If someone had told Dr. Abel Guevara III, CPhTAdv, while working as a high school pharmacy clerk, that one day he would serve on national healthcare boards, lead healthcare operations, advocate for pharmacy professionals, and help shape the future of healthcare workforce development, he probably would not have believed them.
Like many pharmacy technicians, Abel began with a simple goal: learn, work hard, and help patients.
What he did not realize at the time was that becoming a Certified Pharmacy Technician would not be the destination. It would become the foundation for a career filled with opportunities to grow, lead, and serve.
Over the years, his career expanded far beyond the pharmacy counter. He has worked in community pharmacy, compounding pharmacy, DMEPOS, assistive technology, compliance, accreditation, reimbursement, revenue cycle management, healthcare operations, health information management, executive leadership, and now serves as Head of Operations & Student Success at RxTechExam. Each role contributed new perspectives on leadership, patient care, and the complexities of healthcare.
One of the greatest lessons Abel has learned is that careers are rarely linear.
Sometimes the opportunity that changes your life is the one you never expected to take.
That lesson became even more meaningful through his recent participation in the Pharmacy Leadership & Education Institute (PLEI) STAR Framework 2.0. He entered the program expecting to strengthen his leadership skills but left with something even more valuable: a deeper understanding of himself as a leader.
PLEI challenged him to think differently about leadership, humility, vulnerability, self awareness, accountability, and the responsibility leaders have to develop others. It reinforced that leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about asking better questions, listening with intention, empowering others, and creating opportunities for people to succeed. Those lessons continue to shape how he serves students, colleagues, healthcare organizations, and the pharmacy profession.
Today, one of the most rewarding aspects of Abel’s career is helping aspiring pharmacy technicians recognize that this profession offers far more than a single job. Pharmacy technicians become supervisors, educators, compliance professionals, operations leaders, informaticists, entrepreneurs, executives, researchers, and advocates. Every certification earned, every challenge overcome, and every opportunity embraced becomes another building block for future success.
At RxTechExam, that philosophy is reflected in every student interaction. Preparing learners for the PTCE is only part of the mission. The greater goal is developing confident healthcare professionals who strengthen patient care, support the healthcare workforce, and become the next generation of pharmacy leaders.
Abel often shares one piece of advice with students beginning their own journeys:
Stay curious. Keep learning. Say yes to opportunities that challenge you. Your career may take you places you never imagined, and every step of the journey will matter.
RxTechTakeaway
Your first job as a pharmacy technician does not define your career. It begins it.
Invest in yourself.
Invest in your education.
Invest in your leadership.
The future of pharmacy depends on technicians who are willing to learn continuously, embrace new opportunities, and inspire those who follow.
You never know where your journey will take you.
