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...

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...

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 powerf...

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 an...

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...

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 o...

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 witness...

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 str...

In 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...

In this episode of CPhT Connect , host Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv , breaks new ground by welcoming the show's first-ever non-pharmacy guest. Joining us is Lorraine K. Lee , a best-selling author, LinkedIn Top Voice, and keynote speaker who has empowered leaders at global organizations like Zoom, Amazon, and McKinsey & Company. As the industry faces rapid changes—from restructuring to new technology—L...

In this episode of CPhT Connect, host Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv, sits down with Erika Anderson, a nationally respected pharmacy technician leader whose passion for pharmaceutical compounding has shaped patient safety and compliance across an entire health system. With more than two decades of experience, Erika currently serves as the System Manager of Pharmacy Compounding for CommonSpirit Health, ov...

In this episode of CPhT Connect, host Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv, BCNCPT, BCSCPT, kicks off a brand-new RxInfluencers series with a dynamic conversation featuring Dr. Walter Oronsaye, PharmD, RPh, widely known online as the Phit Pharmacist. Dr. Walter is redefining what it means to be a healthcare professional in the digital age. With a background spanning community pharmacy, public health education,...

In celebration of World Pharmacy Technician Day 2025 , host Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv , delivers a powerful solo episode that gets to the heart of what it means to be a pharmacy technician today. In this special release of CPhT Connect , Mike shares a message of pride, professionalism, and purpose for every technician who has ever been told they are "just a tech." He explores how language shapes ide...

In this episode of CPhT Connect , host Mike Johnston sits down with Alexander Carter, BCSCPT, CPhT , an Implementation Specialist at Pharmacy Stars , to explore how a career built on curiosity, persistence, and continual growth can open unexpected doors. From his start as an "accidental technician" to leading compliance implementations for hospitals across the U.S. and Canada, Alex shares how each...

In this episode of CPhT Connect , host Mike Johnston welcomes Carrie Stephens, Advanced Certified Pharmacy Technician and co-owner of Hoagland Pharmacy , to share her remarkable journey from "Street Tech" to pharmacy owner. Carrie discusses the transition from employee to co-owner—leading a team of 70 across retail and long-term care—and how she and her partners explored ownership models, built tr...

In this episode of CPhT Connect , hosts Mike Johnston and Ashleigh Smith sit down with Courtney Miller , the powerhouse founder of Pharm Techs Only , to explore her remarkable 30-year journey in the pharmacy field. From her start at CVS in 1997 to roles in long-term care and even providing care within the complex environment of Rikers Island, Courtney shares the highs, lows, and hard lessons learn...

Welcome to a new episode of CPhT Connect , the podcast for Pharmacy Technicians! Join hosts Mike Johnston and Ashleigh Smith as they explore the intersection of pharmacy and wellness with special guest Ranisha Mangle , CPhT. With over 20 years of experience and a degree in nutrition and wellness, Ranisha shares her inspiring journey from retail pharmacy to becoming a health educator and advocate f...

Welcome to a new episode of CPhT Connect, the podcast for Pharmacy Technicians! Join hosts Mike Johnston and Ashleigh Smith as they welcome back Kevin Judeich, Licensing and Accreditation Specialist at Curexa Pharmacy, for an engaging conversation about career growth, specialization, and making an impact in pharmacy. In this episode, Kevin shares how his role has evolved—from a generalist technici...

Welcome to a dynamic new episode of CPhT Connect , the podcast for Pharmacy Technicians! Join hosts Mike Johnston and 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 reta...

Welcome back to CPhT Connect , the podcast for Pharmacy Technicians! We're continuing our Season 7 kickoff with Part 2 of our powerful leadership conversation featuring Kelley Babcock and Terri Norvell —two dynamic leadership development coaches passionate about empowering pharmacy technicians. In Part 1 , Kelley and Terri joined hosts Mike Johnston and Ashleigh Smith to introduce their Leadership...

Welcome to the Season 7 premiere of CPhT Connect, the podcast for Pharmacy Technicians! Join hosts Mike Johnston and Ashleigh Smith as they kick off a brand-new season with an empowering conversation on leadership in pharmacy. In this episode, leadership development coaches Kelley Babcock and Terri Norvell share the Leadership Growth Formula , a transformative approach to developing leadership ski...

Welcome to a milestone episode of CPhT Connect , the podcast for Pharmacy Technicians! For this special 100th episode, Ashleigh Smith interviews the NPTA creative team and Mike Johnston to reflect on the podcast's incredible journey and celebrate how far it's come. In this episode, Mike Johnston and Peter Fazon, Creative Director for NPTA, dive into the early days of CPhT Connect —how the idea sta...

Welcome to an insightful episode of CPhT Connect , the podcast for Pharmacy Technicians! Join hosts Mike Johnston and Ashleigh Smith as they dive into the topic of career advancement and professional growth for pharmacy technicians. In this episode, Mike and Ashleigh explore key strategies and frameworks to help technicians take control of their careers, including the Career Vision Framework , Car...

Welcome to a gripping episode of CPhT Connect, the podcast for Pharmacy Technicians! Join hosts Mike Johnston and Ashleigh Smith as they uncover the shocking case of Kim Thien Le, a pharmacy technician who successfully impersonated a licensed pharmacist for over 11 years at Walgreens. In this episode, Mike and Ashleigh break down how Le managed to fill over 745,000 prescriptions—including controll...

Welcome to an inspiring episode of CPhT Connect, the podcast for Pharmacy Technicians! Join hosts Mike Johnston and Ashleigh Smith as they sit down with Lindsey Storm, a seasoned pharmacy technician with 17 years of experience, including 13 at Vanderbilt Medical Center. In this episode, Lindsey shares her unique career journey, from studying pre-law to discovering her passion for pharmacy. What st...