What happens at the biggest and best pharmacy event in the world? Join the best and brightest pharmacy professionals in New Orleans this December for an energizing and riching, enlightening experience like no other. Simply put, there is nothing like it. ASHP's mid-year clinical meeting offers everything you need for your career to blossom, including countless professional development and career advancement opportunities. Just imagine what you can accomplish at an event that brings together 20,000-plus pharmacy professionals from across the globe. Special rates are available when you register and book your hotel before September 27th. Learn more at midyear.ashp.org. That's M-I-D-Y-E-A-R.ASHP.org. Welcome to the ASHP official podcast, your guide to issues related to medication use, public health and the profession of pharmacy. Hello everyone and thank you for joining us for this episode of Technician Topics. This podcast provides an opportunity to share ideas and best practices focused on professional development, clinical and innovative practices and other topics important to pharmacy technicians. My name is James or Jimmy Love and I am the Network Pharmacy Business Analyst at Hackensack Marine Health in New Jersey, as well as the chair of the 23-24 ASHP Pharmacy Technician Forum Professional Development Advisory Group and we'll be your host today for today's episode. With me today is Thomas Wackery or Tom, who is the lead pharmacy technician at Boston Children's Hospital and a member of the ASHP Pharmacy Technician Forum Executive Committee. So, hi Tom, thanks for joining us today. Now, let's get started talking about today's topic, which is Embracing Leadership, Nurturing Confidence and Professional Advancements and Associations. Now, I know you pretty well Tom, but for our listeners who may be meeting you for the first time, could you share a bit more about your background and your pharmacy technician journey? Yeah, hi Jimmy. Thank you so much for having me today. I'm really excited to be part of this podcast and you already did a great introduction. I didn't even realize how lengthy that would be. So, hi everybody out there. So, a little bit about myself. I'm originally from Europe, come from Austria and I was there in the medical field, so I did go through medical school and then I immigrated to the US, starting family and my life out here with my wife. And initially, when I said put to the US, you know, there was just nothing really yet for me to do because there's really a big licensing portion to the medical field over here. So, I looked into pharmacy, you know, and just was excited to see a different aspect of medicine, you know, because it was just so different and it's really a diverse practice field too. And it just suits me. It doesn't stand still, you know, so I'm always looking for things. So, I was very excited to start my quote-unquote medical career out here in a related field. And ever since, you know, as I went along in the process and over time, I just saw more and more opportunities and could also see how I could possibly reshape my professional field, you know, because sometimes it's just things change over time. So, I stayed in pharmacy for now and you know what, things never get boring. So, it is totally up my alley and I enjoy myself every single day there. And I guess we all do. We wouldn't be here otherwise, right? Yeah, that's right. It's always interesting to hear about how people end up in pharmacy. And I've known you now for about two years. And I didn't know that about your background, your clinical medical background when you were in your hometown over in Europe. So, that's great to hear. But, you know, I want to also hear a little bit more about your personal journey and how you got involved in, you know, professional association, such as ASHP, and the pharmacy technician forum. And your thoughts on how you think it impacted your career? Well, I think the first touch point was delete that email. So, that was pretty much it, you know, so you're signed up someplace to work. You don't even realize when you come on board. So, what are you actually part of? You know, like MSHP, ASHP, what is this stuff? You know, like, is it really for me, you know, it's as pharmacist and so on. Like, yeah, you know what, delete. So, I guess as they just kept coming, you know, so I started paying closer attention to what was actually sent to my inbox. And I think one of the emails actually then caught my eye where the my state pharmacy society was actually looking for volunteers. And I thought, you know what, like two coffees later, you know, let's apply and see if I'm good enough, you know, as a volunteer, because like, hey, I'm just fresh out of retail, you know, just started dabbling in the world of hospital pharmacy work, you know, but starting out what you just do, you know, you start filling cards and putting meds into bags and like all of this super exciting stuff, you know, that's so highly advanced as you think, you know, you don't really think of you so highly then. And yeah, it's it's just let's let's see what happens, you know, because it's a giant world of pharmacy, you know, when you look in perspective, like the Boston area is pretty huge, you know, there's a lot of things happening there, let alone on a national level. And, you know, just submit it and let's see what happens. And then I heard back and that was actually already a first encouraging reaction there was somebody is actually paying attention, you know, and you just say, well, that's exciting, you know, so once I saw additional emails come through, like also with ASHP, you know, there was also call for nominations and openings on committees and councils. And yeah, it was one of those two coffee days again, you know, you're pumped up, you're energetic, you say, Oh, I can do this, you know, maybe I can support ASHP too. Because everybody, you know, just says good things about it, you don't necessarily know too much until you read up on it, you know, as a technician and all right, let's do this, let's submit it. And it's a leap of faith at first, because you don't really know all that much about it. And at least in my region, it doesn't seem like technicians have a whole lot of exposure, especially to volunteering work within a big nationwide organization. So I really am at changing that. And yeah, so once that leap of faith is there, then you see, Oh, cool, I can actually contribute something, you know, and even if it's just a small contribution, you know, somebody is there and listening and it has an impact on all the other people in your field. And that is huge, you know, so all of a sudden you see potential and you realize, okay, there is some other opportunity aside from what else can I do in my own institution, and you can grow and develop and work with other people. And it's just an exciting journey of discovery, you know, so all of a sudden you see yourself in the whole different avenue of your professional development. And I can't recommend that enough. So everybody who's listening in, pay attention to those emails, don't just click them away, you know, read up and then take that leap of faith, really. That's great. So you know, you touched on a lot of elements that similar to my situation, where I was getting those emails and wanted to do more in my career, but always thought of some of these national organizations and very pharmacist driven. And it wasn't until I did a little bit more research to find out how much of a great resource they are to pharmacy technicians. And then I got to meet some great individuals nationally like yourself. So great experience, but it's a common element or theme you hear from technicians whenever we interact with them, wanting to do more in their space, but looking for that avenue to do so. So pay attention to some of those opportunities that come across because you never know where they'll take you. But that brings me on to my next question. And you touched on a little bit more, but we want to kind of expand on it a little bit. But from your perspective, how does active participation in associations contribute to both personal and professional development? Yes. As you said, we already touched on that in the question before. So I think the one big thing is, first of all, it gets you in a can do mindset. So that's really what helps you in your development. And then once you find yourself in that positive environment, you know, where you're just in that right mindset, then it's just a matter of inspiration, you know, you get inspired, you see what other people can achieve. I got to say mid year, you know, when I participated that it just blew my mind, seeing what people do nationwide. And you can exchange your thoughts and, you know, opinions or just, Hey, can you double check that for me? You know, is that a good idea? Is that something I should look into? And that's all over the US, you know, you got a big form of people. And it's all the same profession. And there's this really good exchange going on. So this is really exciting. This is enabling. And well, eventually you find just that you look at yourself a little bit different, you know, how when you work with these accomplished technicians, you know, and and they really interact with you that you are not barred from becoming one of those, you know, it's like, I would have never imagined that I would be one of the few being part of the executive committee, you know, so it's, it's, wow, it's just mind blowing, you know, you start out, like really as a contributor and all of a sudden somebody sees that potentially new and there's just nothing better, you know, that can happen to you professionally that somebody just has that, oh, this person can do this mindset about you too. So it's just follow your interests and your passions, you know, because somebody is out there and somebody will be willing to be your mentor. You know, so I think it's HPE and then now TPTS will have such a great base of mentors, you know, if you are ready to step forward and bring your ideas, then there's pretty much, except for obviously state laws and all these other things, there's not really a limit, you know, in terms of what you can achieve in terms of your professional development. So for yourself, or also for your, your local area profession, you can just explore, you know, you can run all these ideas through a group of people and see what can we make to make this even better. And you can take the first step, you know, just invest in yourself. And then you also invest in your grouping, your work group in your local area. And there are some detours sometimes granted. But at least there's always somebody at ASHP or TPTS to point you in that right direction. So it's you grow a network. And not everybody is about networking. So I have to admit, you know, that's something that I had to learn too. How does networking really work? What is that, you know, what, what do you do? It turns out it's, it's coming naturally at some point, you know, if you're involved, but it's just somebody in that network is always there to help you. So that is a given, you know, somebody out there will get you on the way that you envision. That's right. And when you heard it here, there is a professional network of like-minded technicians that you can tap into. And me and Tom can test, can definitely test to that. And so if you have any, any needs or wants and want to learn more about your profession or just grow your professional network, ASHP and TPTS is the place to get yourself started. So let's, let's move on, Tom. We're going to talk about specific lessons or skills. So my next question is, can you tell us a skill or a lesson you learned through your involvement in ASHP and now the pharmacy technician form that has proven valuable in your career? I think that came with being chair of one of our advisory groups. The experience was just awesome. I guess, Jim, you can attest to the fact too. It's just one of those skills being the chair of an advisory group. I mean, think that through. It's now what happens at your local institution, maybe until you reach a certain level. But exactly, that's what I want to just go into for a moment. So you're outside, you're chairing an advisory group that takes some level of organization of project management skills and leadership skills that if you have them, you know, you can be co-chairing, you can be participating, you can learn these things and being parts of the ASHP advisory group landscape definitely helped me there out too. So you can take all of these skills, you can hone in on them. And you know, the more you dedicate yourself to learning and doing there, you can bring these back into your institution and into your own profession. And pretty much that's what kind of happened and naturally to me, you know, I pick these things up, like they just become second-agent to you. And all of a sudden, the experiences that you make at a volunteer, you know, like, let's put the quotation marks on there because it's a real thing, you know, we are dedicating ourselves to the mission of what ASHP and TPT stands for for a technician. So it's a real job, you know, but you bring it back to your day job. And then all of a sudden, you feel empowered to bring about some positive change, you know, with the techniques and the skills that you learn. And you see them having an impact in your everyday work life too. And that is just such a great thing to look back on to and say, wow, you know, I've never seen that really happen so far. But all of a sudden I do these things, you know, I start looking into different things that work now, you know, is there a committee or something that I can help out with? Because there are some skills that I didn't know I had so far, or I was just not aware that I actually have them. So I think it's just self-empowerment right there. And also the skills that you take out of a volunteer assignment, they can be very valuable to your everyday life, you know, no matter what you do. Tom, I couldn't agree more. That's actually reminds me of my experience as you because you were the chair when I was your co-chair. And now I am the chair of the Professional Development Advisory Group had a very fulfilling experience these past two years. But also these past years, we always talk about technician career ladders nationally. I'm happy to say that. I exactly how you just described. We took those elements, thoughts and themes out of that national conversation at this group. And we actually have just implemented a technician career ladder program at my organization, which was actually a few weeks ago, was a year long process to build it and get it approved. But it's been implemented. And the response from our technicians has been nothing but positive feedback. And now they have a structure to grow within our organization. And again, that came out of the elements I learned by getting involved in ASHP and not TPS and having that confidence and leading a group and bringing it back to my own organization. So really great example and tying it all together. But thinking about national and then, you know, macro and micro brings me to my next question, which is, how do you think a professional association, such as ASHP and now TPS contributes to influencing policy or shaping the direction of pharmacy overall? Well, first of all, I think we just need to take a look at the organizations that we are a member of and just do what we pledge ourselves to do. You know, we give the technicians a voice. Like, that's the first thing. So we make ourselves known. And then when we look at ASHP specifically, there's government relations. So ASHP definitely and most assuredly has TPS is back, right? So whatever is a concern for us and we bring it to ASHP and the government relations, they can then put a spotlight on our achievements and needs. And it just goes both ways that when you have to the partner, you know, that has your back, then you can shape the profession's future. I mean, we have the pharmacists that see what is a technician capable of. They listen to divisions that we have, you know, and they are everyday partners that work. So they are also partners in the professional association and also in boards of pharmacy. So lots of boards of pharmacy there, now also adding technician seats, Massachusetts, also as a technician seat on the board of pharmacy. And as technicians, we know the needs that the profession has. And I would say all of us, we are willing to grow beyond our daily job description. So we are taking on tasks and our operations and also in administration. And that's a growing portion too, where we're just pushing the boundaries of the traditional role model. Yeah, I've got to just throw that in, you know, the five, 10, 15, we know that. So we are now becoming innovators and TPS is going to be our key platform, you know, where we can showcase our achievements and innovations. And that's just the way that the community we can work on. And we manage in the long run to establish a certain pathway for technicians or roles of a technician that they can become a standard practice role in our institution and in our communities. Like we now see technician vaccinators and other was traditional pharmacist role. You come across like, that was a very interesting one. Very recently, when an email went out about the 340B university office, you see, wow, there's a pharmacy technician who is in a director position, you know, or we have other members, long standing members, they're directors in a compounding pharmacy, like that is mind blowing, you know, when you think, oh, so I got into pharmacy in retail, I was counting pills. And on the very end of the spectrum, you know, the one that pushed the limits and showed the pharmacy world what is doable. There is a director, you know, after walking their pathways, like that is just exciting, you know, that that is showing what we can really achieve. Well, Taz, I couldn't agree more. I mean, you stated technicians are taking on more advanced roles, more specialized roles. And we now have a seat at the table in these conversations, these policies and shaping our pharmacies locally and nationally is all because of there's a technician at the decision making table. And we all learned through our experience through COVID, the rapid need for more immunizers. So who is the best fit to do that pharmacy technicians and through policy change, local state boards of pharmacies, it's becoming a standard of practice now, which is very, very exciting. As you said, technicians are taking on roles as directors, leading organizations, leading pharmacies, and it's all through the work through policy and shaping through organizations like ASHP and now the TPTS. And I'm just excited to see what the next five years is going to hold. So, but bringing me to my next question, there's a lot of positives going on a lot of positives we're discussing. But would you want let's try to quell some misinformation. So are there any common misconceptions or about involvements in associations that you'd like to address? So luckily, personally, I think there aren't a whole lot. So I really tried to think deeply and come up with 20, 30 different misconceptions that there could be. You know what, in terms of ASHP and TPTS, there aren't really a whole lot. I mean, the biggest one that I could find involvement is just pointless. You know, you click away that email. What's in it from me? I'm nobody. I can do anything. It's for certain people. You know, but just not for me. Like, why do I reach out? It's pointless. You know, there's thousands of other texts out there in the US. You know, so why do I matter? You know, why is the little guy here important, you know, on the other side of their computer screen? Or networking? Yeah, we hear networking. It's a meeting thing. You know, it's only important for pharmacists. But what can technicians gain from that? We just come to work, punch in, you know, do our thing and then punch out. Why would we start networking all of a sudden? So I guess those might be some misconceptions. But again, you just got to start pay attention and you can discover why these things are not that way. So why there is a good point to get yourself involved? That's great, Tom. It's refreshing to hear. As we know, you know, if we step outside of our comfort zone and put ourselves out there, you know, we can call those misconceptions and, you know, really be impactful and decision makers and change makers at our organizations or whatever facet of pharmacy technician work that we do. Thinking about those pharmacy technicians who may be introverted or shy, how can they effectively navigate or contribute to leadership roles in professional associations? Thanks for bringing that question up, Jimmy. That's a really good one. So people always laugh when they say, hey, just wait, what did Tom just say? He is kind of an introvert. Yeah, the past, like, no, he's he's making stuff up because you see me on two coffees, you know, you never hear the end of chatting, chatting, chatting. So it's I think it's the thing you can learn, you know, to open yourself up. And people are not always or just not naturally communicators. So they do have a hard time breaking out of their shell. And sometimes you just need that right now to get interest going. And what really helps, I think, is when you have a buddy or a colleague that can provide some guidance on how to get you going. So could be just any member, you know, that you work with and who establishes the first contact with youth. So hey, I'm part of, you know, your local association, or I'm a member of ASHP. How about you check this out? And also it's just like this first easy going introduction that could already be a nice icebreaker right there. And even if you are on the Shire side, it doesn't mean you can't contribute to leadership roles. You know, it's not like all about what social skills alone, you know, that people feel like they have. It's also professional, you know, involvement. So you just need to give yourself some time to acclimate. And then you can just naturally progress through the various steps of involvement. And I'm pretty sure that people will definitely eventually open up once they see, hey, it's really like minded people. And there's also my folks, you know, the ones that aren't quite talkative, they're a little bit on the Shire side, but they are all getting involved too. So that's just fine. You know, when you go entry level and say, really, I just want to feel, you know, test out the waters a little bit and just sign up to being a member of a group. Nobody says you need to start like spearheading something. So you can just be a member, you know, and share your thoughts as being a member and starting to work with people. And that gets it to know the first few people, you know, they share interest with. And then you get connected to with veterans and they can also give you their story. And you might see it's just not even that much off from your own. And I guess it really counts when you say you feel like, okay, I don't have anything to say, you know, that somebody might think is valuable. Or I'm afraid of asking a dumb question of sorts. Yeah, there are no dumb questions. You know, we're here to get involved to learn. So that's the only way that we learn, you know, by asking questions. And we don't have the rule book, you know, memorized. We don't just know everything. So we just have to ask. And it's the curiosity, you know, and kind of moving forward, breaking out of your shell a little bit, you know, asking more of these questions that you learn. Okay, what is the organization like? What are the processes that are involved? And you can take it from there, you know, so from first interaction to first involvement. And then going on this, exploring more areas and seeing what you're interested in, you know, so where is your professional interest? Where are your professional skills right now? And you can explore what is maybe the next opportunity that I want to focus on. It's like, is it compounding? Is it like legislation? Do you have any good ideas there? So you just give yourself some time, you know, you don't need to feel rushed. So TPTS now is going to be there for years to come. So you can pace yourself, you can take time, you can take all the time you want, you know, to contribute. So there's no stress. And I think the reporting structure that I encountered with ASHP working with them, it's great because there's a really good responsiveness. And when you ask a question or ask, you know, for a relay, it happens. It just gets triaged to the right spot. You know, also if somebody says, you know, I don't know the answer, but I know somebody who might know the answer to that or can put you in contact with the right people. So it's slowly just building those contacts in a natural way, you know, not like, oh, yeah, I'll put you on that distribution list and you'll have an answer from 500 people, you know, and you get just squashed that way, you know, like, oh, my God, information overload. So no, it's very, very easy on, you know, your discovery journey. And it just is quite naturally. It's like a conversation, you know, and then somebody else trimes in. And it's really an easy going process. So nobody needs to feel it's overwhelming, you know, so you can definitely grow into this. I really appreciate all those things. But let's think about a specific scenario because I'm following along on this podcast. I'm an introverted or shy technician. But I started, I got my ASHP membership. I'm doing some research. I think I'm ready to step outside of my comfort zone. But I'm still a little apprehensive. So would you have any advice for those types of individuals or technicians that are still nervous about taking on leadership roles or anything that would help them overcome that initial hesitation? That's a little bit of a tough one to say, but believe in yourself. I think the first sign that you believe in yourself is where you took that step to actually apply. So that was already enough where you brought up the courage and said, okay, I'll take that step. And then I think it's important you just realize that association, so ASHP TPS, they're here to help you grow. So you're not just, you know, saying, hey, I will just blindly now take the step into the unknown and just see whatever happens happens. That is what's behind it. It is helping you to grow and just know the areas or just realize the areas that you're strong in and where you have knowledge. And somebody else might want to learn from you. So all of a sudden you can also be a mentor. And I think that's exciting when you see, all right, I don't know anything, you know, so I have so much work to do. I need help. But there's also somebody who likely needs your help or who's looking up to you to get a certain opinion and to get certain advice. And I think that's also a rewarding thing, you know, where you just might realize, oh my God, you know, like I'm not alone. And I all of a sudden become that leader without you even realizing, but you're leading somebody, you know, taking them and leading them in a good direction for themselves. I think that's great advice, Tom. So one piece of advice someone gave me and my leadership training was you don't have to be a manager to be a leader. And I think that this is a true statement for most pharmacy technicians. Step out of your comfort zone, get involved in ASHP, whether you realize it or not, you are a leader in your profession by doing so. And just feel comfortable taking that initial jump. And you'll have like-minded individuals like yourself and myself and the whole nation of technicians as part of ASHP and TPS that will be there to support you. So I want to thank everyone for sticking with us. We have one last question for you, Tom, kind of wrap it all up. Just want to ask, is there anything else you would want to share with others about getting involved in professional associations such as ASHP and the new technician society, TPS? What without placing some copyright infringement now into that podcast? Okay, I would just say there is that one special pair of shoes, you know, and I think their slogan fits quite well or what anybody out there who's remotely interested, you know, in volunteer work, in being part of an organization, just do it. You know, it's like the one single short sentence that I can recommend, just do it. You know, it's initially, it's a weird feeling when you just press that send button, you know, on that email or form. But it's a good feeling, you know, so you just made that first step and then somebody is going to reach out to you, you know, and you can get that ball rolling together. So somebody obviously on the other end believes in you. And yeah, I mean, if you're apprehensive at first, no stress upon yourself, you know, you can always just sign up first without saying, okay, I'm now aiming at just participating in that community, you can become a part of the forum, read up on the thought exchange, you can just see what are the discussion boards about, you know, who is there, what does leadership do? It's great. Everybody is involved, you know, and there's also other things like CE content, you know, you can see what is happening in there. So it's just exciting, you know, so it's also with that being part of this, just maybe group that just reads up on things, you might even get to see, oh, there's a lot of person, I know them, they're right there in my region, you're not there in my town, they're in my locality, so you can partner up with them. And then maybe we're talking to them, you know, getting in contact with them, you might actually decide together, oh, okay, let's get involved, you know. So I would say to sum it all up, long story short, it's absolutely worth it. And just give it a try, you know, make sure you're comfortable to take that first step, but then just give it a try, just do it. I was a great way to summarize it, Tom, and I really want to thank you for participating podcast today. And thank you for your leadership, both at your organization and also over with the ASHP and TPTS communities. It's really great hearing your insight and your experience and also advice for those technicians looking to take on more specialized and leadership roles local to them. So again, I'm Jimmy, and if you haven't before, I encourage you all to check out the Pharmacy Technician Society or TPTS, a new membership home for pharmacy technicians. Pharmacy Technician resources can be found at www.farmtechsociety.org. Member exclusive offerings include advanced pharmacy technician toolkits, resume and CV resources, monthly technician newsletters, and forums such as the TPTS connect community, where you can exchange ideas and post questions with your peers. Thank you again for tuning in for this episode of Technician Topics, and be sure to subscribe to the ASHP official podcast for more episodes. Thank you for listening to ASHP official, the Voice of Pharmacists Advancing Health Care. Be sure to visit ashp.org/podcast to discover more great episodes, access show notes, and download the episode transcript. If you loved the episode and want to hear more, be sure to subscribe, rate, or leave a review. Join us next time on ASHP official. [Music] [BLANK_AUDIO]
