Mary Mercer, BS, CPhT
Senior Consultant, Professional Services; Pharmacy Automation - Pyxis Logistics
Becton Dickinson (BD)
Hartsville, SC
Certification
Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB)
Number of Years at Organization
5 Years
How long have you been practicing?
25 years as a pharmacy technician in both community and hospital settings.
Why I Do What I Do
I fell into a career in pharmacy and have stayed for 25 years by choice and with passion. I love the opportunity to help others and directly impact lives in a positive and meaningful way every day.
During my days in community pharmacy, the power of my words and actions on patient outcomes was not lost on me. I understood that the person standing on the other side of the pharmacy counter was likely not having the best day — they were sick, sad, angry, overwhelmed — and the last thing they needed was for the pharmacy trip to be difficult. As a pharmacy technician, it was my job to fill their prescriptions accurately and efficiently, but more importantly it was my responsibility to do the things that positively impacted my patients — call the physician to get refills authorized, call the insurance to figure out why something wasn’t covered, engage the pharmacist when there were questions.
When I worked at the hospital, I was the pharmacy buyer for many years and then the 340B coordinator. My job and my responsibilities changed but the commitment to positively impact patient lives and outcomes remained constant.
In my current role as a pharmacy consultant, I can positively impact hundreds of thousands of patients every single day through my work to help pharmacies across the country implement automation and inventory management systems. My work is influential and provides actionable data that allows organizations to make meaningful patient care decisions.
In short, I am a pharmacy technician because I LOVE what I do.
Latest Accomplishment
At Becton Dickinson, I am fortunate enough to have regular opportunities to work with our development teams to identify, refine, and develop improvements for our products. This allows me to bring the customer’s voice to the development teams as well as utilize my experiences from the implementation side and my knowledge and background as a pharmacy technician. The work we do to make our products better and improve our customer experience is what I am most proud of. The specific accomplishment I would call out is a simplified and streamlined implementation approach we are currently working on. This process will provide a better experience for our customers but, equally important, it will simplify and streamline the work of our implementation teams.
Most Memorable Experience as a Pharmacy Technician
My favorite memory comes from my time in community pharmacy. We had an elderly customer who was grumpy all the time and would get so angry at the littlest things. She came in one day with a prescription for a new medication that ended up needing prior authorization. I called her back to the window to explain what was going on and that I was going to work on getting the authorization with the insurance company. She only let me get far enough to tell her about the problem before she got angry and stormed away. I did not get the chance to explain how I was going to help resolve the issue. About 30 minutes later she came back apologizing profusely. In the meantime, I had taken care of the problem, and her prescription was ready. She was so embarrassed about how she had reacted initially, but I assured her that it was okay and that I only cared that she had what she needed. From that day forward she would only talk to me. She asked for me every time and if I was not there she would leave and come back another day. Sometime later she confided that she would only talk to me because I cared, was patient, and did not make her feel dumb for not understanding her insurance problem.
Why I Became Certified
I became certified to advance my pharmacy career. At the time I became certified it was not required but it was something I wanted to achieve. I saw certification as a way to prove that I took my career seriously and was willing to challenge myself, that I wanted to put in the extra effort to be the best technician I could.
Certification proves to current or potential employers that I take my profession seriously and adds credibility to my knowledge and experience. It makes me more employable, supports salary increases, and provides job stability. Continuing education requirements for recertification offer numerous opportunities to expand my knowledge base and can even pave the way to advanced certifications.
My Passion Outside of Work or Hobbies
Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my family which includes three grandchildren (let's face it, they are more fun than their parents). I love traveling. My oldest sons wife is in the Air Force, and they currently live in the DC area, but move often. My middle child is an artist, lives in Chicago, and has always been a bit of a vagabond so he moves often also. My daughter lives in beautiful West Virginia. They give me fabulous places to visit and adventure. I like gardening, reading, crochet, and crafting. I am a lifelong learner with an insatiable desire for knowledge and can often be found pursuing educational opportunities and certifications.
Advice to Up-and-coming technicians
Dream BIG. There is nothing you cannot achieve! The current pharmacy technician landscape is vast, and the future of our profession is still evolving. The pharmacy technician role is changing at a rapid pace with limitless opportunities for advancement. The only thing that limits you is you and your desire to work hard and advance. Volunteer for tasks at work that allow you to learn and demonstrate your work ethic, seek out mentors, learn about all the things you do not know, get certifications, and ask for stretch assignments. Figure out where you want to go and intentionally design every step along the way to your goal. Be courageous!
Mary Mercer was the 2022 recipient of the ASHP Pharmacy Technician Forum Distinguished Service Award. Check out this podcast: A Conversation with Distinguished Service Awardee for the Pharmacy Technician Forum to learn more.