Precise measures

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kedesha Pennant
  • 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
Precision is often a word associated with the pharmacy department in hospitals where attention to detail is everything and could be a matter of life and death.

Last week commemorated National Pharmacy Technician Week to recognize the importance pharmacy techs play in providing patients with safe medication.

"The military recognizes the effect our pharmacy has on the mission as a whole," said Capt. Cory Hedin, 7th Medical Support Squadron chief of pharmacy services. "We keep our Airmen healthy and ready to fight, while also providing pharmaceutical care for those who served before us."

Patient care is vital to the pharmacy department. The 7th MDSS staff helps patients with factors such as nervousness and uncertainty in relation to taking new medication. Part of their job is to keep patients informed regarding any of their concerns.

"There's a great deal of job satisfaction especially when you recognize you've had an impact by positively influencing someone's healthcare." Hedin said. "You feel like you're contributing to the mission when helping servicemembers and their families remain at ease about their medical care."

Making a great impression with patients is important to the Dyess pharmacy as the majority of their customers come on base just to obtain their medications. Advances in technology, through a customer-flow management system called the Q-matic machine, dispenses tickets for patients. It helps cut down on wait times for customers to receive their prescriptions.

"We're always the last stop after patients have had medical appointments and been diagnosed, so we have quite an impact on their experience here," said Staff Sgt. Kirk Lyneis, noncommissioned officer in charge of pharmacy services.

In a field of product recalls and life-threatening cases, the 7th MDSS assures the pharmacy tends to notice trends in local populations. Anything that may go wrong gets reported in a system used locally.

"If a virus or infection were to break out in the local area, the Dyess pharmacy is the first to be aware of what's being spread," Lyneis said.

There are many jobs to be completed in the maze-like space filled with more than 1,000 prescriptions. There are also several pharmacists and pharmacy technicians filling prescriptions and completing paperwork, by hand or electronically, that goes along with the process.

"This job is very thorough and detailed-oriented," Lyneis said. "With any process there is a nine-step checklist and it's used with every medication."

A nine-step checklist is placed on every station in the pharmacy. It verifies a patient's personal information, the doctor's instructions and the medication's specific instructions including its expiration date.

The carefulness of this job produces long hours but can be rewarding in the end.

"Patients appreciate our hard work and dedication," said Staff Sgt. Martha Balajadia, 7th MDSS pharmacy technician. "It feels like pharmacy week, every week here."