In this Pharmacy Leadership Episode, Tyler Darcy sits down with the Pharmacy Technician Forum Awardee Julia Becker to discuss what membership within the forum and ASHP means to her and how it has helped her develop as a pharmacy practice leader.
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This series focuses on leadership topics within pharmacy practice, including the business of pharmacy, development of leadership skills, career transitions, and more. My name is Tyler Darcy. I am the chair of the Pharmacy Technician Forum Executive Committee, and I will be your host. In today's episode, we are sitting down with the Pharmacy Technician Forum awardee, Julia Becker, to discuss her services within the forum, and the role ASHP has played in her development as a pharmacy practice leader. Welcome, and thanks for joining us today. For our listeners, the Section Distinguished Service Award recognizes one ASHP section or forum member each year whose volunteer activities have supported the mission of their section or forum and helped advance the profession. Their activities over the past three years have demonstrated a contribution to the improvement of pharmacy practice that aligns with the forum's mission and vision. With that, Julia, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you came to be involved with the ASHP? Thank you, Tyler. So I became a technician in 2008 after trying a few other things in college and decided to make a career out of something in healthcare where I could help people, but I didn't have to be in direct patient care on the front line. I found my way accidentally into education after only about three years of being a technician, and I fell in love with it. I was 100% dedicated and committed to it. I went back to school, got my bachelor's degree in education, while teaching at the Technical College, and began my master's in education as well. I did everything that I could to support the program's success, but seven years later, the program enrollment declined and administration made the decision to close the program. So then I re-entered industry, worked my way through up from standard technician role to medication history, to quality control, and then supervisor. Most recently, I transitioned to support the pharmacy in a new way through being an application analyst for our EHR. However, throughout my career and pharmacy involvement seemed like it was only the right thing to do, so I've been a member of ASHP since 2008 and a member of state and other national organizations my whole career. Most recently, I served as chair of the PCF/ESC Educational Steering Committee, but after my transition to application analysts, I took a step away to devote time to learning my new role, but I'm still passionate about pharmacy technicians and the advancement of them. Thanks, Julia. It's always interesting hearing every technician's unique career journey. Can you comment on what involvement at ASHP has meant to you professionally and personally? What is your favorite part about being a member? So my involvement with ASHP has meant that I could network on a whole new level. I met new people, I never thought I'd meet, gained new mentors, found a new voice, and had a connection to my peers that I never thought possible. Especially in the education realm, that was invaluable. My favorite part about being an ASHP member is ASHP Connect, having a voice in forums where I can ask what others have done or what others have seen. Everyone is always so willing to share documents, policies, ideas, and opinions. It's a real pharmacy family, even when you need a job recommendation, they're there for you. Working within the forum and within ASHP, what projects or initiatives have you worked on that you're most proud of? I think my proudest project was the webinars that I helped create on well-being and sterile compounding. It was the first time where I felt I could focus on areas that were important to me and that I felt would be important to the pharmacy community. The well-being webinar was timely as it was in '21 or '22, when so many were leaving the profession because of being burnt out from COVID response. I think throughout my time being a member of the PTF committees, the best thing I have taken away is that there's always someone needing a mentor, waiting in the wings, wanting to get involved, but not knowing how. I was able to be that for some as my mentors were before me. We have to constantly support the new generation of voices and volunteers, be there cheering them on to become involved. Thanks, Julia. I think we've all had those moments in life for along our journey that have helped define us and shape the impact we want to have on pharmacy practice and as leaders. Can you describe one of your "aha" moments? Was it something that you expected and how did you respond? So my "aha" moment was unexpected. It was that no matter how dedicated someone is, how much you try to influence those around you, it takes the whole team to make change. I couldn't save the farm tech program myself. I couldn't change the climate in the pharmacy department by myself. I couldn't change people's minds by myself. I needed support. One thing about pharmacy that many of us can relate to and healthcare in general is that a lot of it is change-resistant. People like the way they have done things. They only accept change when it's forced upon them. We must come together as a group to support each other and being the trailblazers, but also in getting our community to back us to understand the need for change, the importance of advancement, that remaining stagnant is not an option. We aren't idealists. We are the future. We need support. And fortunately, ASHP can provide that, is providing that. We have to band together, share ideas, vent when needed, and then get back on that horse. That's partly what led me to be an analyst. I can still help. I can still support. I'm still involved in pharmacy. I'm still using my professional background, but I'm not throwing change at the wall and hoping it will stick anymore. I hope there are others out there who have had success in shifting the climate of change within their pharmacy world, no matter what that world is, what pharmacy environment you work in. We have to support each other and let others know how you found the courage to keep going and the key to your success. Get involved and make a difference. We have to be there for each other. Well said, Julia. We need change makers, but we also need to support those change makers. What recommendations do you have for our listeners who want to get more involved at the national level? Not to steal from a well-known national brand, but just do it. Just fill out the form. Apply for involvement at any level. It doesn't matter what level. If you want to jump right into being a chair, by all means, go for it. Be involved. Because being involved, although challenging and very challenging in some respects, especially while working full-time, it's so rewarding, has so many benefits. You can network, like I've mentioned before, you can support others. You can find new career opportunities. You didn't even know existed. You can feel not as alone. You can feel a part of something bigger. You can find solutions, answers. You can turn your brainstorming into a group effort. You can be the student. Then you can be the teacher. Then you can be the mentor. And then finally, you can look back and feel proud of what you accomplished, knowing that you made a difference. My professional pharmacy journey has known no bounds. I have been in so many pharmacy environments. I never imagined myself in. And I would not be where I am at today without ASHP and the community within it. So please get involved. Julia, I want to thank you for joining us for today's episode of Pharmacy Leadership and sharing your experiences as a member of ASHP. Do you have someone in mind to recommend for the Distinguished Service Award? You can nominate an ASHP member for this award each year from February 11th through May 1st by visiting ashp.org/about-ashp/awards. You can also find more member-exclusive content, including resources for self-development, leading pharmacy enterprises and teams, and practice management on the ASHP website. Thank you for joining us. And if you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to the @ASHP official podcast. Thank you for listening to ASHP official, the voice of pharmacists advancing healthcare. 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. 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