During the Week of May 22nd through May 26th, Pharmacy Technician students celebrated their own version of Pharm Tech Appreciation Week by highlighting the skills they learn and develop during training. Instructor Tami Morris played the head Pharmacist at Springdale Pharmacy. She wrote fake prescriptions for staff volunteers, who then came in to drop off their scripts and then pick them up.

Students worked through the whole process with staff. They accepted the prescriptions and went through the required patient paperwork, entered the information unto the computer, counted out the pills (actually dried beans) for the prescription, and then rang up the prescription. Other students practiced calling staff patients to let them know when their prescriptions were ready for pick up and still others used computer programs to verify insurance coverage.

Tami Morris encouraged staff to test students’ abilities to handle all sorts of customers and customer issues. Some staff patients lost their prescriptions or had expired prescriptions. Others had insurance problems that they helped address. “These are all situations they’ll face on the job,” said Tami. “I wanted to give them the opportunity to practice in a low-consequence setting.”

Springdale Job Corps Center is proud of its Pharmacy Technician trade. Students who have graduated from this program have gone on to work in well-known pharmacy companies in the Pacific Northwest and are making good wages. To learn more about the Pharmacy Technician trade or any of the trades at Springdale, contact Naomi Ulsted at 503.695.2245.