Q'iana Sellers

Why I Do What I Do

Simply put, I love the field of pharmacy and educating the next generation of pharmacy and healthcare professionals. In my 20 years as a pharmacy technician, I gained a great amount of pharmacy knowledge and learned a lot of lessons as a professional. I feel obligated to pass it on and provide welcomed guidance to others’ successes.  

Latest Accomplishment

Recently, I took the lead as project manager for the 2017-2018 ASHP reaccreditation of the PGY1 and PGY2 residency program. This project was very exciting and tedious. I collaborated with the pharmacy Staff Development Office, my director, and key team stakeholders to ensure all documentation, policies, processes, and our resident schedules were in compliance per ASHP standards.

Additionally, I was recently promoted to the Benefits Management and Business Analyst position within the Harris Health System Department of Pharmacy. As an active team member within the Business Operations team, I collaborate with system stakeholders; Human Resources Prescription Benefits team; and external partners overseeing contracts, vendor and business reviews, and Inventory/Formulary control, utilizing my project management leadership knowledge.

Most Memorable Experience as a Pharmacy Technician

In 2017, I was a recipient of the Texas Southern University Preceptor of the Year Award (Healthcare Administration) for the COPHS 2016-2017 class, which recognizes those who are committed to providing quality experiential opportunities for pharmacy and heath sciences interns.

Why I Became Certified

I became certified to be an example of an instructor who exemplified advanced pharmacy knowledge. When I took the exam in 2004, certification was not widely received in my state and was not required. At the suggestion from my Director of Education, taking and passing the test would establish a professional model for our students to follow. He was adamant that obtaining a certification was going to be necessary in the future, and I should be a positive reflection of how the students should prepare to advance their careers. He was totally right and I’m glad I did it!

My Passion Outside of Work

I enjoy spending time with my daughter and my family. Balancing your work/family time can become quite tricky the higher you move up the career ladder, so the time I get is very precious to me.  

Latest Book Read

My current read is The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business by Patrick Lencioni. The author dives into why an organization and/or leadership may often fail if they are not using tools to align team members toward a common set of principles. This is a really great read for those who are in management or who want to ready themselves toward leadership opportunities.

Advice to Up-and-Coming Technicians

Your knowledge is value, and value is an important ingredient for success. Don’t just settle for menial knowledge. Become very knowledgeable in all areas of pharmacy and relevant healthcare. Take science courses pertinent to pharmacy, such as Microbiology, Anatomy and Physiology, and Chemistry, for example. These courses give you a better understanding of how and why drugs work the way they do. Don’t stop there! Achieve an advanced degree as there are more career opportunities opening up for technicians to be in leadership and upper management. Lastly, make sure to give back. Stay active in organizations like ASHP, as more technicians need to be part of the movement to increase management opportunities, create challenging education modules, and decrease the salary pay disparagement.