15th October 2024
Each year the pharmacy community takes a day to especially celebrate the pharmacy technician. We encourage employers, educators, organizations and the public to find ways to appreciate the important work technicians do every day.
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt offered his “sincere thanks” and said they “play an integral role in the Pharmacy Workforce across all sectors in Northern Ireland.”
My name is Michael and I currently work as a Band 5 IMM technician, primarily on the Female Medical ward in Daisy Hill.
I am responsible for the day to day ordering of medications at ward level. I make sure that all of my patients are seen in a timely manner and I procure whatever medications they need whilst they are an impatient. I also facilitate their discharge whenever they’re deemed fit to leave hospital.
Seeing patients leave the hospital looking and feeling a lot better than when they arrived and knowing that I helped in some way to make their stay with us as enjoyable as possible (given the circumstances) is very fulfilling for me.
Having already worked for the trust in various different roles including Portering, Security and Stores, I decided to branch out further and join the Pharmacy team.
I worked my way up from roles as an ATO and SATO before undertaking a Btec in Belfast which opened the door for further progression and the role of Pharmacy Technician.
I have since undertaken further development and currently have accreditations in Drug history taking, assessing patients own drugs and the Accredited checking module, which enables me to also check requisitions and scripts.
I enjoy my role immensely and really like working as part of the Pharmacy team.
My name is Barbara I am a Senior Technician in Pharmacy Daisy Hill Hospital.
I joined the Pharmacy Team in October 1998 as an administrative assistant. I enjoy pharmacy and had the opportunity to further my career to a Pharmacy Technician and then progressed to my current role as Senior Technician.
In my current role I manage/supervise and support the pharmacy technical team in dispensary in Daisy Hill. I organise training for staff and complete commencements for new staff.
I complete extended hours rota, weekend rota and weekly rotas. I discuss the weekly rota at the morning huddle each day to get the team set up. Delegating who is responsible for writing ward Top-ups, covering reception, processing CD’s, working in stores, labelling and dispensing prescriptions and gathering requisitions.
I have my ACPT and final check requisitions, prescriptions, dossette boxes and controlled drugs.
In my role I have managerial duties such as, authorising annual leave, complete sickness leave on HRPTS and have a meeting with staff who are returning to work, to check if they need any additional support. I complete appraisals and my door is always open to support the team.
I have chaired interviews and would recommend pharmacy as a career.
My job is very rewarding, I am so happy I followed my career into Pharmacy and look forward to the future.
My name is Loma, I work in Daisy Hill Hospital as a Procurement Pharmacy Technician.
My job entails sending orders to suppliers, stock checks, investigating stock discrepancies, liaising with suppliers regarding drug availability, maintaining a safe level of stock whilst reviewing this in line with patient safety and cost effectiveness, managing drug shortages, and invoice queries.
The thing I enjoy most about my job is while I work as part of a team of pharmacists, technicians & admin staff I’m responsible for my own workload and can organise my day around it. I also enjoy sorting out stock problems by sourcing drugs from alternative suppliers & communicating with the range of people I encounter day to day in this job.
It’s important in this job role to be a good communicator, to be organised and be able to use your own initiative. It’s also important to stay calm in stressful situations (I’m still working on this one.)
My name is William I work in Daisy hill Hospital pharmacy dispensary. I am band 5 pharmacy technician within the dispensary. My job role entails a Management role in the dispensary sharing duties with colleague Barbara.
I am responsible for compiling weekly rotas, delegating staff duties, dispensing prescriptions, final checking prescriptions and Controlled Drug orders. I find my job very fulfilling working as a team in the dispensary in DHH, final checking a patient’s prescription in a timely manner will speed up the discharge process, and it helps our pharmacists and patient flow within the hospital.
I started in Daisy hill Hospital as a porter on a temporary contract in January 1995, then a job came up as an ATO within the pharmacy department in early February 1995,which I applied for and was successful ,I then gained and SATO position in 1999.
A position became available for a student technician post in 2003 and I started my BTEC HNC in pharmacy services in September 2003 and I Qualified as a pharmacy technician in June 2005.
To be a technician you need to be a good communicator, be very accurate in your work and be a good team worker