Amplifying Technicians: Julissa Gomez

In episode 5 of Amplifying Technicians, host Taylor Watterson, PharmD, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Illinois Chicago Retzky College of Pharmacy, welcomes Julissa Gomez, a fourth-year pharmacy student at the University of Illinois Chicago Retzky College of Pharmacy and pharmacy intern at CVS Pharmacy.

Exploring Gomez’ brief but unique experience throughout her pharmacy career, the duo met to discuss challenges and opportunities in moving from a pharmacy student to becoming a professional. From Watterson’s experience in the field to Gomez’s fresh look at a pharmacy student’s first career choices, they tackled the critical roles technician support provides in pharmacy practice and how far teamwork can take pharmacy businesses.

“I think amplifying technicians, for me, looks like always being a team moderator,” Gomez shared. “For my future team, I want it to be that there is a level of teamwork. We are a team. If one’s going down, we’re all going down. Basically, we’re all getting kicked with how many scripts are coming through.”

While many challenges within the pharmacy industry have grown to seem too daunting to manage, many pharmacies have persevered through teamwork and a dedication toward their communities. And with Gomez beginning her career around the COVID-19 pandemic, she understands what perseverance is like; especially in pharmacy, where technicians can be just as valuable as pharmacists.

Learn from Watterson and Gomez as they tackle what it means to be a pharmacy employee, how all have a role within pharmacy practice, and why their day-to-day tasks are so much more than just dispensing medications.

Be sure to tune in each month on Drug Topics for conversations that highlight the impact of pharmacy technicians and the many ways they are advancing the profession. All episodes of Amplifying Technicians will be available in video format via DrugTopics.com on the last Tuesday of each month. Check out our previous episode with Wesley Sparkmon, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of pharmacy sciences at Creighton University.

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