Morgan is one of ARTARx’s two new pharmacy technicians. Morgan has been working in various pharmacies since 2015, first as a Pharmacy Assistant, and later as a full Technician. Pharmacy Technicians perform an essential role that will keep ARTARx running smoothly, but as a relatively new designation in the pharmacy field, many members might not know what to expect from their Pharmacy Technicians. We asked Morgan a few questions about the role, and how it will improve the overall ARTARx experience.
What exactly is a Pharmacy Technician?
Morgan: Essentially, a Pharmacy Technician takes care of all the technical aspects of the pharmacy, freeing up the pharmacists to focus more on the clinical side of things. As techs, we take on many roles. We can accept prescriptions, supply you with refills on existing prescriptions, check that your prescriptions have all the necessary and correct information, and more. Basically, we make the pharmacists’ lives much easier.
What drew you to the Pharmacy Technician role?
Morgan: I started off working in the storefront of a popular chain of drug stores, until my manager offered me a role in the pharmacy as an assistant. I loved the work, and knew I wanted to take on a bit more responsibility, especially when it came to the planning and decision-making processes that keep a pharmacy running smoothly. Not long after, I enrolled at CDI College and earned a Pharmacy Technician diploma.
How do Pharmacy Technicians improve the member experience?
Morgan: Having someone else take care of the running of the pharmacy allows our pharmacists to have more time to devote to clinical care. We hold down the fort so the patient can get the personalized care and support they need from the pharmacists.
Recently, Pharmacy Technician became a protected designation, meaning that to call yourself one, you need to have the proper education and licence from the Alberta College of Pharmacy. This means you can be sure all Technicians in Alberta are properly certified.
Can members expect to have personal interactions with Pharmacy Technicians?
Morgan: Absolutely. Gathering and documenting patient information is within our scope of practice. For example, if a patient comes in for a care plan, we can get a sense for their needs and what medications they’re on before we pass it on to the pharmacist to handle the clinical data and make care recommendations.
Plus, if a patient comes in for a refill on an existing prescription, we can help with that, assuming their information is already on file, and they’ve already had a consultation with their pharmacist.
What excites you about ARTARx?
Morgan: I love the fact that we are here for the patients first, and not to focus on getting more money into the boss’s bank account. The plan-owned model that ARTARx follows allows us to devote our time and energy into making sure the patient gets the best care, rather than focusing on sales and profits.