Pharmacy U for Technicians a resounding success

The inaugural Pharmacy U for Pharmacy Technicians earned high praise from the more than 200 delegates who attended sessions over the two-day virtual conference. The event kicked off with a keynote presentation by Dana Lyons titled “Beyond the Dispensary.” Lyons, who is the technical practice manager, provincial operations, pharmacy services, for Alberta Health Services, and a past president and current member of Alberta College of Pharmacy Council, captivated the audience with her candid and inspirational story of her unconventional career pathway. Ontario clinical pharmacist Mathew DeMarco’s address on “The Role of Pharmacy Technicians in Vaccination Services” was both timely and enlightening for technicians eager to expand their horizons by administering COVID-19 vaccines and, in some provinces, other injections as well. Nova Scotia pharmacist Stacey Smith discussed the benefits of flash glucose monitoring and ways it can influence patients in making care decisions to aid in their diabetes management. That was followed by a presentation by Rick Siemens, pharmacy manager at London Drugs in Lethbridge, Alta., who introduced attendees to the new Real Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring (rt-CGM) system now available for purchase at pharmacies in Canada, and compared it with the more familiar, Intermittent Scanning Glucose Monitoring (Flash) system. Pharmacy technician Rahila Ovais capped off a successful day one with a session on how pharmacy technicians can maintain good documentation practices in their daily duties. For day two, keynote speaker and independent pharmacy owner Jen Baker spoke to the many opportunities for pharmacy techs as injectors, as shown throughout the pandemic so far. “We have given 5,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccinations at the pharmacy to date, and the majority of those have been injected by the pharmacy technician,” she said. “As techs stepped up to the plate and delivered on this program, I see no reason why they couldn’t do the same on any other pharmacy-based initiative.” Attendees also gleaned tips on how to manoeuvre the challenging world of social media in healthcare, as well as ethics for pharmacy techs and how to handle difficult situations in the pharmacy. Watch for more presentation details from Pharmacy U for Pharmacy Technicians in this space to come.

Pharmacy U for Technicians a resounding success

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