Tech Trek Navigator: Sandy Edmisten, CPhT-Adv, CSPT
Sandy compounds drugs for eye surgeries and makes Avastin injections, which help patients with eyesight loss. She loves that her skills make a difference in people’s quality of life. When she’s not hard at work, she loves going to amusement parks with her family and spending time with her best friend since fifth grade.
What inspires you about being a pharmacy technician?
I love where I work. We compound all the medicines for numerous eye surgery procedures. We also make Avastin injections, which help patients with eyesight loss due to macular degeneration. We compound many different eye drops, including one where we utilize the patient's own blood to help relieve severe dry eye.
Working at an eye surgery center has given me such great work experience. It is a very rewarding pharmacy technician role, and nice to know we are making a difference for so many people in their quality of life.
How have PTCB’s certificates helped you?
My boss has been very supportive of my growth as a technician. I have been nationally certified since 2003, then I achieved my CSPT and advanced CPhT credentials. Having the advanced distinction gives my supervisor more confidence in my abilities and has helped me learn so much more in the pharmacy. I have been able to give immunizations and gain more responsibility, which led to a pay raise and more job satisfaction. The extra accreditation has been so helpful in my career growth as a compounding technician.
The Technician Product Verification Certificate exam was a struggle. I thought it would be a breeze, but I failed it the first time. I was even more determined to pass the second time—and I aced it! So it made me tougher by turning a failure into a success! The Hazardous Drug Management Certificate has helped me so much in compounding hazardous drug medications and keeping up with regulations.
What advice would you give pharmacy technicians as they explore their career paths?
PTCB certifications will make you a better pharmacy technician and keep you current in pharmacy processes. I take pride in the knowledge and effort that got me to the highest level of pharmacy technician certification. I encourage everyone to take the time to do it. It’s well worth it!
(Left) Sandy and her family at an amusement park. (Right) Sandy and her best friend since 5th grade, Ginger.
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