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Pharmacy Technician, The: Foundations and Practices, 3rd edition

Published by Pearson (July 17, 2019) © 2020

  • Mike Johnston

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For introductory pharmacy technician courses.

Filling the need for a comprehensive pharmacy technician resource

The Pharmacy Technician addresses today's comprehensive educational needs for one of the fastest growing jobs in the US: the pharmacy technician. Aspiring pharmacy technicians learn all the content they need to meet professional regulations and requirements. Step-by-step guidance in essential pharmacy tasks, combined with extensive review, reinforces practical knowledge.

The 3rd Edition includes nearly 500 updates and revisions, including more than 275 updates specific to medications. It's fully aligned with the 2019/20 Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB).

Hallmark features of this title

Resources for current and aspiring pharmacy technicians

  • Step-by-step procedures help students systematically work through processes and procedures they will perform on the job. Online videos accompany many of the procedures and practice problems.
  • A student resources site includes homework assignments, critical-thinking questions, videos for math and measurements, and three 90-question practice exams simulating the PTCB national certification exam.

Practice opportunities

  • Profile in Practice boxes in each chapter feature short scenarios depicting real pharmacy problems.
  • Web challenges at the end of chapters lead students to perform internet research related to a chapter's content. They then either report their discoveries or answer questions related to their search.

New and updated features of this title

The most current practical information, consistent with industry standards

  • UPDATED: Nearly 500 updates and revisions are included in the 3rd edition, with more than 275 updates pertaining specifically to medications.
  • UPDATED: The most current pharmacy technician practices are addressed.
  • UPDATED: The latest ACPE-ASHP accreditation standards are now reflected in the text.
  • NEW: The most up-to-date listing of new drug information and newly available medications on the marketplace is new to this edition. Appendix A lists the most common over-the-counter products, and Appendix B lists the most prescribed medications in the US.

Exam prep resources

  • UPDATED: The new edition is fully aligned with the 2019/20 Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB).
  • UPDATED: Industry-leading online assets, activities and certification exam review measure students' understanding of current practices, while challenging them to analyze and apply content.

I. FUNDAMENTALS OF PHARMACY PRACTICE
1. History of Pharmacy Practice
2. The Professional Pharmacy Technician
3. Communication and Customer Care
4. Pharmacy Law and Ethics
5. Terminology and Abbreviations
6. Dosage Formulations and Routes of Administration
7. Referencing and Drug Information Resources

II. COMMUNITY AND INSTITUTIONAL PHARMACY
8. Retail Pharmacy
9. Health-System Pharmacy
10. Technology in the Pharmacy
11. Inventory Management
12. Insurance and Third-Party Billing
13. Over-the-Counter (OTC) Products
14. Introduction to Compounding
15. Introduction to Sterile Products

III. PHARMACY CALCULATIONS
16. Basic Math Skills
17. Measurement Systems
18. Dosage Calculations
19. Concentrations and Dilutions
20. Alligations
21. Parenteral Calculations
22. Business Math

IV. PHARMACOLOGY
23. The Body and Drugs
24. The Skin
25. The Eyes and Ears
26. The Gastrointestinal System
27. The Musculoskeletal System
28. The Respiratory System
29. The Cardiovascular, Circulatory, and Lymph Systems
30. The Immune System
31. The Renal System
32. The Endocrine System
33. The Reproductive System
34. The Nervous System

V. SPECIAL TOPICS
35. Medication Errors
36. Workplace Safety and Infection Control
37. Special Considerations for Pediatric and Geriatric Patients
38. Biopharmaceuticals

Appendices
A. Common Over-the-Counter Products
B. Top 200 Drugs
C. Advanced Career Path Options
D. Practice Certification Exams

About our author

Mike Johnston is one of the most recognized and influential pharmacy technician leaders in the world. In 1999, Mike founded the National Pharmacy Technician Association (NPTA) and led the association from three members to more than 20,000 in less than two years, and now to more than 90,000 members. Today, as chairman/CEO of NPTA and publisher of Today's Technician magazine, he spends the majority of his time meeting with and speaking to employers, manufacturers, industry leaders and elected officials on issues related to pharmacy technicians, both across the United States and internationally.

Mike serves as the sole pharmacy technician delegate to the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and is the only North American representative member of the European Association of Pharmacy Technicians (EAPT). He is also a CPE administrator and field reviewer approved by the Accreditation Council on Pharmacy Education (ACPE). Mike's background includes experience in community-based pharmacy practice, health-system pharmacy practice, extemporaneous compounding, and as a pharmacy technician instructor. He has been nationally certified since 1997 (CPhT) and is also certified in IV/sterile products, chemotherapy and extemporaneous compounding.

In 2013, Mike opened his own pharmacy, SCRIPTS Compounding Pharmacy, located in the suburbs of Houston, Texas. Mike holds a BS with honors in business management and ethics from Dallas Christian College. He is the author of eight previous textbooks on pharmacy technician education and Rx for Success: A Career Enhancement Guide for Pharmacy Technicians.

The NPTA is the world's largest professional organization specifically for pharmacy technicians. The association is dedicated to advancing the value of pharmacy technicians and the vital roles they play in pharmaceutical care. In a society of countless associations, we believe that it takes much more than just a mission statement to meet the professional needs of and provide the necessary leadership for the pharmacy technician profession, it takes action and results.

The organization is composed of pharmacy technicians practicing in a variety of practice settings, such as retail, independent, hospital, mail-order, home care, long-term care, nuclear, military, correctional facilities, formal education, training, management, sales and many more. NPTA is a reflection of this diverse profession and provides unparalleled support and resources to members.

NPTA is the foundation of the pharmacy technician profession; we have an unprecedented past, a strong presence and a promising future. We are dedicated to improving our profession while remaining focused on our members. Pharmacy technician students are welcome to join more than 60,000 practicing pharmacy technicians as members of NPTA.

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