Pharmacy Technician – Kaihangarau Rongoā
“I want to share my passion and experiences to present and future generations, so that they can see there are opportunities for them and not to be afraid to put themselves out there”
– Oceana Breeze Maia Kaponga, Pharmacy Technician Trainee
About the Career
Pharmacy technicians help pharmacists to prepare and give out medicines.
Pharmacy technicians may do some or all of the following:
- receive prescriptions
- prepare and mix medicines under the supervision of pharmacists
- pack and label medicines
- issue, deliver and keep records of completed prescriptions
- maintain stock levels
- help in the day-to-day running of the pharmacy
- organise and repack bulk supplies into smaller containers for hospital wards and departments
- deliver medicines to hospital wards.
Pharmacy technician or assistant work, any customer service, and any work in the health industry is useful if you are interested to move onto becoming a Pharmacist.
Qualities you need
Pharmacy Assistants need to be:
- well organised
- be able to work as part of a team
- be able to communicate and relate to patients/customers
Career Pathway
Find out more Pharmacy Technicians here: https://www.careers.govt.nz/jobs-database/health-and-community/health/pharmacy-technician/
Find out more about Pharmacy Assistants here: https://www.psnz.org.nz/careers/assistants
Find out more about Pharmacists here: https://www.careers.govt.nz/jobs-database/health-and-community/health/pharmacist/
Other Pharmacy related roles:
Pharmacists
Pharmacists are trained with knowledge of how to prepare and prescribe medicines. Pharmacists work in many areas of health including, hospitals, private drug companies and in the community. People will usually come in contact with a pharmacist at their local pharmacy.
Community Pharmacists
Prepares and gives out medicine in a retail shop such as a chemist. Also gives information on health, disease prevention and using medicine properly.
Hospital Pharmacists
Prepares and gives out drugs and medicines in a hospital.
Industrial Pharmacists
Researches and tests everything to do with medicine. This includes making, storing, distribution and controlling the quality of medicines.
Find out more here:
https://www.careers.govt.nz/jobs-database/health-and-community/health/pharmacist/
Our Whānau Career Story
Oceana-Breeze Maia Kaponga – Pharmacy Technician Trainee
Where do I work and what do I do?
Pharmacy Technician Trainee – Vivian Pharmacy I am studying through Open Polytechnic (in 2022) and working at Vivian Pharmacy. I help manage the shop/retail and I dispense medicines, and process them through our computer system, operate and maintain our dispensing robots to create sachets which is all done under the supervision of the pharmacist.
I also get the opportunity to get to know my patients/customers who come into the pharmacy and ensure that they are educated about the products they are purchasing and finding the right item which will help them, and getting know them personally as well.
What was my career pathway to get where I am / and what led me to this?
I attended Rapuara Hauora through Why Ora when I was at Spotswood College. I also participated in Mātaki Shadowing and experienced Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, and Pharmacy. I have always wanted to be in health care but wasn’t sure where I wanted to be.
I was studying to become a nurse at first but due to health reasons I was unable to continue and ended up finding an interest in pharmacy which slowly turned into a passion. Having family who are pharmacy technicians I was able to gain knowledge about what the job was about and their personal experiences, and the many areas and opportunities this position was able to provide.
“My why” for doing this job and making a difference for Māori
I’m passionate about my job, being in a community pharmacy, because I am learning everyday about medicines and what they do, but also I learn about alternatives like how changing diet or avoiding certain foods can help ones healing.
There are so many people who are having to take multiple medications or purchase them without fully understanding what they do for them. I find joy in educating my patients/customers and knowing that they understand and how they appreciate the time taken to go through the process with them and also getting to know them as well.
My why for doing this job is to help those who need that little extra support, because I am in a position where there are a lot of vulnerable people who are afraid to ask for help or advice. So, my first job is to help them feel comfortable and to help them feel like they are in a safe environment where they are able to communicate their needs. There is a lot more to being pharmacy technician then many others might think, but I want to bring more to my position and to further my learning as my journey continues.
I believe that being in this profession allows me the opportunity to show Māori that they can get into the health profession. I want to share my passion and experiences to present and future generations, so that they can see there are opportunities for them and not to be afraid to put themselves out there, build their own interests in the industry and to one day have the chance to influence future generations themselves.
