Employee stories

Stacey Price - Lead Assistant Technical Officer

My name is Stacey and I work in pharmacy, with my current role being Lead Assistant Technical Officer for Patient Services. I joined the Trust pharmacy at the start of the first lockdown, back in April 2020 as an assistant technical officer and came to this role with no previous experience in a pharmacy setting – I actually came from a well-known coffee shop.

I was initially attracted to the job that brought me to the Trust because I was interested in playing a part to help people have a better quality of life and I thought that the idea of working with different kinds of medication that can have such an important part in someone’s life was really fascinating. I then applied for my current role as a natural progression when the vacancy became available.

Day to day I mainly work in the dispensary and being a Lead Assistant Technical Officer now means that I do have some managerial duties. I still dispense medications against prescriptions that come to dispensary, including outpatients, inpatients and discharges.

I love the fact that there is always something to learn with this type of work

There are so many resources to expand your knowledge and help to understand why you are giving a particular medication in a particular way – for me, this is how I learn best.

In my role now, part of that includes supporting people with coaching and support within the dispensary and this is something I feel very passionate about. I am fully supported in this by my management and that is a great feeling. I also love to maintain something called an ‘Appreciation Station’, which contributes towards a positive work environment, which is always fabulous! I have also been given opportunities to implement training materials to help with new starters or continued development within my team.

I have also now completed a checking course, where I can final check and release medication.  This involved completing a 1000 item assessment. I am the first person in the West Midlands to have achieved this as an Assistant Technical Officer and I am very proud of this accomplishment.

Skills that I believe are needed for this role include having attention to detail, but I think the most important skill to bring would be being able to communicate effectively, even if it means having to ask for help sometimes. I wouldn’t necessarily say someone would need to have a background in medicine or healthcare because I definitely didn’t and I feel that I have been empowered to flourish within this department and role.

My future aspirations are definitely within this department.  I feel that I would be very supported in any progression opportunities that came my way because this is how I felt when I was deciding whether to apply for the role I am in now. 

Joining the Trust pharmacy team was the best decision I ever made.  I find that now I have a great work/life balance and for me, that is something that is really important. 

Natasha Goode - Pharmacy Administrator

I was first employed almost three years ago as a Senior Assistant Technical Officer for the Pharmacy hub on the Acute Medical Unit. A typical day for me was to dispense medication for the ward patients, carry out locker checks to determine any medication that may be required and to assist dispensary where most of our outpatient, inpatient and discharge workflow happens.

I enjoyed the fact that every day would be different, learning about the medication and conditions they treated and of course the interaction with the patients and different professionals. In this time I completed my industry recognised qualification for Dispensing Assistants.

In November 2022, I became an administrator for the department, which I really enjoy as I interact with all my colleagues in the department. Sometimes I deal with very sensitive issues and I get an immense feeling of satisfaction when I can help one of my colleagues or just be there for them. A typical day for me in the office will entail recording annual leave and sickness, ordering department supplies, dealing with staff queries, updating staff rotas, entering staff timesheets and recording overtime. It is very important to possess a high level of attention to detail for this role, respect the need for confidentiality and have people skills. 

Having had a number of different jobs in a number of different sectors, I was struggling to find job satisfaction and that is why I wanted to work for the NHS. I wanted to be able to help people and work in an environment that was diverse and varied. Working for the Trust has provided that for me and more and I love the fact you can continually learn something new. I have enrolled on a course to become a Mental Health First Aider and have other courses in mind that I would like to try – all provided by the Trust!

The Trust is a great place to work, the opportunities are there if you want them, the flexibility is there if you need it and there is a real sense of community. 

Sharon Fellowes – Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician

I have been with the Trust for 6 months after working in community pharmacy for a couple of years. My days are different due to rotating through the departments, I have currently worked in dispensary, dispensing prescriptions and working on reception. I have also worked on the wards doing medicine reconciliations for patients. 

In pharmacy no two days are the same due to the different medication prescriptions that you dispense.  The variety of jobs that need to be done within the department and the variety of patients you talk to.

I wanted to be a pharmacy technician after qualifying as a dispenser, because I wanted to expand my knowledge of medicine and be able to have more interaction with patients.  I don't think there are any specific skills just a willingness to learn and be able to interact with people. I love working on the wards, talking to patients and being able to help them understand why they need to take medication at certain times and why they take their medication.

I would recommend working in the Trust pharmacy as everyone I work with are so friendly and helpful, nothing is ever too much trouble and they always work as a team and support each other.  My training supervisor is wonderful, and she is always on hand for help and advice, it has made my learning so much easier.

Working at the Trust is the best decision I have made as I love my job and have already made some lifetime friends. 

Kate Leonardo – Lead Pharmacist Surgical Division

Hello my name is Kate Leonardo. I have been at the trust since 2017 and I am the Lead Pharmacist for the surgical division. My role is very varied.  I respond to medicine queries, help lead our clinical ward based pharmacy teams, recruit to new positions, manage national stock shortages, ensure we are safe and effective keeping up to date medicine guidelines and protocols. I cover the occasional ward and dispensary, reviewing prescriptions and promoting evidence based medicine. 

I still try to prescribe for patients and optimise medicines when I occasionally join the multi-disciplinary ward rounds on Intensive Care. Improving and delivering excellent patient care is a huge motivation for me and I am always looking for ways to develop our services. I attend the Trust Thrombosis Committee as I have a specialist interest in anticoagulation and love working with different colleagues across the Trust. A career at this Trust enables you to develop your skills.  I have qualified as a pharmacist prescriber and completed several leadership courses. I like to get involved in different projects and helped set up the new Day Case Unit and I am honoured to be part of a really friendly and supportive pharmacy team. We are known as the Team in Green.  

I fell into pharmacy as I initially wanted to study medicine, whilst I was a full time athlete training at the University of Bath for Judo representing Team GB! I was in the development team for London 2012 Olympics, but unfortunately didn’t manage to qualify. I now like to fuel my drive into my career and keeping active with my family, living in the beautiful Herefordshire countryside. 

I am proud to be a pharmacist here at the Trust and make a difference to improving patient’s health, through their medicines. You need a close attention to detail, good communication skills and a resilience to work in the NHS. There are so many career paths across all sectors (primary/secondary/community) for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy assistants. Roles are continually expanding and pharmacy is a wonderful, diverse career to have. #proudWVTpharmacist