Celebrating the work of our Pharmacy Technicians
Today (Tuesday 17 October) is National Pharmacy Technician Day, so we’re shining a spotlight on these hard-working, dedicated colleagues in our Trust.
At Royal Surrey, we have 45 registered Pharmacy Technicians and five student Pre-Registration Trainee Pharmacy Technicians who are completing their two-year apprenticeships. They work across the Trust in a variety of areas including wards, dispensary, clinics, outpatients, clinical trials, medication safety, stores and procurement, in the Aseptics team, and in education.
The role is an important healthcare professional position. Not only do Pharmacy Technicians dispense, label and accurately check medications, but they check all new patients’ medications against their GP record and inpatient prescription. They also counsel patients to help them understand what their medications are for and how to take them.
Rowena Penson, Lead Pharmacy Technician, Education, and Development, said: “Pharmacy Technicians are a reassuring and helpful source of advice for our patients. We’re there to assist them with practical guidance and if they’re experiencing problems taking their medication, for example, if they can’t swallow a pill we can liaise with appropriate healthcare professionals to find an alternative solution for them; such as a liquid form.
“Pharmacy Technicians offer really valuable information for patients who might be worried about their medication and its side effects. They can liaise with patients and other healthcare professionals to find solutions to patients’ concerns. It’s definitely a very rewarding career, with scope for working in a lot of different healthcare settings and the NHS is currently keen to invest in pharmacy workforce development so it’s a job worth thinking about!”