Scaling Technician Product Verification (TPV): A Contextual Analysis of Implementation Factors in a Large Community Pharmacy Chain

Purpose To identify facilitators and barriers of early implementation of a technician product verification (TPV) program in a large community pharmacy chain. Methods A mixed-methods (surveys, semi-structured interviews, and non-disguised direct observation) approach was used to ascertain facilitators and barriers to implementation and to subsequently develop a scalable implementation strategy with the aim to accelerate TPV scalability across a large community pharmacy chain in states where it is permitted. One-on-one staff interviews and observations provided qualitative data to identify facilitators and barriers to TPV. A web-based survey was used to gather perceptions on a variety of \"implementation strategies\" which would make use of identified facilitators and work to overcome identified barriers. Results During the mixed-method study, 3 key themes emerged: TPV is a complex intervention whose implementation is facilitated by both adaptability and trialability and is highly dependent on state practice regulations; the implementation climate of the pharmacy organization serves as a facilitator to TPV; individual beliefs about TPV change over time as implementation experience increases. Conclusion TPV is an expansion of the technician role that allows the profession of pharmacy to increase the provision of clinical activities via delegation of a non-clinical based task. Early adopters of TPV recognize that verification is a task that is increasingly automated by mail-order pharmacies and that verification may no longer be considered a pharmacist task. Pharmacies in this study tended to revert to comfortable, traditional workflow at the first sign of distress. To be successful in the future, TPV should be thought of as the primary workflow procedure and not as an option. TPV is a service that will require staff buy-in, patience, and championship.