PACE Assessor Naomi Lim on Assessing the Next Generation of Pharmacy Technicians

The College has transitioned from the Structured Practical Training (SPT) program to the Practice Assessment of Competence at Entry (PACE) model for pharmacy technician applicants. To help support this model, we are looking for frontline pharmacy professionals in community or hospital practice to be PACE assessors for pharmacy technician applicants. PACE assessors ensure that applicants meet the College’s practice-based requirements to deliver safe, quality care. For details on how to apply to become a PACE assessor, please review the information at the end of this article.

Naomi Lim is an Ottawa-based hospital pharmacy technician and a PACE assessor for pharmacy technician applicants. She shares with Pharmacy Connection why PACE assessors have an important role, what she’s learned from those she has assessed, and why her pharmacy peers should consider becoming assessors.

Pharmacy Connection (PC): How long have you been a PACE assessor and why do you think this role is important?

Naomi Lim (NL): I attended my PACE workshop in September 2024 and in November 2024 I began the assessment with the very first hospital PACE pharmacy technician candidate in Ontario. It was exciting, realizing that this would be the next and perhaps final step in helping future pharmacy technicians become registered.

PACE is designed to help confirm candidates are ready to work in the “real world” as a registered pharmacy technician. They need to showcase the basic knowledge of performing a pharmacy technician’s duties and perform all these duties to the best of their abilities, proving that they can be trusted as a final check. In the pharmacy field, there really is no room for error at all. It’s so important for these candidates to be assessed in the “real world,” so that when they are ready to work on their own, we assessors will know that we can trust in their patient care.

PACE can be seen as a safety feature, making sure our future pharmacy technicians can perform to the set standards required in the pharmacy profession within the circle of care. Without assessors, there wouldn’t be anyone to observe and confirm whether these candidates are ready to work solo. Students cannot pass an exam if there is no one to grade the exam, and that’s why it’s important for our seasoned pharmacy technicians to help determine whether someone is ready to be registered and out working in the Pharmacy World.

PC: As a PACE assessor, describe a moment you’re proud of.

NL: When working through a month of PACE, I am working alongside a candidate who can potentially be my future coworker. Not only do I want my candidate to perform well at my pharmacy site, but I also want them to ENJOY what they do at my pharmacy site. I always ask if they enjoyed working at my hospital campus and if they would like to work here in the future. So far, I’ve always received positive feedback and a desire to come work alongside me in the future. This of course makes me very happy and proud of the profession and place where I choose to work.

PC: What have you learned from candidates you have assessed?

NL: When you work in pharmacy for a long time, sometimes the work becomes so automatic you almost forget the little nitty gritty details that one doesn’t usually need or think of during the job. There are times you forget why you perform certain tasks or have orders entered a certain way and forget the backstory and origin of these processes.

During PACE you get challenged at times with these questions, as to WHY? It has taught me more about my work, as I’ve had to seek answers to questions that I’ve never really asked myself but maybe have always wondered about. Some processes can be considered “old school,” with all the constant evolution in pharmacy. It’s refreshing to get different insights on topics and ways of doing things from my candidates, even if it’s as simple as how or what to label an insulin pen.

PC: What motivated you to apply to become a PACE assessor for pharmacy technician applicants?

NL: I was originally asked by my Pharmacy Manager if this was a role I would be interested in partaking in as they thought I would be a good fit for the role. After inquiring more about what PACE was, I thought this was a great way to assess someone and grade them fairly without much outside pressure. The desire to minimize the number of medication errors or incidents in the workplace is also a driving factor, as this may occur when there hasn’t been much hands-on practice. There is also a huge need for pharmacy technicians in the hospital environment and to hire more pharmacy technicians, we need to help support the PACE registration requirement.

PC: What would you say to your peers who are considering becoming a PACE assessor for pharmacy technician applicants?

NL: There is a definite desire for more assessors, especially in the hospital field, as it would help increase the pool of candidates that can apply to your workplace for future hiring. It’s also an opportunity to gain insight on whether a certain individual would be a good fit at your work in the future after becoming registered. It’s also a wonderful feeling to know you have helped someone on their journey to becoming registered, or have contributed to a learning curve that will help shape them into the best pharmacy technician they can be. Participating in PACE is going to help shape the next generation and ready them for The Real World: Pharmacy.