Area pharmacists honor Tick Klock's Briget Thompson

Briget Thompson, front, stands with Mark Johnson, Katie Johnson and Bob Vuletich at the Tick Klock pharmacy. Thompson recently was named pharmacy technician of the year by the Spokane Pharmacy Association. Her award is in front of her. Katie Johnson nominated her for the award.

Tick Klock Drug Store pharmacy technician Briget Thompson did not set out to have a career in pharmacy, but she has fallen in love with her job and was recently named pharmacy technician of the year by the Spokane Pharmacy Association.

Thompson said the award surprised her.

“It did, for sure,” she said.

The Spokane Pharmacy Association covers the Inland Northwest area.

The association awarded Tick Klock with the pharmacy of the year award in 2014.

The daughter of the late Mike Wells and Mary McDonald of Helena, Mont., Thompson grew up in Colfax, though she graduated from high school in Helena.

She came back to Colfax after graduating from high school in 1991.

Thompson has been working at Tick Klock for six-and-a-half years.

She worked at COAST Transportation prior to working at Tick's, and she completed on-the-job training to be a pharmacy technician.

“I was offered the job and realized I enjoyed it,” she said.

Her on-the-job training took a year, and then she took a certification test in Spokane.

“I love it.

It's the best job ever,” she said.

Thompson said that the award is great, but it means more to her to have the support of her coworkers.

Pharmacist Katie Johnson nominated her for the award.

“To me, it meant more that my coworkers had submitted it and they thought that I was good enough to be thrown in the hat, that they value me that much,” she said.

One of Thompson's duties at Tick Klock is to blister pack medications for patients.

Blister packing describes pre-formed plastic packaging used for medications.

“She goes above and beyond for our patients,” said Johnson.

“She does a lot of blister packing for our elderly patients, and she's really on top of it and goes the extra mile to help them figure out how to take their medications.” Johnson said that in some cases Thompson's efforts have helped some elderly patients to be able to stay in their own homes longer.

“I basically just nominated her because she's been a real leader for our team,” said Johnson.

“We've taken on a lot of new people, and she set a good example for them.” Johnson also called the nomination a “group effort,” stating that the staff all agreed with nominating Thompson.

“She definitely deserves the recognition,” said Johnson.

“She does a great job.”