24.174.703 USE AND TRAINING OF PHARMACY TECHNICIANS

1. (1) A pharmacy technician, as defined in 37-7-101, MCA, may perform tasks as delegated by the supervising pharmacist and may not perform tasks which require the exercise of the pharmacist's independent professional judgment, including but not limited to, patient counseling, drug product selection, drug interaction review or drug regimen review.
2. (2) An initial training program must include on-the-job practical training and didactic education that is commensurate with the tasks and functions a pharmacy technician may perform. Pharmacy technician training materials must be available for inspection by the board.
3. (3) A pharmacy must have policies and procedures directing how a pharmacy technician will be utilized based on the technician’s training, experience, education, skills, competencies, and applicable scope of practice. The policies and procedures must be made available for inspection by the board.
4. (4) When a pharmacist is not in the pharmacy, new prescriptions may be dispensed, provided that the final check has been completed and the prescriptions are waiting to be dispensed, unless counseling is requested by the patient or required by the pharmacist. Pharmacy technicians may not provide counseling.
5. (5) No medication may be dispensed to a patient without review by a pharmacist for the accuracy and appropriateness of the prescription drug order.
6. (6) All compounded medications must be verified by the supervising pharmacist including but not limited to checking: the original order, additives, dosages, and clarity of IV solution, where appropriate.
7. (7) All pharmacy technicians and auxiliary staff shall be made visually identifiable by name and job title utilizing letters of 16 point or larger on a name badge.
8. (8) All pharmacy technicians must properly identify themselves as a pharmacy technician when they answer the telephone, accept verbal prescription orders for new or refill prescriptions from medical practitioners with prescriptive authority or their designated agents, and initiate refill requests to a prescriber. Delegated activities related to pharmacy technicians accepting verbal prescription orders or initiating refill requests must be outlined in the policies and procedures.
9. (9) All pharmacy technician licenses must be conspicuously displayed at all times in the place of business.
10. (10) Pursuant to ARM 24.174.411, regarding pharmacist meal/rest breaks, a pharmacy technician may act as agent in charge of the pharmacy to ensure its integrity when a licensed pharmacist is not physically present but remains on the premises. The pharmacy technician 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.

Authorizing statute(s): 37-7-201, MCA

Implementing statute(s): 37-7-101, 37-7-201, 37-7-301, MCA

History: NEW, 1992 MAR p. 1608, Eff. 7/31/92; AMD, 2000 MAR p. 2005, Eff. 7/28/00; AMD, 2002 MAR p. 86, Eff. 1/18/02; TRANS, from Commerce, 2002 MAR p. 904; AMD, 2010 MAR p. 74, Eff. 1/15/10; AMD, 2019 MAR p. 1633, Eff. 9/21/19; AMD, 2025 MAR, Notice No. 2025-206, Eff. 12/6/25.