As she sat at her desk processing tax returns, Wendy Tartaglia realized her job at a tax accounting firm was not for her. Ready for a change, she wanted to do something that fit her family better and paid a higher income. Already familiar with KSU during her time as an undergraduate, Tartaglia, now a wife and mother of two teenagers did not have the time to invest in returning to complete her degree. Then a chance conversation changed her future.
“I wanted to do something that provided a quicker path to making more money,” Tartaglia said. “My local Publix pharmacist recommended the Pharmacy Technician continuing education course at KSU.”
It turns out Tartaglia’s pharmacist is friends with Tim Sanders, one of the instructors of the Pharmacy Technician certificate program at KSU’s College of Continuing and Professional Education. Based on her previous experience in various volunteer roles in the medical industry, Tartaglia felt it would be a natural fit. The course is typically three months long, but to her delight, a separate, accelerated option was available that could be completed in just six weeks.
“I was nervous going back to school and wondered how I was going to learn all the information in such a short period of time,” Tartaglia said. “Tim [Sanders] put us completely at ease from the beginning. He offered encouragement and hope, along with real-life experiences to help us understand what life as a technician would be like in the real world.”
Valuable Skills Gained
Tartaglia cited several impactful aspects that she gained from the program with the most important being the discovery of what life is like in a pharmacy setting. The course also covers the necessary math skills required in the field, the different classifications of drugs and their uses, how to properly mix medications (known as compounding), and the codes used in the industry (known as sig codes).
“Knowing that it was going to take a concerted amount of effort to accomplish this task in such a short period of time, I threw myself into the work,” she said. “I was determined to work hard and succeed.”
Instructor Sanders recognized Tartaglia’s efforts in the program. “Wendy was a successful student because she wanted to succeed,” Sanders said. “The pace was fast and, if you fell behind, it would have been easy to give up. But she excelled.”
Finding Her Passion
Two weeks after completing the class, Sanders alerted Tartaglia of a job lead. As a result, she is now happily employed as a pharmacy technician with the Publix at Sandy Plains Exchange in Marietta. The referral, coupled with her class experience, was the difference maker.
“You are more hirable by taking this class and having more knowledge of the industry under your belt,” Tartaglia said. “My boss was impressed by what I learned in the course.”
The same week she was hired at Publix, Tartaglia took the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board exam and passed. She has since added the letters CPhT next to her name and received a new job title of certified pharmacy technician. The national certification will allow her to work at any pharmacy across the country.
“There’s a lot of opportunities in this field,” Tartaglia said. “I’m just getting my feet wet, getting good experience and looking forward to what’s next.”
For more information on the Pharmacy Technician certificate program, visit ccpe.kennesaw.edu, call 470-578-6765, or email ccpe@kennesaw.edu.
