Tuesday 18 October 2022 is Pharmacy Technician Day, a day we can celebrate all the wonderful contributions pharmacy technicians and support staff make to pharmacy, healthcare and wider society.
We want to say a massive thank you to all our fantastic pharmacy technicians and support staff. You make invaluable contributions to patient health, safety and are an integral part of the healthcare team and deserve all the accolades you receive. Without you there would be no pharmacy and you deserve a day for all your tireless work.
It is also a day for pharmacy technicians to reflect on their careers and realise the impact they've had on patients and fellow pharmacy professionals. We will be sharing some of their stories throughout the day.
Our first story for Pharmacy Technician Day is from Tejash, Dispensary Manager/Senior Pharmacy Technician. He shares what his job involves and the journey that he took to become a Pharmacy Technician.
Tejash’s Story – Dispensary Manager
My name is Tejash and I'm working as a senior pharmacy technician at the Wells Road pharmacy department. My job as a dispensary manager is to coordinate manage dispensary operations, manage staffing level across a number of sites as well as organising rotas, troubleshooting and optimising pharmacy services.
To become a pharmacy technician you can work within community and hospital pharmacy although there are a number of other sectors such as primary care and industry. Initially you need at least 4 GCSEs A-C to apply for a BTEC or NQ Level 3 in pharmaceutical science. Once you have completed this, you’re a qualified pharmacy technician.
For me once I left school, I studied electrical engineering however I didn't enjoy much of it and I realised it wasn’t a career I wanted to continue to pursue. Then an opportunity came along, to work within a pharmacy as helper to stack shelves as well as other responsibilities. Over time, I gradually started to take an interest into the pharmacy sector and went on to complete a module to become a pharmacy assistant. Soon after I realised, I wanted to study pharmacy and become a pharmacy technician – I completed BTEC in pharmaceutical science.
What I can say is that every day is different and you just don't know what to expect. Each day brings different challenges which I think is probably the best part and the worst part you can say