Jisell Squires won the 2021 Customer Care Award thanks to her exceptional compassion, empathy, and attention to patient care. She goes out of her way to ensure every one of her patients understands what medications they’re taking, how they can save money on their prescriptions, and why they should get vaccinated when eligible.

Below, the Fred Meyer pharmacy technician from Vancouver, Washington, tells us about her favorite customer memory, why pharmacy savings education is so important, and more.

What do you think is most important for you as a pharmacy tech?

I’m always looking for the best prices and not overcharging customers—that’s my goal. I want their healthcare to be affordable, and I don’t want them worrying about next week. I really try to educate people to look into their insurance plans, look into what could be better for them, and talk to their doctor—especially if the price of a medication is high.

We try to recognize who our people are and let them know that they are cared for and valued at our store. 

I have a lot of customers who won’t go to another pharmacy because they feel safe and secure here; they know that we will take care of them. I’ve had a retired pharmacist come in as a customer and he didn’t know about a copay savings card, and his drug went from $450 to $10. He thinks I worked this magic, but all I did is help him with a copay card.

I also just try to listen to the patients. Just hear what they need, in a nutshell, and make sure that I’m taking care of whatever it is. We try to recognize who our people are and let them know that they are cared for and valued at our store. 

What do you see as the advantages of customers using prescription savings cards like SingleCare? 

For the people who don’t have insurance, using the SingleCare card is definitely a good bonus. I’ve seen some cases with Medicare where a simple drug, like Abilify, is $300, or a cholesterol medication like Lovastatin is way overpriced, but when a patient uses one of the coupons or the discount card, it’s $20 or $30 and not $300. 

So I think knowing that, “Hey, there’s a better price out there and if you don’t want to hit your deductible right now, you don’t need to,” has lifted a lot of weight off people.

What is your favorite customer story? 

I had this scruffy older man, who was a truck driver, that I used to help all the time and then he passed suddenly. Before he had passed, he had actually written me a card telling me how amazing I was, and saying, “There needs to be more people in the world like you, who take the time and effort to make sure everybody is valued.” I didn’t feel like I did much for him other than being there when he needed me, but a couple of months after he passed, his daughter found the card in all his stuff, but she wasn’t ready to go through everything yet. I kept telling her that was fine: When she was ready, she would be able to. 

She finally brought me the card a year later, and we sat there and read it together, and cried together. I think that’s one of my fondest memories; it was one of the most touching moments that I’ve had. This gentleman, from beyond the grave, finding his way into my hands—it was just awe-inspiring.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your pharmacy?

We’ve given 6,500 shots in our pharmacy alone, and it makes me feel good that people are getting vaccinated and trusting us to give it to them. 

You need to listen to your customers, you need to have a smile on your face, and you need to be compassionate and have a good attitude.

This couple came in—the husband has cancer—and they’ve been in and out of doctor’s offices with cancer treatments and not once has anyone offered a COVID shot to him. I just happened, on a whim, to say, “You guys have your COVID shots, right?” And they said no, because they were so busy with every medical appointment and every medical test. I asked if we could do it today, and they said, “Yes, please! Thank you for asking!”

With COVID in general, it’s hard sometimes, but people come in really worried and scared, and then come back three weeks later saying, “Thank you, because you really actually made a difference. I’m so glad you made me feel at ease.” Those are my winning stories that I feel really good about.

What do you think are the attributes of a top pharmacy tech, and what makes you great at your job? 

I think you need to listen to your customers, you need to have a smile on your face, and you need to be compassionate and have a good attitude. Customer service is the one thing I’m good at: caring and understanding about whatever that patient is going through, because everybody’s dealing with a different diagnosis that you might not know about.

Sometimes you just have to take a step back and make sure that that person is taken care of, and make sure they feel safe and secure. Day in and day out, it’s just making sure that you’re compassionate and that you have a good attitude when it comes to dealing with patients.