians play a vital role in ensuring the accuracy, safety, and continuity of hospital medication services. However, increasing workload and staffing shortages threaten patient safety and professional wellbeing. This paper is timely as health systems worldwide face workforce crises and growing service demands. By consolidating global evidence, it provides a foundation for policymakers, hospital managers, and professional bodies to establish safe staffing ratios, implement workforce planning tools, and promote continuous training—strengthening both care quality and technician retention.

Perspectives

This publication underscores the need to recognize pharmacy technicians as key contributors to patient safety. Safe staffing is not a privilege—it’s a fundamental requirement for reliable, high-quality hospital care. I believe this work can help shape evidence-informed staffing standards and encourage healthcare leaders to adopt governance models that support a sustainable and motivated pharmacy workforce.

PhD João José Joaquim
Instituto Politecnico de Coimbra

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Safe Staffing Standards for Pharmacy Technicians in Hospital Settings, Journal of Market Access & Health Policy, September 2025, MDPI AG,
DOI: 10.3390/jmahp13030045.
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