Episode 103 - Exploring Career Paths with Margon Dillard
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
Release Date: 06/17/2025
Episode 128: More Than Just a Tech: Meet 8 IMPACT Awards Finalists
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
In this episode of CPhT Connect, host Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv, spotlights 8 out of the 21 finalists from NPTA's first-ever Pharmacy Technician I.M.P.A.C.T. Awards, an international program honoring pharmacy technicians across seven categories for the measurable impact they make in their organizations, communities, and the profession. Melissa Olson, DeFabian Johnson, Briana Wukovich, Sharon Lucas, Chelsea Palmer, Dr. Abel Guevara III, Erika Anderson, and Kathy Hrncir share their stories in their own words, from how they first landed in pharmacy to the work behind their nominations and the...
info_outline
Episode 127: Technicians Aren't Asking for a Party
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
In this special "Off Script" episode of CPhT Connect, host Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv, goes solo to speak directly to pharmacists, owners, managers, and anyone who builds the schedule. With World Pharmacy Technician Day coming up on Tuesday, October 20th, Mike shares what technicians told NPTA when asked one question: what would make you feel seen? Last year, 47% of technicians said no one recognized Pharmacy Technician Day at all, and Mike argues that recognition matters for retention, not just for being nice. Drawing on real responses from NPTA members, Mike explains why technicians aren't...
info_outline
Episode 126: Three Specialties, Three Mentors: NPTA SIGs Launch
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
In this launch episode of CPhT Connect, host Mike Johnston introduces NPTA's brand-new member communities: Specialty Interest Groups (SIGs). NPTA Specialty Interest Groups (SIGs) are new member-based communities for technicians who work in — or want to grow into — a specialty. A place to find your people, trade what actually works, learn from someone a few steps ahead, and stop feeling like you're figuring it out alone. Because here's the truth: your path forward gets a lot clearer when you're standing next to people walking the same one. NPTA's first three SIGs focus on Health-System...
info_outline
Episode 125: Exploring Career Paths with Denetra Wiggins
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
In this episode of CPhT Connect, host sits down with returning guest a certified pharmacy technician of 16 years, to trace a winding career journey across retail, compounding, laboratory testing, and now specialty medication access in a major North Carolina health system. Denetra shares how she originally pursued a pre-pharmacy track in college before deciding to test the waters as a technician first—only to fall in love with the role and never look back. We dive into her detour into laboratory testing, the family reasons that brought her home to Durham, and how staying close with a former...
info_outline
Episode 124 - Exploring Career Paths with Frederick Shakeshaft, CPhT-Adv
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
In this episode of CPhT Connect, host Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv, sits down with Frederick Shakeshaft, CPhT, an on-site pharmacy consultant for Liberty Software, to trace a career that started as pure necessity and turned into two decades of hands-on expertise in retail pharmacy, compounding, and pharmacy technology. Fred shares how he stumbled into pharmacy while doing freelance web development as a new dad who just needed a steady paycheck and health insurance—and how the on-your-feet problem solving of the job unexpectedly activated the same part of his brain as his tech background. We dive...
info_outline
Episode 123 - Exploring Career Paths with Eve Preciado, CPhT-Adv
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
In this episode of CPhT Connect, host Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv, sits down with Eve Preciado, CPhT-Adv, a pharmacy technician educator and supervisor at University Health, to trace a career that started in a high school cafeteria and eventually came full circle into a role built around mentoring the next generation. Eve shares the winding path from getting certified in high school, to a heartbreaking stretch of job rejections right out of school, to over a decade rising through the ranks at Walgreens—including being one of the first techs put on a manager career track. She opens up about the...
info_outline
Episode 122: Exploring Career Paths with Tonique Hendrix
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
In this episode of CPhT Connect, host Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv, talks with Tonique Hendrix, CPhT, TSBP, IV Cert, a healthcare sales professional who has successfully transitioned from the clean room to the boardroom, going from a 15-year career as an IV-certified home infusion technician to a high-performing Account Executive in the DFW market. Tonique walks us through her unconventional entry into pharmacy through a 10-month trade school program, and the six-week internship where she treated the role like a real job from day one—asking endless questions, taking notes, and mixing...
info_outline
Episode 121: Exploring Career Paths with Tameka Griffin Black
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
In this episode of CPhT Connect, host Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv, sits down with Tameka Griffin Black, a Certified Pharmacy Technician with over 20 years of experience and a Bachelor of Business Administration, to explore her inspiring journey through various sectors of the pharmacy world. Tameka shares her wealth of experience, moving from her humble beginnings as a teenage cashier to navigating the complexities of hospital IV room operations and the highly specialized field of 340B program auditing and compliance. We dive into her unique path as a dedicated healthcare advocate, discussing how...
info_outline
Episode 120: Exploring Career Paths with Nicole Duggins
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
In this episode of CPhT Connect, host Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv, sits down with Nicole Duggins, the Supply Chain Director of Pharmacy Distribution Services at Bon Secours Mercy Health, to explore her 15-year career journey and her deep passion for pharmacy operations. Nicole shares her unconventional path into healthcare, which began with operations experience in the fast-food industry—a background she notes provided surprisingly applicable skill sets, including the importance of food safety and maintaining cleanliness in invisible areas. We dive into her transition from retail and...
info_outline
Episode 119: RxInfluencers- Maurice Call, PharmD, "Retailwithreece"
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
In this episode of CPhT Connect, host Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv, sits down with Maurice Call, PharmD, a Nashville-based pharmacist and the digital creator behind the popular social media brand @Retailwithreece. As part of our Rx Influencers series—and marking him as only our second featured influencer on this series—we dive deep into his professional journey and his transition into becoming a powerful voice for pharmacy advocacy online. Maurice opens up about his unique entry into the profession, a determination sparked all the way back in the seventh grade. After graduating from the UT...
info_outlineWelcome to a dynamic new episode of CPhT Connect, the podcast for Pharmacy Technicians! Join hosts Mike Johnstonand Ashleigh Smith as they sit down with pharmacy powerhouse Margon Dillard, a seasoned technician whose passion for people and innovation is redefining what it means to work in pharmacy.
In this episode, Margon shares her inspiring career journey—from pharmacy school to roles in retail, 503B compounding, hospital pharmacy, purchasing, management, pharma sales, and more. She shines a light on the critical and often overlooked world of pharmacy purchasing, where she managed over 60% of a hospital’s budget, underscoring the influence and responsibility technicians can have.
Margon also introduces PharmFest, her exciting new event series designed to bring pharmacy and pharmaceutical professionals together through community, peer learning, and non-traditional education—all in fun, engaging environments. The first event was held at Dave & Buster’s, and the next one is set for October 24 in Houston.
Don’t miss this episode packed with career insight, innovation, and inspiration for pharmacy technicians ready to expand their impact and embrace new possibilities in the profession!
Registration for PharmFest: https://www.pharmfest.com/pre-register
Special discount code for podcast listeners NPTA30
https://www.linkedin.com/company/pharmfest/
https://www.instagram.com/pharmfest/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558663175188