Why did you become a pharmacy technician?

I was working at Walgreens as a customer assistant when I graduated high school. A position opened up in the pharmacy. I figured, “Why not?” Let’s just give it a try. And that’s how everything happened. I’ve been working there ever since. It was the best decision I’ve made.

I wasn’t expecting to make such connections with regular patients, to get to know them so well. We have people who come in twice a week. I’ve learned their whole life stories and earned their trust.

What does a day at work look like for you?

It’s a roller coaster. There are ups and downs every day, but it’s very rewarding helping those customers, those patients get their medication, learn to take their medication in a safe way and help people be healthy.

If a patient needs an expensive medicine, I look for coupons. If we don’t have a certain medicine in stock, I offer to go to a different location and pick it up so they don’t have to go without the medicine that day.

As pharmacists become responsible for more direct patient care, we as certified pharmacy technicians (CPhTs) are assuming expanded roles that advance our responsibilities. These include reviewing medication histories, technician product verification (TPV), hazardous drug management, billing and reimbursement, immunization assistance, supply chain management, financial assistance, medication therapy management, patient care transitions, training, leadership, and supervisory roles.

Recently, I took the role of medication therapy management (MTM) lead technician. That involves doing medical reviews with patients. I go over all of their prescriptions with them to make sure they are on the right medicine, taking the medicine at the right time of the day, and all of those details. Usually it’s a face-to-face conversation, but now I’m doing them over the phone because of COVID-19.

Making sure customers have the prescriptions they need is the most rewarding thing.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

It’s different and rewarding every day. Making sure customers have the prescriptions they need is the most rewarding thing. Every day the whole staff tries to go above and beyond for customers. We are always accessible to the patient no matter what. Having face-to-face interactions with the patient is one of the most important parts of my job. That makes the whole week for us.

What do you do to serve your community as a pharmacy technician?

The reason I came into this field was to connect personally with patients. Pharmacy is one of the most accessible healthcare services available to anyone. I want to improve healthcare outcomes and close the gap of healthcare coverage in the Hispanic population in the community. I have been involved in numerous training and development programs for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to better serve the community. 

Every year, my store does community outreach for flu shots. There are a lot of people in this city who might not have insurance. There are a lot of migrant workers. We partner with companies around the city to offer them and their spouses free flu shots. Usually by the end, we’ve vaccinated more than 100 people. In conjunction with the local school board, we also offer food, raffles, and other healthcare services. One year I won the Walgreens district Champions of Champions award for my work with these health fairs. 

Right now, I’m volunteering to do COVID-19 testing to help people in the community find out if they’ve been exposed. 

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your pharmacy and your job?

It has helped us get together and work more as a team. We care even more for the patients—for their safety, their health. Our customers are even more appreciative that we’re there for them during this time. We’ve had customers bring us Starbucks gift cards, bouquets of flowers, and even chocolates because they’re so thankful that we’re there.

What does this award mean to you?

It means I’m doing something right—that I’m in the right profession, doing the right thing for my customers and my community.