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.

DESIGN

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.

SETTING

Chain and independent pharmacies.

PARTICIPANTS

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

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

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.

CONCLUSION

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.