CALIFORNIA PASSES PHARMACY TECH-CHECK-TECH LAW

A new Californiaregulation aims toreduce medicationerrors in the state'shospitals and to freepharmacists for involvementin directpatient care.

The new law willallow general acute care hospitals toemploy specially trained pharmacytechnicians to check medication cassettesand the work of other technicians.

Traditionally, any tasks handled by apharmacy technician relative to dispensinga prescription had to be verifiedand documented in writing by a pharmacist.

The new regulation, however, willallow hospital pharmacists to dedicatetheir time to activities established toreduce errors.