Pharmacy technician Nikki Smith prides herself on her service to her customers at Walmart #359 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. When a parent comes in with a child sick with an ear infection or strep throat, for example, she understands they want the antibiotic right away. Before telling a patient they’re out of stock on a certain medication, she’ll call around to see who else has it or ask the provider for an alternative. 

She advocates for patients on the phone with insurance companies, signs customers up for prescription discount cards on their phones, and even delivered medications to the residences of some of her elderly customers wary of coming to the store during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is why she has been named the 2022 Best Technician for Service. 

Why does she do all this and more for her customers? Smith is a self-proclaimed giver who says she’d give someone in need her last $5. “It makes me happy to see their faces when they realize, yeah, it’s going to be okay,” she says.

We spoke to Smith about what drives her to give—and serve—in the pharmacy.

Why did you decide to get into the field of pharmacy?

I had been working at the beauty counter at Walgreens when a woman working in the pharmacy suggested I come work for her. I was terrified at first. I said, “Absolutely not. I don’t want people’s lives in my hands!” But I took a leap of faith and went for it. I realized that there was a system of checks and balances in place, just like anywhere else, and that the pharmacist always double-checks our work. Knowing that things weren’t just on me put me at ease. 

And now I love it! I get to help people every single day. I get to help them save money. I get to help people who can’t afford their prescriptions get their medication. And it really just makes me happy, honestly.

What has surprised you the most about being a pharmacy technician?

Even though we are such a minute part of the healthcare community, we really do make a huge difference in people’s lives. I helped with several COVID-19 vaccination clinics where we gave 1,200 immunizations per week. How much we truly impact our community with contributions like that is what has surprised me the most.

Tell us how you provide special service for your customers. 

I have a lot of regular customers who will wait for me to serve them when they come in. When I see them waiting in line, I’ll look them up and see what they have ready. Or, I’ll see if there’s anything ready for their mom, dad, or kid or whomever else they may be picking up for. If there is something ready, I’ll grab their order and check them out. I’ve built up a relationship with these people and I know they trust me. 

Even though we are such a minute part of the healthcare community, we really do make a huge difference in people’s lives.

We have a lot of elderly customers. I try to treat them like I would treat my grandparents—or how I would want my grandparents treated at their own pharmacy. So I’ll slow down and slow down my speaking (because I move really fast and I talk really fast!) and speak a little bit louder, so they can hear me. But above all, I do not speak to them any differently than I would speak to someone else. 

Helping your patients save seems to be a big part of your service. Talk to us about that.

I have the knowledge to help patients find resources, so I’ll sit there with them and I’ll help them fill out forms on their phones to access discounts or coupons that can help them save. It helps people save so much money. And they may not have even known that these options existed.

I like helping people. It makes me happy to see that they had a moment of realization that it’s going to be okay. 

Can you give us one last example of your above and beyond service?

I had a mom once call me about her daughter who had just moved here for college. The daughter—who had Type 1 diabetes and was six hours from home—had left her insulin at home. This is life-saving medication for this young woman and she only had a couple of doses left. I told the mom, “Okay, let me see what I can do.” I got on the phone with the insurance company, and they said they couldn’t override the old prescription and fill a new one. 

Now, if she had lost the medication, they would cover it—but not because she left it at home. Sure, I could have hung up and called back and said she lost it, but instead I persisted, asked for a supervisor, and kept them on the phone until they agreed to give her insulin. The mom was so grateful. When the young woman came to pick it up, she was practically in tears. 

Everyone is dealing with something that no one else knows about. At the end of the day, it costs nothing to be kind. If I can make someone’s life a little bit better, then I’m glad to do it.