Kimberly Boler, MBA, CPhT-Adv, CSPT, DPLA
Manager Pharmacy Compliance
Legacy Health
Portland, OR
Certification
Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB)
Number of Years at Organization
5 Years
Why did you become a pharmacy technician?
At an early age I knew I wanted to work in healthcare in some capacity. My introduction to healthcare started by volunteering and shadowing a variety of professions. After spending an afternoon with a resident pharmacist in the hospital, my curiosity piqued, and I knew what direction to go in. My first job while taking undergraduate courses was working at the university student clinic pharmacy as a technician. Not only was I learning the retail distribution side, but I was also learning how a healthcare team comes together in a clinic setting to provide care for their patients. I am fortunate to have had these early experiences because they afforded me the opportunity to work as an inpatient hospital pharmacy technician. The medication distribution system is fascinating to see with all the pieces and people that must be in sync for it to work. I began hearing buzzwords around process and efficiency while I would be out and about in the hospital refilling automated medication dispensing cabinets. Curiosity about these ideas led me on a temporary circuitous journey to immerse myself in the medical products industry and learn about a robust and lean distribution system. I took these skills with me back to the inpatient hospital setting to embark on a journey I did not know was about to unfold. I had a renewed sense of freshness and internal drive to be considered a valuable member of the pharmacy team, regardless of the shift I was covering and the role I was in because I chose to be there to be in service to others. My peers motivated and supported me to apply for a lead position. I welcomed and trained new pharmacy technicians and pharmacy interns in this fast-paced environment while taking on additional responsibilities in quality improvement and inspection readiness. A new opportunity presented itself, but it did not go according to the plan I had in mind. I found myself working with a new team in a new city with different rules and regulations to follow. My humility and patience were put to the test. Timing and the investments I made to build relationships were all I needed because the operations manager asked if I would consider a technician supervisor position. I embraced one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences, which helped me develop my leadership style. I have alluded to the benefits of connecting with people in pharmacy because those connections make other connections. I am incredibly grateful for the pharmacy teams I have been a part of and the ways I am able to contribute to healthcare as a pharmacy technician. In my current role as a pharmacy compliance manager, I get to utilize my knowledge to improve safety in pharmacy workflows, advocate for the value in advancing pharmacy technicians, and help mentor those with an interest in a career as a pharmacy technician.
How long have you been practicing?
I have been practicing for close to 20 years with most of my time in the hospital care setting.
What are you most proud of in your professional career?
I am most proud of the impact I’ve had on shaping advanced technician opportunities within my current organization. Each hospital site is now comprised of a technician supervisor as part of their pharmacy leadership team, and the health system recently established a pharmacy compliance team. As a leader on the compliance team, I helped create, implement, and support a continuous quality improvement initiative for a systemwide sterile compounding competency evaluation program. The medication safety compliance technicians that I lead conduct the evaluations, provide best practice support, and audit the processes being performed in sterile compounding areas. They developed and implemented a surface sampling program where they report growth trends and provide remediation recommendations. The pharmacy compliance team also performs controlled substance auditing and has been instrumental in helping update policies and procedures and creating standard work for their processes.
What is your most memorable experience as a pharmacy technician?
My most memorable experience as a pharmacy technician was being asked if I would be interested in doing the Pharmacy Leadership Academy®. After becoming a diplomate of the program, I was approached about writing a letter for Letters from Leaders in Pharmacy. I value the time I was given to connect with distinguished health-system pharmacy leaders on multiple occasions to hear their leadership stories and offer insight to cultivate my growth as a leader.
Why did you become certified?
I consider myself a lifelong learner who refuses to let go of my sense of curiosity. I am committed to bringing value to the profession and care about the work I put in to show others that I am competent, qualified, and trustworthy in the constantly changing healthcare environment. I appreciate being able to apply what I learn in my day-to-day work. Beyond becoming certified, I wanted to indicate to others that I am invested in being a knowledgeable resource to help others by completing additional certificates and earning the advanced certified pharmacy technician credential.
What career advice do you have for others interested in becoming a Pharmacy Technician?
My advice for others interested in becoming a pharmacy technician is to connect with others already in the profession by attending job fairs or enlisting the help of mentor to make those connections. There are a variety of ways a pharmacy technician can contribute to the pharmacy profession. Be willing to take time to learn the core operations of a pharmacy and share what you gain with those that you will train. Be patient as you gain a variety of invaluable experiences because one day you may find what type of work aligns with your passions. It is important to explore opportunities, as there are a lot of different roles you can fill in pharmacy such as leadership, medication reconciliation, automation, inventory management, cost-savings data analysis, chemotherapy admixture, compounding, or compliance, to name a few.