PTCB CEO/Executive Director Named Drake 2010 Weaver Medal Recipient

WASHINGTON, April 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) is pleased to announce that PTCB Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Melissa Murer Corrigan, has been named as the 2010 recipient of Drake's Lawrence C. and Delores M. Weaver Medal of Honor. The Weaver Medal is the highest honor presented by Drake's College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. It recognizes a select individual's dedication to and impact on the pharmacy profession.

"Melissa Murer Corrigan is a visionary in the profession of pharmacy. She recognized, early on, that pharmacy technicians play a key role in improving pharmacy service in our country," said Dan Jorndt, retired Walgreen Co. Chairman and CEO. "Before there was a Pharmacy Technician Certification Board, Melissa was advocating for pharmacy technicians to be trained and certified."

Murer Corrigan has served as the Executive Director and CEO for PTCB, the largest NCCA accredited national certification program for pharmacy technicians, since its inception in 1995. She directs the overall conduct of the pharmacy technician program which has certified over 360,000 pharmacy technicians nationwide. In her role with PTCB, Murer Corrigan is responsible for the leadership of the highly successful certification program, management of testing for PTCB's high volume Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination (PTCE), marketing and new business development, and acting as public spokesperson for the organization. While at PTCB, she has created strategic alliances with state pharmacy associations, state boards of pharmacy, and major pharmacy employers such as CVS, Target, and Walgreens.

"Under Melissa's guidance and leadership, PTCB has positioned pharmacy technicians as an integral part of enhanced pharmacy practice and improved patient care. Trained, skilled pharmacy technicians empower pharmacists to spend time with patients to optimize their drug therapy and achieve the most positive outcomes possible," said Thomas E. Menighan, BSPharm, MBA, FAPhA, Executive Vice President and CEO of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA).

A recognized leader in credentialing and health care certification, Murer Corrigan received the National Organization for Competency Assurance's Certification Industry Leadership Award in 2008. She is president-elect for the Institute for Credentialing Excellence, for which she served on the Board of Directors. She also served for three years as president of the Board of Directors for the Council on Credentialing in Pharmacy. Additionally, Murer Corrigan was named one of six emerging leaders making a difference in health-system pharmacy by the Hospital Pharmacist Report in 2000.

Murer Corrigan will be honored on Drake's campus in Des Moines, IA, on Wednesday, April, 21. At that time she will receive the Weaver Medal and deliver the Weaver Lecture titled, "Making a Difference." During her lecture, Murer Corrigan will share experiences from building PTCB and offer insight on the pharmacy profession. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 2:00 p.m. in Sheslow Auditorium, Old Main, 2507 University Ave. A reception will follow from 3:30–5:00 p.m. in the Cowles Library Reading Room, 2725 University Ave.

Pharmacy technicians play a critical role in patient safety—they prepare and dispense medications, maintain patient records and are accountable to supervising pharmacists.

PTCB is the pioneer and industry leader in pharmacy technician certification. Having recently celebrated its 15th anniversary in January, PTCB's PTCE and certification program serve as the national standard for pharmacy technician certification. PTCB's certification program is widely recognized and trusted throughout the industry for ensuring that pharmacy technicians across the country adhere to the highest standards. The PTCB certification program is the only pharmacy technician certification endorsed by APhA, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). More than 40 states regulate pharmacy technicians and the majority of those endorse PTCB's certification.

For additional information, contact Mark Franco, Director of Finance & Administration, at (202) 429-7508 or [email protected].

About the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB)

PTCB was established in January 1995 and is governed by five pharmacy organizations—the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists (ICHP), the Michigan Pharmacists Association (MPA), and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). The goal of the PTCB national certification program is to enable pharmacy technicians to work more effectively with pharmacists to offer safe and effective patient care and service. PTCB contracts with Pearson VUE, the industry's technology leader, as its computer-based testing vendor. PTCB draws upon the experience and expertise of its 15-year partner, Professional Examination Service (PES) for test development. Visit PTCB online at www.ptcb.org.

SOURCE Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB)