Local pharmacy tech named ‘Technician of the Year’ in Missouri

Oct. 2--After 20 years of pharmacy work in Moberly, a local pharmacy technician has been recognized with a statewide award.

Leslie Garrett, a pharmacy technician at Sam's Health Mart in Moberly, was named technician of the year by the Missouri Pharmacy Association at its annual conference Sept. 12 to 15 in St. Louis.

It is the first award she has received as a pharmacy technician. To be eligible for the award, a technician has to demonstrate outstanding skills that help the pharmacy provide better patient care and participate in community activities outside of work.

"It's just really nice to be recognized," Garrett said. "You hear a lot that, 'We're just a tech, we'll get you our pharmacist.' It's nice to get recognized for all the work we do to assist the pharmacists."

Garrett began her career as a technician in Columbia in 1992. Seven years later, she moved back to Moberly, her hometown, to work as a technician at Sam's Health Mart, where she has been ever since.

"I grew up here and my family is here," Garrett said. "I just like the small-town pharmacy too. You get to know the customers really well."

She became officially certified as a pharmacy technician in 2000. Garrett said she has learned mostly from on-the-job training.

Garrett said she enjoys working in a smaller town for a family-owned company.

"I feel like it's more family focused," she said. "They want to make sure everybody gets to do things with our family. They kind of work around our schedules. So it's more of a family-oriented environment."

Her responsibilities include managing long-term care with nursing homes, group homes and assisted living centers as well as filling prescriptions and running insurance, she said.

Although she wasn't sure exactly why she was given the award out of all technicians in the state, but she said it likely has something to do with all of her experience in the field.

"It's probably experience more than anything," she said. "I've been at it for a long time."

Garrett is essential to the operation of the pharmacy, said Kimmy Tadrus, human resources manager of Sam's Health Mart

"Leslie is the quintessential caregiver," Tadrus said. "She has dedicated 20 years behind the counter caring for our patients and, as a manager, nurturing our staff. ...This award recognizes the important contributions pharmacy technicians make to the efficient and safe operations in pharmacies across the country. We are pleased and proud of the dedication and commitment Leslie brings to the profession."

Garrett is the second technician at Sam's Health Mart to be named technician of the year from MSA. Carol Schmidt won the award in 2013.

Garrett said she truly enjoys working in the pharmacy field and getting to interact with customers regularly.

"I love working in pharmacy," Garrett said. "I love the people we work with here. I mean I really love what I do in helping customers. I feel like it's really rewarding."

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