PHARMACY TECHNICIAN OUTLINE

You get everything you need to complete your training including step-by-step illustrated lessons that prepare you for the rewarding in demand career. This gives you a preview of what you will learn.

Click on the instruction links below for complete course content.

Instruction Pack 1
Instruction Pack 2
Instruction Pack 3
Instruction Pack 4
Instruction Pack 5

Pharmacy Technician Instruction Pack I  Back to Top

Welcome to the World of Pharmacy
This lesson explores a day in the life of a pharmacy and its staff. You'll learn areas where pharmacy practice is expanding as well as upcoming opportunities for pharmacy technicians. You'll also review the professional requirements to be a pharmacy technician.

The Role of the Pharmacy Technician
Step into the shoes of an actual pharmacy technician and become familiar with the roles and duties you will encounter in your new career. You'll also explore communication skills needed to be successful.

The Language of Pharmacy
This lesson describes how to use pharmacy terms in your new career. Learn about root words, prefixes and suffixes and how to derive word parts from medical terms. You'll also study abbreviations used in prescriptions and medical orders. The Quick-Learn System of medical terminology will help you.

Pharmacy Communications: Medical Orders and Prescriptions
Here you'll learn to evaluate the written communications you will handle on a daily basis and also explore ways to detect fradulent prescriptions and orders.

Drug Information Sources
This lesson introduces drug reference resources. You'll learn which questions you can address and which questions should be referred to a pharmacist.

Introduction to the Human Body
This lesson describes the ten basic human anatomy systems and how these systems interact in a stable, healthy human. You will have a strong foundation from which to begin studying drugs.

Pharmacy Operations
You'll go behind the scenes to explore the lifeblood of a pharmacy - purchasing and inventory control. You'll learn about maintaining product quality, disposing of expired products and management opportunities.

Also included in Pack I:
• You Can Do It! CD
• Quick-Learn System
• The History of Pharmacy
• Develope a Professional Medical Phone Personality
• USCI Notepad and Pen

Pharmacy Technician Instruction Pack II  Back to Top

Understanding Dosage Forms
Discover medication dosage forms and the physiological routes they follow once administered. This lesson reviews tablets, capsules, solutions, suspensions, suppositories and sprays, plus measuring equipment.

Drug Actions and Interactions
Drug actions and interactions are discussed here. You’ll explore the body’s ability to interact with different drugs at one time and gain insight into monitoring and responding when negative results occur.

Negative Reactions: Medication Errors and Poisons
This important lesson discusses medication errors and how the pharmacy staff addresses them. You’ll also study toxic substances and available antidotes.

The Young and the Old
You’ll learn about the special medication requirements of pediatric, neonatal and geriatric patients and your role in ensuring accurate drug dosages. Plus you’ll explore calculations for proper dosage.

Computers and Pharmacology
Computers have revolutionized the pharmacy industry. Discover computer programs that help control inventory and expedite customer service.

Financial Management and Insurance
Gain insight into the fundamentals of financial transactions, including health insurance reimbursement. In addition, explore the financial issues in the industry, as well as how to process patient health insurance.

Also included in Pack II:
• Pharmacy Technician Career Guide
• Professional Development #1 - Creating a Professional Image
• Computer Buyer’s and User’s Guide
• Ergonomics: Creating a Healthy Working Environment
• Mortar and Pestle

Pharmacy Technician Instruction Pack III  Back to Top

Introduction to Pharmacy Math and Measurement Systems
Review the basic math skills necessary to be a pharmacy technician. You’ll also get an overview of systems of measurement (metric, household and apothecary).

Antimicrobial Agents
Here you’ll explore the types of pathogens that can enter and infect the human body, as well as the medicinal agents available to fight those pathogens. You’ll learn the specific drugs used, as well as the battery of HIV antiviral agents currently in use.

Antineoplastic Agents
You will learn the three types of treatment used to treat cancer—their actions, interactions and side effects. You will also explore the toxicity of specific drugs.

Respiratory and Allergy Drugs
Many types of respiratory and allergy drugs are available to U.S. consumers. This lesson will teach you about the most common types of drugs in this category—their therapeutic uses, actions and side effects.

Pharmacy Law and Ethics
A pharmacy career involves responsibility and trust. You’ll learn what laws govern your position, what federal standards affect pharmacy technicians and what regulatory agencies oversee drugs and institutions.

Central Nervous System Drugs
This lesson identifies the three classes of drugs that affect the nervous system and the therapeutic uses of each. You will learn about neuroses, psychoses and different types of depression. You’ll also learn about antidepressants, antianxiety drugs and others.

Also included in Pack III:
• Drugs of Abuse
• Professional Development #2 - Managing Stress, Time and Money Supplement
• Calculator

Pharmacy Technician Instruction Pack IV   Back to Top

Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Agents
Here you will explore the seven basic types of cardiovascular disorders. This lesson describes these disorders, as well as the classes of drugs used to treat them.

Digestive System Drugs
Here you will discover the six basic categories of digestive complaints. You’ll study each ailment along with the therapeutic agents used to treat them.

Nutrition and Vitamins
Nutrients and vitamins have an effect on the body and must be taken into consideration when discussing drug interactions. You’ll discover how nutrients are classified and how they affect bodily functions.

Muscle Relaxants and Analgesics
As the U.S. population ages, muscle relaxants and other pain relievers have become more common in the daily wellness regimen. Pharmacy technicians must be familiar with these muscle relaxants, analgesics, antipyretics and anti-inflammatory agents. You will study these concepts in this lesson.

Immunological Agents
You will explore the vaccines that have been developed to combat disease—their names, indications and contraindications, side effects and how they work with the body’s immune system to fight pathogens.

Also included in Pack IV:
• Professional Development #3 - Career Advancement
• Resume Maker® Software

Pharmacy Technician Instruction Pack V  Back to Top

Reproductive and Endocrine Systems
Discover drugs that affect the body’s hormones. You’ll explore names, therapeutic actions, interactions and side effects of medicinal agents affecting the glands of the reproductive and endocrine systems.

Pharmacy Math Calculations
Pharmacy techs calculate drug dosages using four different methods. You will learn each of these methods to calculate dosages for liquid, tablet, capsule, parenteral and other forms of medications.

Compounding
Learn how to compound, or create, medications from chemical components. This lesson discusses safety guidelines for compounding and handling hazardous drugs, as well as record-keeping when compounding.

Practicum
The course practicum combines all the skills used by pharmacy technicians. The practicum walks students through a real-world pharmacy environment where they will illustrate the three areas of competence—assisting the pharmacist in serving patients, maintaining medication and inventory control systems and knowledge of general pharmacy operations.

Also included in Pack V:
• Pharmacy Technician Jobs Finder

SPECIAL BONUS: As a paid-in-full graduate, you’ll receive a valuable graduation gift...

• The Annual Quick Look Drug Book, an indispensable quick reference guide providing details on more than 1500 medications—including dosage, brand names, use and dosage forms.