Episode 113: Pharmacy 50 Awards with Ellaine Sisomphou-Ramos
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
Release Date: 03/03/2026
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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Episode 118: Student Summit AMA - Part 2
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
This episode of CPhT Connect features Part 2 of a special live "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) session recorded during the 2026 Pharmacy Technician Student Summit. Our hosts Mike Johnston and Ashleigh Smith continue the conversation with our expert panel of speakers. Following the success of Part 1, we dive into practical, high-impact strategies to help students navigate their certification preparation and professional growth. This session focuses on turning complex study requirements into manageable, effective habits and understanding the nuances of the pharmacy field. In this episode, we discuss: ...
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Episode 117: Student Summit AMA - Part 1
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
This episode of CPhT Connect features a special live "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) session recorded during the 2026 Pharmacy Technician Student Summit. Host Mike Johnston and co-host Ashleigh Smith are joined by an expert panel of Student Summit speakers to provide direct guidance for students transitioning from the classroom to their first professional roles. As the Student Summit celebrates its fifth year as a free, virtual resource for the technician community, this session dives deep into the most pressing questions submitted by students nationwide. In this episode, we discuss: Essential...
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Episode 116: Career Path with Jessica Hamlett, CPhT
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
In this episode of CPhT Connect, host Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv, sits down with Jessica Hamlett, CPhT, a seasoned Pharmacy Buyer and the creator behind the brand JessPharmLife, to explore her incredible 22-year journey through nearly every corner of the pharmacy world. Jessica shares her wealth of experience moving from the fast-paced retail environment to the precision-heavy worlds of IV room operations and chemotherapy. We dive into her unique path as a travel technician and educator, discussing how her diverse background led her to her current focus: mastering the pharmacy supply chain to...
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Episode 115: A Pharmacist’s POV with Julia Kravtsova, PharmD
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
In this episode of CPhT Connect, host Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv, sits down with Julia Kravtsova, PharmD, the Pharmacy Director at QuickRx Specialty Pharmacy, to explore her nearly two-decade journey in the field and her mission to dismantle the barriers to medication access. Julia shares her unique "origin story"—sparked not by a textbook, but by the kindness of a local pharmacist she witnessed as a child—and discusses how that early impression shaped her own clinical philosophy. We dive into her 11-year foundation at Walgreens, where she managed some of the busiest...
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Episode 114: Exploring Career Paths with Bethea Schnuit, CPhT
CPhT Connect The Podcast with Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv
In this episode of CPhT Connect, host Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv, sits down with Bethea Schnuit, CPhT, to explore the many directions a pharmacy technician career can take—and how real-world experience can open doors you may not even realize exist. Since becoming certified in 2016, Bethea has built a diverse career across community pharmacy, long-term care, and hospital settings, developing a strong foundation in patient care and operational excellence. Her journey expanded into a more impactful role as a Senior Pharmacy Care Coordinator with Genoa Healthcare, where she partnered with mental...
info_outlineIn this inspiring episode of CPhT Connect, host Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv, sits down with Ellaine Sisomphou-Ramos, a nationally certified pharmacy technician whose career is a masterclass in professional growth and self-advocacy. Originally trained as a nurse in the Philippines, "Ella" shares her remarkable journey of transitioning to the U.S. pharmacy landscape, moving from high-volume retail to a specialized role in outpatient infusion and specialty pharmacy. Her dedication to clinical excellence recently earned her a nomination as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Leaders in Pharmacy, where she ranked in the Top 45—a powerful testament to the impact a technician can have on the entire profession.
Listeners will hear about:
- The Global Transition: Ella’s journey from nursing in the Philippines and working as a rehab aid in Hawaii to finding a new level of "fulfillment" in the U.S. pharmacy field.
- The Power of Negotiation: A candid look at how Ella successfully negotiated a higher starting salary at a major retail chain by confidently articulating her clinical value.
- Moving into Specialty Pharmacy: The shift from the "craziness" of retail during the pandemic to the technical and clinical demands of outpatient infusion therapy.
- The "Lifelong Student" Mindset: Why staying ahead of medical literature and constantly studying is the best way to ensure you never feel "stuck" in your career.
- Stepping Into the Spotlight: The story behind her influential leader nomination and why technicians must learn to be their own biggest advocates.
Whether you are navigating a career change or looking to level up your clinical expertise, Ella’s story provides a roadmap for turning technical skills into professional influence. This episode also features an exciting announcement regarding the launch of the NPTA Pharmacy Technician I.M.P.A.C.T. Awards, a new international program designed to spotlight the measurable contributions of technicians worldwide.
Key Takeaway: "Study, study, study. Don’t feel stuck. Find the right people to ask questions and always be your own advocate."
Resources from this episode:
- Connect with Ellaine Sisomphou-Ramos: LinkedIn Profile
- Nominate for the I.M.P.A.C.T. Awards: cpht.org/awards
- Learn more about NPTA: cpht.org