Pharmacy Technician Ratio Requirements

The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn attention to the regulatory framework that governs the US healthcare system, and in particular to regulations affecting healthcare workers. This paper focuses on one type of occupational regulation imposed in the pharmacy setting, known as ratio requirements. Many states limit the number of pharmacy technicians permitted to work under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist. The paper provides a background on pharmacy technicians, who assist pharmacists in a variety of roles, and also reviews the current landscape of ratio regulations that exists across the various states. A number of states have changed ratio requirements in recent years, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, and some of these cases are discussed. The paper concludes that the current trend seems to be toward relaxing ratio requirements on pharmacy technicians. All told, the evidence seems to suggest that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are both capable of performing more tasks, and that increasing their responsibilities could be an important way to advance public health in the years ahead.