Inpatient Pharm to tech ratio

[GatorPharm07]

Greetings,
Our California-based community hospital has a decentralized model with 1 pharmacist in the main pharmacy and 2 pharmacists out on the floors (for ex one in icu and one in ED). We have a total of 4 techs, 2 in the main doing prep and 2 out and about delivering meds to floors and restocking omnicell.
I wrote into the BoP asking if the decentralized floor pharmacists count towards the Pharm to tech ratio but as expected, was told that inspectors don’t interpret the law and for me to read the appropriate law section (general ratio of 2 techs per 1 pharmacist).
Ofcorse the law doesn’t address this particular issue but I cannot think this is a unique situation and other decentralized hospitals had the same question. Any insight is greatly appreciated since no one wants to be on a receiving end of a BoP citation.

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[ValeRx]

I would say that since techs must be supervised by the pharmacists, your floor pharmacists do not count.

 

[JustFillIt]

I would say that since techs must be supervised by the pharmacists, your floor pharmacists do not count.

Yea I agree - what bugs me is when they don’t want to give black and white responses to rule questions - you get a situation where when they show up the law ends up being a single person’s interpretation. This single person is usually the person with the power to write citation.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Hmmmm, yet the inspectors would have no problem issuing you a citation if they thought you weren't following their interpretation of the law.
Sorry, I have no advice. In my state, as long as the pharmacist is in the same physical building, it counts as supervision (so floor pharmacists would count.) But then my state doesn't have tech/pharmacist ratio either.