Creating a performance appraisal template for pharmacy technicians using the method of equal-appearing intervals.
OBJECTIVE
To design a highly quantitative template for the evaluation of community pharmacy technicians' job performance that enables managers to provide sufficient feedback and fairly allocate organizational rewards.


METHODS
Two rounds of interviews with two convenience samples of community pharmacists and pharmacy technicians were conducted. The interview in phase 1 was qualitative, and responses were used to design the second interview protocol. During the phase 2 interviews, a new group of respondents ranked technicians' job responsibilities, identified through the initial interviewees' responses, using scales the researchers had designed using an interval-level scaling technique called equal-appearing intervals.


METHODS
Chain and independent pharmacies.


METHODS
Phase 1-20 pharmacists and 20 technicians from chain and independent pharmacies; phase 2-20 pharmacists and 9 technicians from chain and independent pharmacies.


METHODS
Ratings of the importance of technician practice functions and corresponding responsibilities.


RESULTS
Weights were calculated for each practice function. A weighted list of practice functions was developed, and this may serve as a performance evaluation template. Customer service-related activities were judged by pharmacists and technicians alike to be the most important technician functions.


CONCLUSIONS
Many pharmacies either lack formal performance appraisal systems or fail to implement them properly. Technicians may desire more consistent feedback from pharmacists and value information that may lead to organizational rewards. Using a weighted, behaviorally anchored performance appraisal system may help pharmacists and pharmacy managers meet these demands.
Desselle
Shane P
SP
Mylan School of Pharmacy, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA 15282, USA. desselle@duq.edu
Vaughan
Melissa
M
Faria
Thomas
T
D003157:Community Pharmacy Services; D004650:Employee Performance Appraisal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D010559:Personnel Management; D010596:Pharmacy Technicians / Q000592:standards*; D016730:Program Development