Become a pharmacy technician preceptor

Become a Pharmacy Technician Preceptor

Are you interested in being a leader and mentor to a student? As pharmacy technicians, we have all been helped along our path to becoming pharmacy-licensed professionals by preceptors in our field.
Being a preceptor involves quite a great deal of pre-planning for our students. This would include preparing a schedule for your student so they can experience every aspect of your pharmacy technician duties. You want to ensure that your students come out of their learning experience with the most knowledge gained possible. The preceptor also needs to complete the intake, midpoint, and endpoint evaluation with their student. These check-ins will summarize what has already been discussed as you travel through their practicum together. The student must meet the required amount of hours necessary for their college.
As a preceptor, you must learn to communicate with your students successfully. There are different ways of learning and teaching and not everyone learns in the same manner. You must model essential professional behavior for your student. If your student is struggling to meet the requirements, intervention is essential. How can you help your student succeed? If you are not working one on one with him or her, you should be checking in regularly with your team to see how things are moving along. If you are overseeing the distribution of his or her learning amongst your employees or co-workers, this is an entirely different way of precepting than if you are doing it strictly by yourself. Please touch base with all the staff your student is learning from to see how he or she is handling the workload and new information. Touch in daily with your student also.
Document, document, document. As always in pharmacy, this is very important. Touch base with their college to let them know how things are going or if you have any questions or input. Let your student know you are there to answer questions or help with personal issues such as sickness, housing, or covid vaccinations and requirements. Ask for help and guidance from your managers or practice leaders if you don’t have all the answers. Show your students that you can be innovative while maintaining high patient care and safety standards. We are all a team, and working together will help us mold the next generation of pharmacy professionals. Be proud of all that you do!

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”
–Benjamin Franklin

Joanne Fontaine works as a purchasing technician with AHS at the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital.  She also has had the privilege of working in Grande Prairie in both acute and cancer care.  Ultimate life goal – to be found lounging on the beaches of a tropical country in a bathing suit and flip-flops while getting a sun tan.