Julie Hudson, CPhT, is fiercely protective of her patients. The self-described “mama bear” takes her role as a patient advocate seriously and is always working to ensure her customers receive the most honest service possible, whether by syncing patients’ medications to improve adherence, finding the best drug prices possible, or simply being available for questions. 

That’s why during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was especially painful to see patients feeling helpless. Many of the customers who visit the pharmacy at Mariano’s #526 in Shorewood, Illinois, where Hudson works as a pharmacy technician, are of advanced age and were at high risk for complications during the pandemic. 

“COVID was really heartbreaking for me, especially for my seniors, because there was so much information, and it was changing as fast as it was being thrown out there,” Hudson says. “I had patients coming in tears, crying that they didn’t want to die, and my heart broke. It took a lot of time, patience, and compassion to calm these patients down and explain to them what the vaccine was.”

To reassure them, Hudson treated her patients as if they were her own grandparents. “I just wanted to make sure that by the time they left, they weren’t afraid—or at least they weren’t as afraid as when they walked in the door,” she recalls. 

That nurturing spirit and inquisitive nature led Hudson into healthcare to begin with. Before becoming a pharmacy technician, Hudson served as an emergency medical technician (EMT), as well as a certified nursing assistant and phlebotomist. When she learned about an open pharmacy technician position at a nearby Walgreens store, she applied, got the job, and instantly loved it because of the ability to interact with patients. “I felt like I had found my niche there in the pharmacy,” she says.  

Hudson worked at Walgreens and Target for nearly nine years before moving to her role at Mariano’s, where she has worked for more than six years. 

While Hudson loves her job, her career aspirations are anything but static. She’s currently working toward a CPhT Advanced Certification, as another way to further demonstrate her unwavering commitment to helping her patients and providing them with the highest level of care.

After being named a 2023 Best of the Best Pharmacy Award winner, Hudson spoke with us about her healthcare journey and making a difference in the lives of her patients.

What drives you to go above and beyond as a pharmacy technician?

I love helping people. I’ve always been kind of like a mama bear. I want to make sure they are getting the most honest and best service they possibly can. I’m always looking for ways to help patients feel welcome—not just like they’re another person in line. I want them to feel like they’re coming to a friend’s home instead of just going to the pharmacy.

It’s not only about helping patients with their prescriptions but taking the time to answer questions, going on the floor to help them choose an item, or finding something for them because they’re having a rough day and have walked past it five times already and not noticed it. 

How do you empathize with your patients?

It’s the golden rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated. I want to make sure they are happy and healthy, get their medications at the best price, have the most positive experience they can, and leave understanding their prescription.

I always make sure to tell them, “If you have any questions, please call. We’ll go over it again.” I’ve got patients who have called two to three times, saying, “What did you say again?” However long it takes to get them to understand, we will do it.

It’s also important to talk with patients while they’re at the register for a few minutes, to get to know them by asking questions like, “How are you? How’s your day? How’s the weekend? Do you have plans?” I want to get to know them on a personal level as much as possible so that I can anticipate their needs.

What do you do to educate patients?

That’s part of the beauty of getting to know your patients on a more personal level rather than as somebody coming in to pick up a prescription. You get to know how they think and how they interpret things. Each person is different, and we’re able to tailor our explanations to each individual patient. 

For example, if a medication has a new manufacturer, I’ll go and open the prescription bottle up for patients and say, “Hey, you might’ve had a pink pill last month. It’s the same drug. It’s white this month now.” I do a lot of show and tell.

What is the one thing you do that patients are most appreciative of?

Finding savings is one of the things we try to do before a patient comes in. If we see that a prescription is really expensive, I’ll automatically go ahead and try running a discount to try to find the lowest price for the patient. If there is a lower price that can be found, I will find it.

There’s a look of relief on their face when they come in and we are able to say, “Hey, your insurance was going to charge you $1,000, but we ran it through using a discount card like SingleCare and it came up for $10.” Their eyes will get as big as saucers. Now they have extra money that they can put toward another bill, groceries, gas, or whatever they may need. It’s all about the patient and making sure they are getting the best possible service—not only financially, but emotionally.

Why is it important for you to help patients save money?

With everything going on in this world right now, people like to know they’re able to pinch that penny as much as they possibly can. Sometimes people think we have a magic wand and can barter or bargain with pricing on prescriptions. We can’t, but with the assistance of discount cards or company savings clubs, we’re able to make sure our patients can walk out of there and not feel that they’ve been taken to the bank. They know we are looking out for their best interest and trying to help them save money on their prescriptions because we understand. 

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

That I’ve helped people; that I’ve been able to make a difference in somebody’s life and that they’ve walked away with a smile and feel good about what they’re taking.

What does this award mean to you?

I am so honored and so blessed, and it is a privilege for me every day to be able to go to work and take care of my patients. They’re like family to me. My father used to say all the time, “If you find a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” Apparently, I have never worked in 33 years.