Scientific Manufacturing Technician (SMT)

International Day of Women and Girls in Science

I work as a Scientific Manufacturing Technician (SMT) in aseptic services within the pharmacy department at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital. Although we are a ‘behind the scenes’ part of pharmacy and not patient facing, we are incredibly patient focused. A SMT is a relatively new and exciting role to the world of pharmacy, similar to a pharmacy technician but specialising solely in aseptic (contamination free) services. 

As an SMT, you’re responsible for contributing to the strict daily cleaning schedule, as well as the monthly clean which involves cleaning the whole clean room - from the ceilings to the walls (this is repeated four times!). Maintaining the environment definitely requires consistency and hard work, but the motivation stems from knowing that these actions keep our prepared products free from microbial contamination.  

I started in aseptic services four and a half years ago as a pharmacy assistant after a change in career paths. I graduated from university with a degree in Psychology and Criminology and went on to pursue a career within this area, but pharmacy had always been at the back of my mind. Luckily, I came across a job as a pharmacy assistant. Before starting in aseptics I had no idea that this was such an integral part of hospital pharmacy. I watched some of the team prepare chemotherapy in the isolators on my first day – the isolators control the exposure of staff preparing chemotherapy - and I thought this is what I want to do.  

I continued as a pharmacy assistant and then progressed to a senior. I still knew aseptic services was the area I wanted to specialise in, but at the time there wasn’t a clear progression route from being a pharmacy assistant. The SMT course was then suggested to me and I couldn’t believe my luck – this is a relatively new course which can provide progression within this area. 

Two years later and I’m now taking my professional registration with the Science Council and learning more each day. I work within a great team comprised of pharmacy assistants, pharmacy technicians and pharmacists who have all inspired and supported me to develop both personally and professionally.  

My day can range from performing preparation and accuracy checks to assisting in the preparation of chemotherapy and urgent medication for the intensive care unit. This is one of the many reasons I love my job; it is full of variety and challenges.   

We house an aseptic unit which is a sterile, controlled environment where we prepare medicines for the most vulnerable patients. We prepare patient-specific chemotherapy treatments and immunotherapy for in-patients and local cancer centres. We have been involved in Covid-19 clinical trials, and we also prepare antifungal and antiviral medications for life threatening conditions. This sector is therefore vital to providing care to seriously unwell patients, and it is this that makes the job so worthwhile.  

I also specialise in quality assurance. One of my duties is to perform monthly microbiological and physical environmental monitoring duties of the whole aseptic suite. Cleanrooms are designed to deliver an environment that is free of contaminants. Any contamination within the cleanroom not only poses a risk to the product, but also the end user. A robust environmental monitoring program allows us to implement corrective and preventative measures, as well as additional cleaning regimens etc. I am then responsible for inputting the data on to our spreadsheets and acknowledging and investigating any out-of-specification results. Ensuring our compliance with regulations and legislations is a big part of my job. 

Every job has its challenges, and I feel the biggest challenge within my job is the lack of awareness of the role of a scientific manufacturing technician, and also the lack of awareness of what aseptic services actually is. When people don’t have the knowledge of what you do, both your role and the service can get overlooked when people envision a pharmacy department within a hospital. Despite this, I find it quite cool to be involved in such a niche area!  

When people find out that my job involves preparing patients’ chemotherapy, they are pretty surprised. I don’t think people have any idea how much work, time and skill goes into ensuring that products are made to the highest quality, efficacy and safety. It’s very rewarding to be a part of the process. 

There will always be some challenges, barriers and stereotypes along the way, but it is important to not let anything hold you back and to focus on your own journey – if you want to try something new, do it! You never know what will come out of it.  

Regardless of gender, it’s great to have a mix of individual differences working in the service, bringing different skills and experiences to the job. A diverse team is always best.