Pharmacist-to-pharmacy technician ratio
The pharmacist-to-pharmacy technician ratio is a legal regulation that establishes the maximum number of pharmacy technicians that may be supervised by a licensed pharmacist at one given time. For example, a pharmacist-to-pharmacy technician ratio of 1:3 would mean that three people are allowed to be working as pharmacy technicians at one time for every one pharmacist present.
Characterization
In the United States, the regulation of the pharmacist-to-pharmacy technician ratio is regulated at the individual state level. Some states vary the ratio by institutional pharmacy practice versus retail pharmacy practice, while others do not regulate pharmacist-to-pharmacy technician ratios at all. The ratios vary from a minimum of 1:2 to 1:6.| State | Pharmacist-to-pharmacy technician ratio |
| Alabama | 1:3 |
| Alaska | - |
| Arizona | - |
| Arkansas | 1:3 |
| California | 1:2 |
| Colorado | 1:6 |
| Connecticut | 1:3 institutional pharmacy, 1:2 community pharmacy |
| Delaware | - |
| Florida | 1:4 |
| Georgia | 1:2 |
| Hawaii | - |
| Idaho | 1:6 |
| Illinois | - |
| Indiana | 1:4 |
| Iowa | None |
| Kansas | 1:2 |
| Kentucky | - |
| Louisiana | 1:3 |
| Maine | - |
| Maryland | - |
| Massachusetts | 1:4 |
| Michigan | - |
| Minnesota | 1:3 |
| Mississippi | 1:2 |
| Missouri | - |
| Montana | 1:3 |
| Nebraska | 1:3 |
| Nevada | 1:3 |
| New Hampshire | - |
| New Jersey | 1:2 |
| New Mexico | - |
| New York | 1:2 |
| North Carolina | 1:2 |
| North Dakota | 1:4 institutional pharmacy, 1:3 community pharmacy |
| Ohio | - |
| Oklahoma | 1:2 |
| Oregon | - |
| Pennsylvania | - |
| Rhode Island | - |
| South Carolina | 1:3 |
| South Dakota | None for institutional pharmacy, 1:3 community pharmacy |
| Tennessee | 1:2, may increase to 1:4 if at least 2 are certified technicians |
| Texas | 1:4 |
| Utah | 1:3 |
| Vermont | - |
| Virginia | 1:4 |
| Washington | 1:3 |
| West Virginia | 1:4 |
| Wisconsin | 1:4 |
| Wyoming | 1:3 |
In some countries, such as in the United Kingdom and in Denmark, technicians can practice without pharmacist supervision at all. Globally, one survey found that pharmacists are the most frequent source of supervision for pharmacy technicians.