There’s very little Tana Yoon hasn’t seen or accomplished in her 30-plus years as a pharmacy technician. She’s worked on the front line, in education and management, helped open Calgary ‘s central production facility and the first pharmacy in a Calgary correctional centre, initiated the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board of Alberta as a first step toward regulation in the late 1990s, and is now a technical practice leader for Alberta Health Services, working to apply best practice standards. She also currently works for the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada as the chief examiner for the Alberta OSPE.
Perhaps Tana’s most impressive achievement came when she was named one of three public members—and first-ever pharmacy technician member—to the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities’ (NAPRA) Board of Directors.
“I was quite pleased and surprised that they specifically asked for pharmacy technician applicants,” said Tana. “That’s rare on such a grand scale and I thought this was a huge opportunity.”
As the first and only pharmacy technician on the NAPRA board, Tana feels the weight on her shoulders. Her goal is to bring a pharmacy technician lens to the discussions through her expertise and experience.
“As a pharmacy technician, my appointment is a chance to showcase the relevance of our profession. Inclusion at the national level is quite a critical juncture for us,” she said. “This demonstrates to our profession that we do have a lot of responsibility and part of that includes fulfilling roles like this.”
For Tana, there is no greater purpose in health care than to do what’s best for patients. She also looks forward to learning from the other leaders at the table.
“How many people get to have a discussion with the pharmacy registrars from every province? Not many, right?” said Tana. “It’s about doing the right thing, being inspired, giving back, learning, and living professionalism and ethics, all those things we try to do every day, but in a very formal capacity.”
