Cynthia Clanton,
Certified Pharmacy Q&A Technician
What is your area of expertise?
"I work in education and development. I am a Q & A tech-I do quality and assurance for the Pyxis machines."
Can you describe what you do as a Q & A tech?
"I audit the machines to make sure the drugs are in the right space, make sure the strengths are right, check the expiration dates, and make sure different drugs are not mixed together in the machine. We go through every single pocket and put our hand on every drug in the machine. We do this everyday all through the hospital."
Why is it crucial to have a Q & A tech checking the medicines?
"It's something like Patient Safety. We have new nurses and people all the time. If you look at the machine and it reads that Tylenol is supposed to be in Pocket 1, a nurse will look at Pocket 1 thinking it's Tylenol, but it could be mixed up. Our job is to assure that that doesn't happen. Patient care is the first priority at UAB."
How many machines are we talking about?
"There are approximately 115 machines throughout the hospital, but there could be even more than that because we have new units coming up all the time. And there are three of us who work on the machines."
Describe the relationship between the pharmacy techs and the nurses?
"I think it's a good relationship. A lot of the technicians have been here for a long time, and most of the nurses depend on the techs. The nurses know we're here for them and we'll do anything we can do to help."
What do you like most about being a pharmacy tech?
"I like the job because you can learn so much. In the pharmacy department, there's so much to learn and so many different drugs and formulations. What you learn here you can apply to your daily life when you look at your own prescriptions."
How long have you been in your job?
"I've been doing Q & A for two years. But I've been in the pharmacy department for 15 years."
How has the pharmacy tech job changed over the years?
"There are always new rules and regulations. When I first started, we didn't have Pyxis machines. We had a little cart that we had to fill everyday. You had to pull each individual drug for each individual patient. As time goes on, there are always new things to learn and new challenges."
What affect has this job had on you or your way of thinking?
"I am so particular about patient care because I have had sick relatives in the hospital. I know it helps them to get their medicines on time. And I know that if we do all we can do, we can save lives."
Describe your experience working for UAB.
"It has been a very good experience for me. I have learned a lot and have made a lot of friends. Over the years, you become like a family. Also, I have a 22-year-old child who is a UAB student. UAB has been so good to me and my child and my family!"
Do you have an interesting story about your time as a pharmacy tech?
"Walking up and down the halls to your machines, you see a lot of people who need various kinds of help, even if it's directions to a particular area of the hospital. I remember one day, I was coming down the hall and I saw this lady with a terrified look on her face. I asked her if she needed help, and she said she was supposed to be going to her car to pick up her husband from patient discharge and she had gotten lost. So I stopped and walked this lady all the way to the deck. Then I got in her car and I rode with her to patient discharge to pick up her husband. She had no idea how to get around the hospital. I knew she was scared and I would have wanted someone to help my child or loved one in that situation. That was a good moment for me. I was glad to be in the right place at the right time for her."