South Carolina Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE) Practice Exam

True or False: Pharmacy technicians performing clerical duties are counted against the pharmacist to technician ratio.

1. True

2. False

3. Only if they handle medications

4. Depends on the state regulations

The correct answer is: False

The statement is false because pharmacy technicians performing only clerical duties do not count against the pharmacist-to-technician ratio. The pharmacist-to-technician ratio often refers to those technicians involved in direct dispensing activities or other pharmacy operations that relate to the preparation and handling of medications. If a pharmacy technician is strictly engaged in non-pharmaceutical tasks—such as data entry, customer service functions, or administrative tasks—they do not impact the technician ratio, allowing pharmacists to manage more technicians who are involved in direct medication handling and dispensing roles. This distinction is important to ensure that pharmacies can operate efficiently while adhering to legal and safety standards. Thus, the correct answer emphasizes that clerical duties are outside the scope of the ratio considerations.