News Search

Pharmacy tech never fails to help others

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Nicole Sikorski
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  Through the busy grind at the 20th Medical Group pharmacy, Senior Airman Erika McCrea, 20th MDG pharmacy technician works hard to keep the pharmacy running smoothly.

She handles 500 different types of medication that the pharmacy stocks, dispenses 5,000 prescriptions a week and helps serve 31,000 beneficiaries, which include active-duty service members, dependents and retirees.

Along with her other obligations, she is responsible for prescription type-in and fill-in, patient safety reports, hazardous material, narcotics, inventory and watching for narcotic discrepancies.

The fast-paced environment was less than expected, according to McCrea. Although she was used to the structure of the military, she soon learned to deal with the fast tempo of the pharmacy.

"I'm an Army brat," said McCrea.

Throughout her childhood, both of her parents were in the U.S. Army. Her mother worked at the Pentagon with information technology and her father was a paratrooper.

Being a military child, she called a number of different places home including Texas, Virginia, Georgia, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and North Carolina.

McCrea has been enlisted for three years and has been assigned to Shaw for more than two.

Originally, she joined for travel and education and is now working toward her degree in forensic science and earning a commission.

"I was kind of destined to join the military with my upbringing," she said. "I had a choice to go to school or join the military, and I chose the military so I could go to school and travel."

Most of her free time is spent studying for her classes or studying for promotion to the rank of staff sergeant.

The rest of her free time she likes to spend with her husband, Senior Airman Xavier McCrea, assigned to U.S. Air Forces Central, and a new addition to her family; her puppy Panther, a border-collie and labrador mix..

The McCrea's relationship goes beyond both being stationed at Shaw. According to her, they met in high school.

"He didn't like me in high school," she said while laughing. "He said that I was mean, but I am the one who ended up convincing him to join."

Some influences in her life have been her father and her husband, who have been her support systems while serving in the military.

"I am just like my dad," McCrea said. "Our attitudes are practically the same in how we like to be different."

According to her supervisor, Staff Sgt. Andrew Johnson, 20th MDG pharmacy NCO in charge, McCrea is a forward-thinking worker who will always be the first to step up to a task.

"She picks up on things very easily," said Johnson. "I know that if I show her something only once or twice, she will be able to do it. She is very outgoing and always willing to help or teach other Airmen."

With her desire to be different and stand out that she learned from her father, McCrea continues to be noticed for her hard work in the pharmacy here at Shaw.