My Life as a Registered Pharmacy Technician (RPhT.)

Before becoming a Registered Pharmacy Technician (RPhT), I had no idea so many opportunities were available in the career. As an RPhT, we can be employed in many different fields, such as retail, hospitals, long-term care centres, research labs, clinician offices, and with pharmaceutical companies. When I attended Stenberg College’s online Pharmacy Technician program, my end goal was to work in a hospital pharmacy. After finishing school and becoming registered in 2020, I began working as a casual hospital technician, and it has been an exciting adventure to say the least!

No hospital is exactly the same. Each has different roles, different departments, and even different computer programs. However, the scope of practice for an RPhT is the same in all health authorities in British Columbia.

Seniority

RPhTs can work in permanent full-time, permanent part-time, or casual roles within B.C. hospitals. RPhTs belong to the Hospital Employees Union (HEU), which negotiates a collective agreement with the health authorities. Seniority, as outlined in the union collective agreement, largely determines who is granted new positions or shifts that become available. Seniority is not based on when you were hired, but rather the number of hours you have worked. I have chosen to be a casual employee, working around 10-15 days per month. Therefore, a technician who was hired after me, but who has worked more hours, would have higher seniority than me.

Generally, when a permanent position becomes available, it will be offered to someone already working in the pharmacy, and new technicians will be offered casual positions. However, the pharmacy is an ever-changing and growing department. Sometimes, new roles are created, and a new technician may be able to find a permanent or temporary full-time position right away.

Permanent and Casual Positions

Depending on your circumstances, you may prefer a permanent or casual position in a hospital. In a permanent role, you are guaranteed hours. You also have benefits and pension plans, paid vacation and sick days, and can bank your overtime to take extra days off. However, you need to plan your time off in advance. It can also be hard to pick up extra shifts, as preference goes to casual staff who do not go into overtime.

Working as a casual employee has a lot more flexibility for your working days and hours than a permanent employee. As a casual employee, you are not guaranteed hours. You will be picking up shifts for people who are on vacation, who call in sick, or sometimes for positions that are not yet filled. You can also lose shifts you have accepted if the permanent RPhT decides they no longer want to take that time off, or if a position is filled. It can be harder to gain seniority as a casual employee, and you do not have benefits or vacation pay. However, you do get an extra percentage of pay in lieu of benefits. You can also choose to take time off whenever you want, without needing to request it. If you have a preference for morning, evening, or weekend shifts, a casual position allows you the flexibility to pick up the shifts that you like and decline the ones you are not interested in, though I love them all!

A Variety of Roles

At the hospital pharmacy where I work, there are 20-25 RPhTs working 8-hour shifts each weekday, and 8-10 RPhTs on weekends and statutory holidays. Shift hours vary from hospital to hospital, with some pharmacies having overnight shifts and some having only daytime shifts.

Some of the roles that are typically performed by the same technician include:

Some of the roles that are rotated weekly include:

As you can see, working in a hospital as a Registered Pharmacy Technician offers a great deal of variety and opportunity to grow your skills. I have gained experience in most of the pharmacy departments at the hospital, but I have been able to spend most of my time in the areas I really love, such as compounding sterile products and the onsite cancer clinic. By working in a hospital, not only are you part of a huge healthcare network, but you are impacting the daily lives of many patients. You can also feel a profound sense of satisfaction in your chosen career.

This blog was written by Ericka Brown, RPhT, our Pharmacy Technician Distance Diploma graduate, and it reflects her journey and experience through the registration process. Click here to read her success story!