"I've loved every minute of it": Celebrating 49 years as a Pharmacy Technician

This Pharmacy Technician Day we are shining a spotlight on Julie Heyes who is celebrating almost five decades since the start of her career.   

Pharmacy Technicians are essential to the smooth running of pharmacies and play an important role in helping patients to manage their medicines. 

Julie has worked as a Pharmacy Technician in the NHS for 49 years and has spent 47 of them at the Trust.  

As part of her role, Julie supports the running of our in-patient pharmacy by preparing, supplying and administering medicines. 

Julie’s interest in pharmacy began when she worked for a chemist during school holidays and weekends.  

Julie said: “I enjoyed the work that I was doing and when I heard about a Trainee Pharmacy Technician post at the hospital, I decided to go for it”.  

Julie started her training in September 1977 and has never looked back.  

Over the years the role and the department have seen many changes. When Julie began her training there were less than 40 members in the team and medicines were originally made up in the dispensary using equipment like a pestle and mortar.  

Now the Pharmacy department employs more than 140 people.  

Over her career, Julie has seen the positive impact of a range of other technological advancements such as the pharmacy robot which supports the work they do. 

She added: “Through this role I learnt how to use a computer. When I originally started everything was done on typewriters and labels were handwritten”.  

Julie now works on our Acute Medicine Unit (AMU) where she will gather a patient’s medication history, which is a complete record of all the medication a patient is currently, or has recently, taken, including over-the-counter medicines. 

“I really enjoy getting to meet and speak to patients and have an impact on their patient journey by making sure they are on the right medications and they understand any changes that have been made”. 

Julie will be retiring in January 2027 and is looking forward to spending time with family and going on more holidays.  

She added: “If you are considering a career as a Pharmacy Technician I wholeheartedly recommend you go for it. 

“The work varies every day. While it can be pressurised and demanding sometimes, there’s a lot of teamwork and it is a really rewarding job. 

“I’ve loved every minute of it”.  

We thank Julie for her years of service and wish her a very happy retirement with her family and loved ones.  

Find out more about being a Pharmacy Technician here: Pharmacy technician | Health Careers.