Written by Amantha Bagdon

The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead as I stood behind the counter, my dark blue smock crisp and unflattering. The name tag pinned to my chest proclaimed “Amantha, Pharmacy Technician” in bold letters. It was a warm summer evening in Beverly Hills, and the pharmacy hummed with its usual frenetic energy.

“You know, dear, you’re always so helpful,” Mrs. Jones said, her weathered hands clutching the white paper bag containing her diabetes medication. “Have you ever thought about becoming a pharmacist?”

I froze, that all-too-familiar phrase echoing in my head: “I’m just a tech.” But as I caught my reflection in the glass cabinet, for a split second, I saw something more – an innovator, an advocate, an entrepreneur.

This is moment, this realization, was years in the making. It started with my mom’s simple question when I was 16: “What do you want to do with your life?” Pharmacy school seemed like a solid choice – stable career, good income, helping people. But my mom, ever practical, suggested I dip my toes in first.

“Get a job at a pharmacy,” she said. “Make sure you like it before committing eight years and a small fortune.”

That’s how I found myself at Rite Aid, working under Steve, a quiet man with thick-rimmed black glasses who communicated more with raised eyebrows than words. The pharmacy lingo came easily to me, and before long, I was studying for my pharmacy technician certification.

Fast forward to UC San Diego. I can still smell the eucalyptus trees that embraced the modern buildings, see the Geisel Library standing like a concrete spaceship ready for liftoff. But amid this beauty and promise, I faced a harsh reality: pharmacy school would leave me drowning in debt.

So, I made the difficult decision to put my dream on hold and work as a tech to save money. Fate, with its twisted sense of humor, led me from a brief stint at Ralph’s Pharmacy to an independent pharmacy in Beverly Hills. I didn’t know then that this detour would change everything.

Dr. Greta Golshtein, the owner of Roxbury Pharmacy, was an Advanced Practice Pharmacist with fierce intelligence and an even fiercer commitment to patient care. “There ain’t no rest for the wicked, money don’t grow on trees,” she would often quote the song lyric, her tireless work ethic infectious.

It was a busy Tuesday in 2014 when inspiration struck. A patient had canceled their order for an expensive, specially ordered medication that we couldn’t return. I was tasked with calling other pharmacies to see if anyone else could use it.

As I dialed number after number, I couldn’t help but think about the inefficiency of it all. Here we were, a of pharmacies, each potentially holding the solution to another’s problem, yet connected only by time-consuming phone calls and a bit of luck.

I glanced around our pharmacy. The fax machine churned out prescriptions. Post-it notes to follow up with patients were everywhere—stuck to computer screens, lining the edges of shelves, and even fluttering on the pharmacy counter. I found myself jotting down yet another note to tape to the wall: “Elliot’s pharmacy owes us a check for X drug.” What would happen if that piece of paper fell off and disappeared under the refrigerator, never to be seen again?

That night, sitting at my kitchen table, I scribbled furiously on a notepad. The idea for RxPost began to take shape – a pharmacy-to-pharmacy marketplace that could streamline these manual processes and connect independent pharmacies more efficiently.

With trembling fingers, I drafted an email to a renowned pharmacy attorney and former owner of the same Roxbury Pharmacy, Herb Weinberg, asking several crucial questions about the legality of pharmacies transferring medications to each other, and his answers confirmed what I’d hoped – this wasn’t just possible, it was already permitted within clearly defined boundaries. I still have that email, a digital reminder of the moment I stopped being “just a tech” and became an innovator.

Now, as I write this column, I want to share with you, my fellow technicians, what I’ve learned. It’s hardly ever a straight line to achieve your dreams. But it starts small, with micro-adjustments.

This column is your guide, your resource, your call to action. We’ll explore leveraging technology, building relationships, developing leadership skills, and understanding the business side of pharmacy.

Remember, being an entrepreneurial pharm tech isn’t just about starting your own business. It’s about fostering the skills of an entrepreneurial thinker and combining them with your love for community. It’s about embodying our core values: Integrity, Superb Customer Service, Efficiency, and Financial Success.

As we embark on this journey together, I want you to remember that we are not “just techs.” We are a vital part of the healthcare system, we are patient advocates, and we are community innovators.

So, the next time someone asks what you do, stand tall and say, “I’m a pharmacy technician, and I’m shaping the future of healthcare.” Because that’s exactly what we’re doing, one prescription, one patient, and one micro-adjustment at a time.