Denise Propes

Why I Do What I Do

I love being involved in research. You are helping someone who is suffering from a serious illness and may not have any other options for treatment. It is extremely rewarding when I see a TV commercial or magazine ad for a drug that we trialed that has now been approved and is commercially available. I work with a great team of technicians and pharmacists at a great institution.

I really enjoy being a pharmacy technician and am very excited about the new opportunities and roles that are becoming available for our profession. 

Latest Accomplishment

I facilitate and organize a pharmacy technician live CE breakfast seminar each year for my local pharmacy association. It is wonderful event. We have over 100 technicians attend, some even coming from out of state. I am very proud to report that all the speakers for this year's event are pharmacy technicians!

Most Memorable Experience as a Pharmacy Technician

In 2016, I attended the ASHP Midyear meeting and presented a poster with two of my technician colleagues on innovative and advanced roles for pharmacy technicians. Michigan Medicine's pharmacy uses technicians in a variety of unique ways. It was a wonderful experience to share what we do and to find out how others across the country are using technicians. We had so much fun putting the poster together, and I loved seeing all the other posters at the meeting and talking to the presenters about all the great things they are doing in pharmacy.   

Why I Became Certified

For many years I worked as a technician in a hospital and never considered getting certified. At that time, the state and my institution did not require certification. A friend and coworker said she was planning on taking the PTCE and suggested we take it together. We studied at work and on the phone, and we quizzed each other for an entire summer. We both took the exam and passed. That PTCB certification changed my life! It opened up so many new opportunities for me to advance my career. I am so thankful to my coworker for talking me into getting my certification.

My Passion Outside of Work

My passion is advancing the role of pharmacy technicians and getting more people to consider it as a career choice. I volunteer to talk about pharmacy at high school and community college career fairs and health science programs. I am a member of several pharmacy technician education advisory boards. I am a pharmacy geek! Beyond pharmacy, I enjoy reading, gardening, bike riding, and spending time with my family and pets.

Latest Book Read

Janet Evanovich's Tricky Twenty-Two: A Stephanie Plum Novel. 

Advice to Up-and-Coming Technicians

Be professional and ethical; build on the skills you already have. Join and be an active member in your local pharmacy organization. We need more technician representation at the local and state levels, as well as in national pharmacy organizations. This is a growing career path that will offer a wealth of opportunities in a variety of areas over the next decade.