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Hi Tech
What Makes a Great Tech?
by Kristine VanKuiken, CPhT ICHP Technician Representative
Hi Techs! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season!
As we begin a new year, I thought about how many people make New Year’s resolutions but do not keep them throughout the year. I know that personally I am very bad at this and never seem to make it past March! So for 2019, I have decided to concentrate on how we as pharmacy technicians can elevate our profession and make this a career and not just a job!
As my little cartoon above points out, a pharmacy technician plays so many different roles. But what qualities does a pharmacy tech need to be highly effective? I recently learned about this and it spoke to me personally . I’m sure you all can relate.
TEAM PLAYER- Technicians often wear multiple hats every day and need to know when to jump in and help to see the big picture. I like the term “global awareness”. A part of that is being able to help others learn which in turn helps the team overall.
KNOWLEDGE- Great pharmacy technicians are committed to learning about many different areas. Some of these include health plan knowledge, drug knowledge and software knowledge. Knowing your limits, or the limits of the law, is also a part of learning. Knowing when to get a pharmacist involved is key. Remember….KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!
COMMUNICATION- Great technicians are able to clearly articulate to both patients and co-workers in a language and manner that is clear and respectful. Many patients do not understand some of the terms that we use in pharmacy. Telling Ms. Smith that her drug needs a P.A. means nothing to her. But being able to explain what that means in a manner that she can understand is vital for her ability to know what is going on. When speaking with a co-worker, it is always valuable to be able to put personal issues aside and remember that they have feelings, too. Leaving a clear note and being polite goes a long way to making a comfortable workplace for everyone.
ADAPTABILITY- Great technicians find a way to adapt to the various working preferences of everyone in the pharmacy. Each person has their own particular way of doing things. Some more than others! Technicians sometimes have to endure some very odd requests, but they do what is necessary to keep things moving smoothly and efficiently.
ACCURACY- Mistakes happen and everyone makes them. But great technicians are highly aware of how important accuracy is in the pharmacy and they take it very seriously. They are concerned about details, take enough time to do things right and do not guess or hope that someone else will fix their mistakes.
FOCUS- Great technicians recognize distractions and stay focused. They remain calm and do what needs to get done while remaining sharp and organized. They manage pressure and do not take it out on coworkers or patients.
PHARMACIST AWARENESS- Great technicians are mindful of times when their pharmacist may need help and do not hesitate to jump in and assist. There are parts of the filling and counseling process that can only be performed by a pharmacist, and if they are doing other tasks it can back up the whole workflow. By being aware of those situations and taking the lead, the technician helps the workflow continue to move forward in a timely manner.
I am sure that most technicians possess the majority of these qualities and utilize them to the fullest. However, I think that it is always helpful to remind each other of what makes us valuable to our patients as well as our pharmacists.
SO…be a TEAM PLAYER, always gain more KNOWLEDGE, COMMUNICATE effectively with patients and coworkers, be ADAPTABLE, ACCURATE, FOCUSED and AWARE!
I would love to hear any of your ideas and experiences about this or any other subject. Please feel free to email me (
kvankk@uic.edu) or call me (312-355-2035) anytime.
