FRANKLIN—A Black Creek resident has been honored for her work as a pharmacy technician.

Kelly Gray, who’s employed at the pharmacy department of Farm Fresh on Armory Drive, was singled out during the annual Farm Fresh Pharmacy Managers’ meeting last month in Virginia Beach.

“My peers nominated me and then voted company-wide,” said Gray. “I think pretty much everybody nominated me.”

She got started in the world of pharmacy at Parker Drug in downtown Franklin while still a student at Southampton High School.

“When they sold to Farm Fresh, I just came here with them and trained to be a tech,” said Gray, who graduated from Southampton High School in 2008. “It seemed like a good opportunity at the time.”

The work consists of taking in orders, filling prescriptions and keeping up with the stock, she said. What pharmacy techs cannot do is check their own work; the pharmacist has to inspect it.

On the surface, that might seem simple enough, but there’s really much more involved.

Training was done on the site, and it took about nine months before she was ready to take the state board examination; Gray is also qualified nationally.

One of her biggest challenges was learning about insurance and how it affects orders, she said.

“We’re considered the backbone of the pharmacy,” said Gray, who’s been with the company since late 2009, early 2010.

The daughter of Gayle and Doug Gray, also of Black Creek, said she’s honored by the recognition. But Gray has not yet decided about furthering her career by becoming a pharmacist.