Episode 117: Student Summit AMA - Part 1

May 13, 2026

This episode of CPhT Connect features a special live "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) session recorded during the 2026 Pharmacy Technician Student Summit. Host Mike Johnston and co-host Ashleigh Smith are joined by an expert panel of Student Summit speakers to provide direct guidance for students transitioning from the classroom to their first professional roles. As the Student Summit celebrates its fifth year as a free, virtual resource for the technician community, this session dives deep into the most pressing questions submitted by students nationwide. 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Essential Study Topics: Identifying the four key knowledge domains students must master for national certification.
• Prioritizing the "Big Three": Why pharmacology and the Top 200 drugs make up over 60% of the exam blueprint, followed by the critical importance of pharmacy math and law.
• Smarter Study Strategies: Moving away from overwhelming alphabetical memorization toward a system based on drug roots, classes, and patterns.
• Patient Safety & Math: Understanding how pharmacy calculations and drug interactions directly impact patient safety and exam performance.
• Expert Resources: Highlighting published guides and training materials available to help students conquer complex subjects like med math.

About Our Guests:

• Lorinda Lohner, MBA, BS Pharm, CPhT: A regular NPTA presenter based in Las Vegas and a published author specializing in pharmacy calculations and the Top 200 drugs.
• Sharon Garrett, CPhT: A dedicated educator and published author from Louisiana with extensive experience in the pharmacy technician field.
• Cassi Prosper, CPhT: A recurring summit presenter from California focused on helping students streamline their learning processes.
• Jamie McGuire, CPhT: A summit presenter joining the discussion from West Virginia to share professional insights with the next generation of technicians.

Registration Information: While the live summit has concluded, all resources and training materials remain available on demand throughout the year. Students can register for these free tools at cpht.org/student.

Link to Book Resources:

• Pharmacy Technician Exam Review: https://a.co/d/0ikwFSFq
• Top 200 Drugs Memorizing Made Ridiculously Easy (ebook): https://amzn.to/3TbR7EH
• Pharmacy Calculations Made Ridiculously Easy (paperback): https://amzn.to/45LNnBd
• Top 200 Drugs Simplified: Pharmacology Coloring Book & Study Guide: https://a.co/d/025SzbVr

This is Part 1 of the Student Summit AMA. The next episode will be Part 2. Visit CPhTConnect.com