Chardee Butterfield, CPhT-Adv, CSPT
Pharmacy Technician Operations Manager
Option Care Health
Morrow, GA
Certification
Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB)
Number of Years at Organization
14 Years
Why did you become a pharmacy technician?
I wanted to help patients behind the scenes. I love that I am able to help patients with my hands compounding medication that helps them feel better, it brightens up my day.
How long have you been practicing?
Twenty years
What are you most proud of in your professional career?
I always thought that I would have to become a pharmacist to be a manager in the pharmacy profession. I am proud to be a pharmacy technician operation manager doing what I love — sterile compounding. I am also proud that I have five certifications that help me get the position I have today.
What is your most memorable experience as a pharmacy technician?
I have too many to count. I enjoy that I am able to provide infusion services for patients so they can have a better quality of life. Just because they have an illness doesn't mean that their life has to stop. I am grateful that I can provide some relief — from total parenteral nutrition to antibiotics to inotropes to intravenous immunoglobulin.
Why did you become certified?
I became certified because I wanted to make sure that I had all the knowledge that I needed to succeed in the profession.
What career advice do you have for others interested in becoming a Pharmacy Technician?
You have to genuinely care and have patience for people to succeed in this profession. Being a pharmacy technician is more than counting pills. It's knowing that what you do is help maintain a patient's quality of life. Know that with each medication you touch or insurance that you process that you are a part of that patient’s life. Please don't come into this career path thinking it is easy. Some days you will smile, some days you will laugh, others you may feel like you want to cry, but when you know the impact of what you actually do in a patient's life, that feeling is priceless. This is not my starter career, it's my forever career.