ASHP Pharmacy Technician Forum Executive Committee.

Abstract

JoAnne Myhre, current member JoAnne Myhre’s affinity for the field of pharmacy started when she was a 16-year-old clerk at a corner drugstore near her home in St. Paul, MN. Over the years, Myhre has come a long way, serving as a pharmacy technician in independent community pharmacies, large retail chain pharmacies, and the health system pharmacy environment, where she is now the drug diversion program manager for Allina Health in Minneapolis, MN. “Moving through all of those practice settings, I was able build on a lot of skills, some of which I didn’t realize I had,” Myhre said. For example, the strong project management skills she had built in the community pharmacy setting came to light after she moved into the hospital setting. In the retail setting, Myhre—like many pharmacy technicians—juggled in-person customer interactions with using cash registers, answering phones, and entering information into the pharmacy computer system. “When I started working in the hospital outpatient pharmacy, I realized I could draw on my multitasking abilities and my familiarity with workflow processes and help make things more efficient,” she said.