Caitlin Quigley, CPhT
Pharmacy Systems Administrator
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, MA
Certification
Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB)
Number of Years at Organization
8 years
Why I do what I do
My career as a pharmacy technician, like any job, can be overwhelming and sometimes stressful. But it is also the most rewarding job I have had, and I find a high level of meaning and know my role has a direct positive impact on the lives of other people. Being a pharmacy technician has so many roles from picking medications from our medication carousel, delivering medications, managing inventory, patient interaction, validating medication histories, handling patient insurances, making intravenous medications, optimizing dispensing machines in patient units and so much more. Pharmacy technicians are the glue to making a pharmacy operational to provide the best care for our patients and communities. Every pharmacy technician's job and role is unique. The skills we acquire as pharmacy technicians are quickly advancing with the world of medicine. I am committed to promoting the advancements that are now available to pharmacy technicians so they can specialize in the skills they acquire in any health care setting.
Latest Accomplishment
Over the past year, I have been working on optimizing our Omnicell medication dispensing machines in our inpatient units, increasing efficiency by capturing 90 percent of patient-specific doses for placement into the dispensing machines to be available for nursing. As a result, we have decreased our Omnicell refill by almost 30% compared to the previous year. We have decreased the number of late doses, which has reduced the amount of single patient specific medications being dispensed from our central pharmacy and lightened the workload for our pharmacy technicians. We are taking specific floors off certain shifts to refill them twice a day instead of three times a day, which has been successful in improving our technician workflow.
Most Memorable Experience as a Pharmacy Technician
My most memorable experience was my first time attending an annual pharmacy conference. My first conference was at the Massachusetts Society of Health-System Pharmacists (MSHP). It was my first time meeting other technicians outside of the workplace who, like me, were motivated to push themselves outside of their comfort zone and helped me to visualize achieving my own goals as a pharmacy technician. The level of education offered, presentations, influencers, advancements, posters, and conversations flooded my thoughts with the motivation to be more involved in advancing my technician career and be a part of helping other technicians in what I like to call “a technician movement” to get more involved. I was introduced to so many great minds that inspired me to appreciate all the levels of hard work put in day to day and how much of an influence I had being a pharmacy technician. This year was my first American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) conference in Anaheim for the Midyear Clinical Meeting and that has taken me to another level. I hope to continue attending these conferences in the future.
Why I Became Certified
I became certified to show the accreditation of the knowledge I had gained to do my job as efficiently as I could, with the vast amount of knowledge a pharmacy technician must acquire. It is a professional credential for technicians that showcases their knowledge and commitment to medication safety and effective patient care across pharmacy settings and clears the path to achieve other specialized and advanced credentials.
My Passion Outside of Work or Hobbies
I joined a few committees because of my passion to help pharmacy technicians advance into more prominent roles in the health care setting. I love speaking with other technicians from across the country getting their ideas, processes and hearing their goals. Currently, I am the appointed chair for the Massachusetts Society of Health-System Pharmacists (MSHP), where I help plan annual events. This year I joined the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), Pharmacy Technician Forum Quality Assurance & Workforce Safety Advisory Group. Outside of my committee work, I very much enjoy camping and going to Maine to wind down as well as the occasional karaoke.
Advice to Up-and-Coming Technicians
For the pharmacy technicians just entering the industry, one thing to note is the only thing holding you back is you and now, more than ever, is the best time to be more invested in this role. In the past year, pharmacy technicians across the country have consistently been seeking new ways to elevate the roles and responsibilities available to our technicians. Some health care settings are already having technicians working in advanced roles with the advanced certifications they have acquired. More technicians are getting involved within technician communities, committees, advanced certifications, and leadership. There are many ways to get involved and the more voices we have, the more movement we can make to expand job growth.