Rebekah Newbery
Rebekah is a pharmacy technician that has worked in community pharmacy and care home services for 21 years before moving two years ago to a secondary care position at a Care UK. She now works in an NHS treatment centre that specialises in elective procedures.
How long have you been qualified as a pharmacy technician?
I qualified as a pharmacy technician in 2006.
What did your educational route entail to become a pharmacy technician?
I started work in my local community pharmacy when I was 17, I had just finished my A levels and was unsure about what next steps I should take, so I replied to an advert. That’s where my journey begins really in community pharmacy.
I undertook training to become a pharmacy assistant, then a year later trained as a dispenser. At the time the course the company were running was only for a year so later I completed a top-up course and was able to register as a pharmacy technician.
What is your opinion on the ‘grandparenting clause’?
The term used at the time I trained was the ‘grandparenting clause’ and although this has been deemed as an easy route to a qualification, I qualified and worked as a dispenser for 10 years before undertaking the necessary six-month top-up course and exam at the end. All of my work was reviewed and monitored and had to be signed off as competent before I could register and practice as a pharmacy technician. The ‘grandparenting clause’ has enabled me to achieve what I have accomplished today. In 2008 I trained to become an ACT and have used these skills in several areas in the community pharmacy setting including care home services. After moving to my current position in secondary care I have since completed my training and qualified as a medicines optimisation technician.
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