Fórsa has called for an immediate review of the role of Hospital Pharmacy Technicians (HPTs) within the Health Service Executive (HSE) and HSE-funded services.

The last formal review of the role took place 30 years ago, rendering the current job descriptions and career structures outdated and inadequate.

In a recent letter issued as follow up to a meeting with the HSE, Fórsa outlined several reasons for the necessity of this review. Linda Kelly, national secretary highlighted significant changes in hospital pharmacy needs and the evolving responsibilities of HPTs.

HPTs are responsible for a wide range of healthcare services, including purchasing and sourcing medications, invoice approval, price monitoring, staff management, and more. They also play a crucial role in medication safety audits, training new staff, and supporting anti-microbial and clinical pharmacists.

"The role of HPTs has evolved far beyond job descriptions that were written a long time ago," Kelly stated. 

She added that despite while the role has expanded, there has been no corresponding recognition in terms of pay and grading structures. 

The letter underscored that the recruitment and retention challenges within the Pharmacist grade have exacerbated the situation. Since pharmacists were added to the critical skills shortage list in 2022, hospitals have increasingly relied on HPTs to take on more responsibilities, often under minimal supervision.

"The pressure to meet service demands under pharmacist staffing strains has resulted in HPTs being asked to continue to expand their role under minimal supervision," Kelly explained.

Fórsa also pointed out that recent new service development within the health sector are led by basic grade HPTs, a practice the union deems inappropriate given the level of responsibility involved. Additionally, the union raised concerns about the increasing incidence of hospital pharmacists trained outside of Ireland being offered HPT roles despite not being eligible for registration with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI). 

The union argues that a comprehensive review of the HPT role would unlock the vast potential within pharmacy services and improve workforce planning.

“There is a vast unlocked potential for Pharmacy Services within their current staff allocation in completing a review of HPTs. HPTs are skilled healthcare professionals responsible for a large remit of healthcare services,” noted Kelly.

Fórsa's call for a review is backed by the 2023 PSI Workforce Intelligence Report, which recommends such an evaluation. While not yet agreed, the union has put forward that Hospital Pharmacy Technicians will be a bargaining group in their own right.

Kelly expressed confidence that the review would benefit both the HSE and Fórsa in prioritising issues for the upcoming Local Bargaining Process under the Public Service Agreement . "It is our strongly held view that an internal review within the Public Health Sector would be a great asset to the broader long-term view committed to in the 2023 report," she noted.

In the months ahead it will be crucial for hospital pharmacy technicians to demonstrate they are no longer willing to let this situation continue to drag on.

Concluding, Linda Kelly urged members to talk to their work mates about the need to work together to get a review confirmed. She said:  “Talk to your colleagues in your department who haven't joined the union yet. Together, we can build the momentum needed for this review and strengthen our position for upcoming local bargaining. We’ve seen how this worked for Hospital Pharmacists, now technicians must do the same," she implored.

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