(a) The definitions in section 20-571 of the CONNECTICUT General Statutes and this section shall apply to sections 20-576-33 [through] TO 20-576-39 inclusive, of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. The term pharmacy technician does not include:

(1) persons working in an institutional pharmacy who are not engaged in the compounding and dispensing of medications, such as stock clerks and clerical personnel; and

(2) persons working in a pharmacy who are not engaged in the compounding and dispensing of medications, such as stock clerks, cashiers, clerical personnel and data entry personnel performing routine functions such as entering and retrieving basic information not directly related to dispensing as defined in subdivision (9) of section 20-571 of the Connecticut General Statutes, getting prescription files and other manual records from storage, generating computer records such as refill logs and inventories of dispensing for the signature or initials of the pharmacist, handling or delivering completed prescriptions to the patient or the patient's agent, and ringing up or receiving sales. Data entry of demographic and insurance information shall not be considered to be directly related to dispensing.

(b) "Supervising pharmacist" means a pharmacist who supervises pharmacy technicians; who is fully aware of and responsible for all activities pertinent to drug preparation, dispensing and distribution in which pharmacy technicians are engaged; and who conducts in-process and final checks on the performance of such pharmacy technicians.

(c) “Certified Pharmacy Technician” means a person who holds an active certification from the pharmacy technician certification board, or any other equivalent pharmacy technician certification approved by the commission of pharmacy.

(d) "Director of pharmacy" means the pharmacist designated by the facility administrator in a care-giving, correctional or juvenile training institution as being in direct charge of, and having overall responsibility for the operation and management of pharmacy services of that institution.

(e) "Inpatient pharmacy" means that area of an institutional pharmacy which is engaged in the manufacture, production, sale and distribution of drugs, devices and other pharmaceutical related materials used in the diagnosis and treatment of registered inpatients of a care-giving, correctional or juvenile training institution.

(f) "Satellite pharmacy" means an extension of an inpatient pharmacy which provides decentralized pharmaceutical care to persons in specific locations within a care-giving, correctional or juvenile training institution, including but not limited to specific patient care areas, nursing units, operating rooms and critical care units.

(g) "Outpatient pharmacy" means that area of an institutional pharmacy which provides pharmaceutical care to registered outpatients receiving treatment at a care giving institution

Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies Section 20-576-36 - Ratio

(a) The ratio of pharmacy technicians to pharmacists shall not exceed two pharmacy technicians to one supervising pharmacist, except that the ratio shall not exceed three pharmacy technicians to one supervising pharmacist:

(b) Except for intravenous admixtures and other sterile products preparation, unit dose and unit of use dispensing and bulk compounding, a pharmacist may refuse to supervise three pharmacy technicians at one time. The pharmacist shall put any such refusal in writing and give it to the pharmacist manager. Any refusal shall include a specific statement that the pharmacist refuses to supervise three pharmacy technicians, the names and addresses of the pharmacies involved, the date and the signature of the pharmacist. A pharmacist may rescind any refusal by providing the pharmacist manager with a signed, dated statement.  A pharmacy shall keep all refusals or rescissions on file in the pharmacy or a place where they can be easily retrieved and provided to the department.

Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies Section 20-576-37 - Training

(a) Pharmacy technicians shall complete initial training as determined by the pharmacist manager of each pharmacy. Such training shall include, but not be limited to, on-the-job and other related education and shall be commensurate with the tasks pharmacy technicians are to perform. This training shall be completed prior to the regular performance of such tasks.  The pharmacy technician shall be registered with the department no more than thirty days after the start of such training.

(b) The pharmacist manager shall assure the continued competency of pharmacy technicians through continuing in-service training designed to supplement initial training.

(c) The pharmacist manager shall be responsible for main­taining a written record documenting the initial and continuing training of pharmacy technicians and it shall contain the  follow­ing information:

         (1) the name of the individual receiving the training;

         (2) the date(s) of the training;

         (3) a general description of the topics covered;

         (4) the name of the person supervising the training; and

         (5) the signature of the individual receiving the training and the pharmacist

              manager.

When a change of pharmacist manager occurs, the new man­ager shall review the document and sign it, indicating that he un­derstands its contents.  This record shall be readily available for inspection and may be copied by the Commissioner of Consumer Protection or his authorized agents.

Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies Section 20-576-38 – Supervision and responsibility

The pharmacist providing direct supervision of pharmacy technicians shall be responsible for their actions.   Any violations relating to the dispensing of drugs resulting from the actions of pharmacy technicians, or the use of pharmacy technicians in the performance of tasks in a manner not in conformance with section 20-613 of the General Statutes or section 20-576-39 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, shall constitute cause for action against the license of the su­pervising pharmacist in accordance with section 20-579 of the General Stat­utes.

Regulations  of Connecticut State Agencies Section 20-576-39 – Limitations.

(a) Pharmacy technicians shall not:

(1) receive new prescription orders verbally from a prescribing practitioner or the practitioner's agent;

(2)  consult with a patient or the patient's agent regarding medication, either before or after it has been dispensed, or re­garding any medical information contained in a patient medication record system;

(3) perform any identification, evaluation, interpretation or needed clarification of a prescription;

(4) consult with the prescribing practitioner or the practitioner's agent regarding a patient or any medical informa­tion pertaining to the patient's prescription;

         (5)  interpret the clinical data in a patient medication record system;

(6)  perform professional consultation with prescribing practi­tioners, nurses or other health care professionals or their autho­rized agents;

         (7)  verify a prescription prior to its release for patient use; or

(8) determine generically and therapeutically equivalent drug products to be substituted for brand name products in accordance with Section 20-619 of the Connecticut General Statutes.

(b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit a pharmacy technician from communicating with a prescribing practitioner or his agent to obtain an authorization for the renewal of an existing prescription for a drug other than a controlled substance that can no longer be refilled, provided the following conditions are met:

(1)  the supervising pharmacist is aware that such an authorization is being requested;

(2)  the refill for which the authorization is being requested is identical to the original prescription and there is no change in the prescribed drug, its strength, form, quantity, dose, route of administration or in any other element of the prescription; and

(3)  all refill authorizations obtained by the pharmacy technician are reviewed by the supervising pharmacist to insure that there is no change in the prescription.

(c) Pharmacy technicians shall wear name tags or similar forms of identification that clearly identify them to the public as either pharmacy technicians or certified pharmacy technicians.