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Being a pharmacist is a demanding job, and it seems to be getting more challenging. Everywhere you look, pharmacists are dealing with issues like burnout, workforce shortages and financial difficulties. 61% report being moderately or very stressed, student applications continue to decrease, applications decreased another 5% from 2022 to 2023, after an initial massive drop off from 2021, and prescription reimbursement rates have continued to decline. On top of all of that, many pharmacists are facing growing demands, including to deliver vaccines while managing increasingly complex workflows, which may leave them stretched thin and limit their unique impact on patient access to care.

To address these mounting pressures, many pharmacies may need to rethink how responsibilities are distributed. I find that one promising approach is upskilling technicians to administer immunizations—a move that is intended to not only alleviate the burden on pharmacists but to also enhance overall efficiency. I have seen that when paired with automation, upskilling technicians can become a powerful strategy that is designed to improve patient care, streamline workflows, and help pharmacies meet growing demands without sacrificing quality.

What’s Happening Now

I’ve experienced the challenges of balancing prescription dispensing and vaccine administration firsthand. There have been times when I was the only pharmacist on duty, and while you may typically have 2-4 technicians to help, when you’re the only one giving vaccinations, it’s incredibly tough to manage everything. I had the responsibility of making sure that every prescription leaving the pharmacy met the highest safety and quality standards—I couldn’t afford to risk a mistake. That constant juggling between dispensing and clinical work was exhausting. It’s not just a matter of handling the volume but also trying to shift your focus between different workflows. It led to a lot of stress, and it’s no surprise to me that burnout is such a prevalent issue for pharmacists. When pharmacies are understaffed and constantly dealing with manual processes, this may result in delays, bottlenecks, and frustration for everyone.

Pharmacy technicians are the backbone of the pharmacy, supporting pharmacists with nearly every aspect of the business. Upskilling technicians to administer vaccines makes sense––it should help alleviate pharmacist workloads, improve patient access, and help enable pharmacies to reach more patients—especially when no pharmacist overlap is available. With multiple technicians often on staff and cross-trained to handle various tasks, pharmacies should be able to leverage this flexibility to balance responsibilities and expand immunization services.

The PREP Act temporarily authorized pharmacy technicians to administer vaccines in the wake of the COVID-10 pandemic, and has been extended to at least 2029. Since then, 46 states have codified some level of vaccine administration authority to pharmacy technicians practicing under the supervision of a pharmacist, with variations in regulations like age requirements and vaccine types. As more states appear to recognize the value of this approach, pharmacies have a unique opportunity to boost their vaccination business, improve patient care, and create a more streamlined, efficient workflow.

Making It Work

One way to implement an effective technician immunization program, is to start with accessible, competency-based training like the “Pharmacy-based Immunization Administration by Pharmacy Technicians” course, offered by APhA in collaboration with Washington State University. This course combines self-study with a live seminar, followed by a practical assessment to ensure technicians are confident and capable in administering vaccines.

Automation tools may further support this transition by helping streamline patient outreach, appointment scheduling, documentation, billing, and vaccine registry reporting, reducing walk-in disruptions and saving time. These systems also often have the ability to identify missed vaccine opportunities, such as multi-dose series, which is expected to enhance both patient care and pharmacy efficiency.

With technicians trained to handle vaccine administration, this should free up pharmacists to focus on higher-level clinical tasks like medication therapy management, patient consultations, and services like test-and-treat or hormonal contraceptive prescribing. This is anticipated to allow pharmacies to improve care quality, expand clinical service offerings, and explore new revenue streams.

Real-Life Benefits

By expanding the role of pharmacy technicians to include immunization administration, pharmacies can create a win-win-win situation for staff, patients, and the overall healthcare system. This shift is expected to bring a host of benefits that go beyond just reducing workload—it is also meant to foster career growth for technicians, alleviate burnout for pharmacists, and improve patient access to care. Here’s a look at the potential benefits:

• For Technicians: Upskilling technicians to administer vaccines is expected to open new career growth opportunities and provides a pathway to higher-level roles. By expanding their skillset, technicians may be able to gain valuable experience and the potential for increased pay, job satisfaction, and career advancement in the healthcare field—roles that previously didn’t exist.

• For Pharmacists: With technicians handling vaccine administration under their supervision, pharmacists should be able to experience a significant reduction in workload, which ought to help alleviate burnout. This is expected to allow them to focus on more complex clinical tasks, such as medication therapy management, patient consultations, treatment of minor ailments, and managing chronic conditions, ultimately enhancing job satisfaction and the quality of care they provide.

• For Patients: The ability to receive vaccinations from trained technicians is anticipated to lead to improved access, reduced wait times, and a more efficient pharmacy experience. With fewer disruptions from walk-ins and more streamlined workflows, patients are more likely to receive timely, high-quality care during the pharmacy appointment. Additionally, with the help of automation, pharmacies should have the ability to ensure that patients are tracked for completing multi-dose vaccine series, which is expected to improve public health outcomes and patient satisfaction.

Conclusion

Top of license practice does not only apply to pharmacists. By empowering technicians to handle vaccine administration and leveraging technology, pharmacies should be able to reduce pharmacist burnout, improve patient access to care, and enhance the overall efficiency of their operations. Upskilling technicians is not only intended to alleviate pressure on pharmacists but also to strengthen the entire healthcare system—which is meant to create a smarter, more sustainable future for both providers and patients.

About Jason Ausili, PharmD, MSLS

Jason Ausili, PharmD, is the Head of Pharmacy Transformation at EnlivenHealth, where he’s focused on delivering innovative clinical-based technology solutions that help mobilize pharmacists as care providers and practice at the top of their license. Jason received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Butler University and his Master of Science in Legal Studies from Cornell Law School. He’s held a variety of roles across the spectrum of community pharmacy and throughout his career has stayed centered on the aim to expand the scope of pharmacy practice, improve healthcare quality performance, and ensure pharmacists receive equitable payment for clinical services and improving patient outcomes.