During her first year of university study, with the goal of becoming a dental hygienist, pharmacy technician Celeste Salloum realized that she needed to take different path.

“I quickly realized that university wasn’t for me,” says Celeste. “I like to be active and doing things. I like hands on work.”

Noting his daughter’s unhappiness, and knowing her interest in science, Celeste’s father brought her attention to an advertisement he saw for the pharmacy technician program at Eastern College. Celeste began to do more research into the profession and thought that it would be a good fit.  During this time she discovered that the pharmacy technician program was also available through the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC). However, there was a two-year wait to get into the NSCC program.  Celeste didn’t want to wait.

Pharmacy technician is a new professional designation in Nova Scotia.  They are regulated much the same way pharmacists are.  They have to undergo specialized training and significant testing to get their license.  Celeste was one of the first students to go though the accredited course to become a pharmacy technician.

Celeste graduated from Eastern College in November 2013 and was hired immediately out of school.  She completed a number of placements as part of her program and it was during her hospital placement that she really found her calling. Her hard work and passion showed and her colleagues at the hospital recommended her to the hospital’s Human Resources Department.

“I really like what I’m doing,” says Celeste. She is currently working at the IWK Health Centre.  “It’s exciting.  Every day is different.”

She gets to be on her feet all day, which she loves, and the work is very interesting.  She is also quick to point out how much she enjoys working with her co-workers.

“They are a great team,” says Celeste.

Celeste’s work at the hospital is focused on the technical side of pharmacy. Once the medications are reviewed for therapeutic appropriateness by a pharmacist, Celeste gets the medications together, labeling them for the patients and preparing them for delivery to the hospital rooms.  This work is then checked by another pharmacy technician before the medications for up to the floors for administration to the patients by the nursing staff.

When asked what her favourite thing is about her job is, Celeste doesn’t hesitate.

“The IWK is such a bright happy place to work,” she says.  “Everyone is so supportive.”

It’s important to her to be a part of a team that is helping children.

“The patients are children first,” Celeste says. “They are getting treatment but having fun at the same time.”

Although she is very new to her career and still establishing herself, she has given a little bit of thought to what she might like to do as her career progresses.

“I’m very interested in drug information,” says Celeste.  “It’s interesting and fascinating - all the different drugs and how they work.”  She has thought about getting into drug information research at some point.

“Maybe sometime in the future,” she says. “Right now I really like what I’m doing.”