2022 Winners
Best Patient Advocate
John W. Jordan, CPhT
Pharmacy Technician
Education
Santa Barbara Business College-Ventura, Pharmacy Technology degree
Resume
- 16 years as a certified pharmacy technician at CVS
Years in pharmacy
Praise from customers
“He thinks outside the box to solve problems and give the best service. He is there to help everyone.”
“John gives great customer service. He faxed the doctor’s office for me so my son could get a refill on his medication. His medicine was ready for pickup the next day.”
“I needed medicine because we were traveling out of the country. He helped me find some sleep gummies for myself and the kids, and they worked great.”
“He goes out of his way to help. He’s very friendly!”
“It was near closing, but John still made sure I was taken care of.”
Praise from colleagues
“John is a good-hearted person who will help anyone in need. A customer needed a prescription we were out of so John called around to other pharmacies until he was able to get the prescription filled for the patient.”
“He helped a customer get all her mom’s prescriptions transferred because she had moved to a new city. He updated all her information on the phone and made sure they were transferred. John even got refills from the doctor on the ones with no refills. He always makes sure to get the customer the best price.”
When customers and coworkers speak of John Jordan, CPhT, a pharmacy technician at CVS #9844 in Camarillo, California, the same words keep popping up: friendly, helpful, courteous.
What motivates Jordan, who’s been with the company for 16 years, to give that kind of high-level service day in and day out? “I just like helping people,” he says, modestly.
And help he does. Jordan’s pharmacy is a busy one, handling thousands of scripts a week. But he still makes time to resolve customers’ insurance matters, hunt for drug discount cards that can bring a medication’s cost from daunting to doable, and provide a smile and listening ear to all his customers. It’s these things that led to him being named the 2022 Best Patient Advocate.
“Anyone can be a pharmacy technician,” Jordan says. “But a great one knows the drugs and the patients.” Here, he speaks with us about what drives him to do this day in and out.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
I enjoy helping people feel better, and medication is one of the many ways a pharmacy technician can help people feel good about themselves. For me, the most rewarding part of the job is serving customers.
How do you help your customers?
If a patient doesn’t understand something, I break it down and explain their options. Sometimes patients get overwhelmed and frustrated, but if you just explain to them what they need to do, what their options are, and how they can sort it out, they’ll understand. I like being able to solve a challenge and get things resolved—I find satisfaction in that.
I like being able to solve a challenge and get things resolved.
We have a lot of elderly patients. They may be hard of hearing, or they can’t see well, or they’re just not technically savvy. They may need more help, so I spend a little more time with them and have a little more patience with them. I treat them the way I’d like my parents to be treated.
What are other ways you advocate for your customers?
I found a discount card that saved a customer some money—and it wasn’t just a little bit of money. It was $150 savings. The customer was able to get the medication the next day and when she came to pick it up, she brought the whole pharmacy team gift cards. She didn’t have to do that, but she was very happy we could save her that $150.
If I can make a drug more affordable for just one customer, and that lower cost makes it more likely this person will take their medicine and hopefully get better, it’s a win-win.
What do you think sets you apart from other pharmacy techs?
My education. I went to school to be a pharmacy tech, and I think that has given me an edge. I have knowledge and experience that makes me more valuable to the pharmacist and to the customers.
If I can make a drug more affordable for just one customer, and that lower cost makes it more likely this person will take their medicine … it’s a win-win.
I also think my customer service sets me apart. I moved around in my career to a lot of different CVS stores, and people would follow me. I care… and people like that, so they follow me—which I find astonishing!
What do you wish people knew about pharmacy technicians?
We do more than fill prescriptions! We communicate with insurance companies, doctors’ offices, and the pharmacist. There’s a lot of work—and complex work—that goes on behind the scenes.
What does this award mean to you?
I’ve been in this field for over 15 years, and it’s nice to know that people have noticed and that my work has been worth something. It’s really satisfying to be rewarded.
Praise from customers
“He thinks outside the box to solve problems and give the best service. He is there to help everyone.”
“John gives great customer service. He faxed the doctor’s office for me so my son could get a refill on his medication. His medicine was ready for pickup the next day.”
“I needed medicine because we were traveling out of the country. He helped me find some sleep gummies for myself and the kids, and they worked great.”
“He goes out of his way to help. He’s very friendly!”
“It was near closing, but John still made sure I was taken care of.”
Praise from colleagues
“John is a good-hearted person who will help anyone in need. A customer needed a prescription we were out of so John called around to other pharmacies until he was able to get the prescription filled for the patient.”
“He helped a customer get all her mom’s prescriptions transferred because she had moved to a new city. He updated all her information on the phone and made sure they were transferred. John even got refills from the doctor on the ones with no refills. He always makes sure to get the customer the best price.”
