Christa Clay

Why I do what I do:

PTCB’s mission is to advance patient care by certifying qualified pharmacy technicians in all practice settings. I am proud to use the knowledge I’ve gained in my twenty years of experience as a technician to contribute to that mission, and to offer other pharmacy technicians opportunities to enhance their skills and advance their careers. I am continuously amazed by the dedication and accomplishments of the technicians, pharmacists, and educators I get to meet and work with through PTCB.

Latest Accomplishment

PTCB just launched an updated version of the PTCE, which is a massive undertaking that happens every few years to ensure that the exam stays current with actual pharmacy technician practice. The CSPT Exam just celebrated its second birthday, and we recently launched two new assessment-based certificates: Technician Product Verification (TPV) and Medication History. Three more—Hazardous Drug Management, Controlled Substance Diversion Prevention, and Billing and Reimbursement—are coming this year. Active PTCB CPhTs who complete four or more certificate programs, or three certificate programs plus CSPT, are eligible to earn an advanced designation (CPhT-Adv), which is the first of its kind for pharmacy technicians. 

Most Memorable Experience as a Pharmacy Technician

I taught a pharmacy technician training program for six years before I came to PTCB, and I will always remember my students with fondness and pride. 

Why I Became Certified?:

I earned my original certification in 2004, before the state of Ohio—where I’m from and where I worked at the time—required it. I chose to become certified through PTCB because I’m competitive by nature and I wanted to demonstrate to my colleagues and the patients we served that I was a capable, conscientious pharmacy professional dedicated to the highest quality pharmacy care. It didn’t hurt that the retail chain I worked for incentivized certification by offering a pay raise and promotion opportunities to certified technicians, which is a fantastic way for employers to support and motivate dedicated techs.

My Passion Outside of Work:

I am completely devoted to the Victim Services Program at a local hospital, where I’ve been a volunteer for the past seven years. We provide in-person advocacy, support, information, and referrals for Emergency Department patients who have experienced sexual violence. I’m also obsessed with theatre—former professional actor here!—and I see every production I can get to, which is a lot because I live in New York City. It’s my goal to see a production at every LORT member theater in the U.S.; I’m at sixteen so far!

Latest Book Read:

I set a goal to read one hundred books in 2020; by mid-January I had already finished seven! Of note, I have read Calypso by David Sedaris and Ohio by Stephen Markley.

Advice to Up-and-Coming Technicians:

My advice to up-and-coming technicians is to get involved and stay informed! ASHP’s Pharmacy Technician Forum, as well as your local ASHP chapter, are great places to start. Go to Board of Pharmacy meetings in your state, or at least keep up with the news on their websites. Communicate with your legislators when laws and regulations concerning pharmacy technicians are at issue. Attend pharmacy conferences like the ASHP Midyear Meeting. You can even volunteer at PTCB, writing items for our exams! Engagement in your professional community leads to invaluable learning and networking opportunities.