Feature -- by Mark Sproxton

As the large hand on her watch switches to 9:15 p.m. the certified pharmacy technician knows she'll soon be able to unwind. Having dealt with hundreds of patients and prescriptions today, she has had little time to rest. Once one task is complete, it's immediately on to another. It's a typical shift, and a routine Anna Talaga enjoys.

Anna Talaga has been a pharmacy technician for 10 years.

"You concentrate on helping people," she explains. "We're dealing with sick people and they want service provided quickly and efficiently. To help them out and see them happy, that's rewarding. (But) it is a stressful job. It keeps you on your toes all day. You will be concentrating for eight hours. Your mind has to be clear."

So what does a pharmacy technician do all day? Well, some of Talaga's regular duties for Calgary Co-op pharmacy include: turning on the computers; operating a till; making follow-up phone calls to doctor offices; dealing with customers; counting pills or mixing compounds for the pharmacist in addition to preparing the bottles and labels for the prescriptions; checking inventory on the shelves; and checking supply orders as they are delivered. And there's always the phone. "There are a lot of phone calls to the pharmacy," Talaga said. "All the time something is ringing."

While she has worked as a pharmacy technician for 10 years, three with Calgary Co-op, the Poland native never knew she would wind up in this field. "I really wanted to be a chemist," she said. Circumstances, however, lead to her turning her sights elsewhere. "I didn't want to sit around and do nothing so I found a college for pharmacy technicians. I went, and really liked it, and decided to stay." Her program in Poland lasted two years, while the lone program in Alberta lasts one year.

Now she works full-time in a retail pharmacy with shifts that include mornings, evenings and weekends. "This is a job around the clock," she said. But she also adds there are many opportunities for people to work part-time as well. Starting pay for a pharmacy technician in a retail setting will range from about $11 to $15 per hour, while those working in a hospital setting will likely earn more, ranging from $17 to $21 per hour. Most pharmacy technicians work in retail and hospital settings, but some also work as pharmaceutical sales people.

Regardless of workplace setting, Talaga said pharmacy technicians should have strong communication skills, a personal interest in the health field, along with basic typing and computer skills. "It takes a people-person," she said. "If you enjoy helping people, you have a great job." As with all jobs dealing with the public there can be a down-side though. "You deal with ill people and sometimes they're cranky. You try to deal with them in the best way. You always want to perform the best job possible."

With her eyes set on increasing her knowledge and training by one day becoming certified as a diabetic educator, Talaga offers this advice for anyone else considering this career: "Go for it. If you have all the attributes and it's your personals interest, it's a great job."