I have worked as a Pharmacy Technician in both NHS and Academia since 1989! I know I don’t look old enough!

In January 2018 I took on the role as Secretary for APTUK. This is a voluntary role with Board of Director responsibilities. It requires me to organise the invites, agendas and minutes / action notes for all the Professional Committee and Board of Director meetings. In addition to these “traditional” secretarial duties I also maintain the files (hard copies) for Companies House as part of our legal requirements as a Limited by Guarantee Company.

I volunteered for the secretary role with APTUK as I have been a member of APTUK for over 13 years and during that time have attended many APTUK events including the local branch meetings and conferences, both as an exhibitor and a delegate.

I was involved in the setting up of the Yorkshire and the Humber local branch and this re-energised my interest in APTUK and when I saw the secretary role being advertised I was eager to get further involved at a national level. I had been the secretary for the NHS Pharmacy Education and Development Group (PEDG) and for several education-based groups at my workplace.

I thrive on organisation and love to make a list and check it off! The Secretary role suits me perfectly for my skill set!

The work is varied and interesting and now I am no longer working in a “traditional“ Pharmacy Technician role (I am now an Education Manager in a Category B prison!) it keeps me involved with my “trade” profession. I love the teamwork from being on the Board of Directors and being involved in work at a national level. I hope I do a good job for APTUK, ask any of the Board if I chase them for briefing papers, acceptance of invites to meetings and poke them for proposing minutes and if they complain that I do then that’s a successful day for me!!

What is your main career achievement that you would like to celebrate this #RXTechday?

My main career achievement was being awarded a Fellowship of the Association at this year’s conference. I received my Fellowship for work I had done to support Pharmacy Technician education in my role at Bradford College, where I set up the pharmacy courses from 2005 – 2015 and for working at a local level on the Yorkshire and the Humber branch. Unfortunately, I couldn’t be there to accept the award, but I watched it all unfold over Twitter and I was very honoured to have been selected for this award.

Gail Hall FAPharmT

Secretary, The Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK)